Don’t Mess With Texas: Southwest Takes Over Hummus

A few weeks ago I went to Biscotti’sfor Stephany’s, one of my good friend’s, birthday. I was beyond excited, because it being on a Thursday night (out on a work/school night???) and with all of my friends and I being so busy, I rarely get to have time to relax with my friends. Biscotti’s is a local gem where birthday dinners are a must in that it is known for its wine, salads, and CAKE. All a great combination in my book and luckily this visit I wasn’t lacking in any department. Before we were able to order our food, one of the girls ordered a combination patter that had mango salsa, brushetta, and black bean hummus. Being starved to death, we dug in and where surprisingly shocked of how scrumptious the black bean hummus was. Normally, I don’t reach out on the supermarket isle and buy hummus for myself, since most of the time it can be lack luster in the flavor department and can catch up with you on the calorie count (health food? I’m still skeptical). This black bean hummus though was exploding with a southwestern flavor that gave boring hummus a new view in my eyes. I couldn’t have enough and despite having six of us girls splitting 3 (double chocolate, bread pudding, and carrot) cake, I later found myself dreaming about that hummus.Fast forward to this weekend when yet again my parents went out of town leaving me to my own devises. Being a (soon to be) 24 year old, when my parents go out of town I normally revel in the idea of being by myself and cooking myself something that I want when I want it. Do not think that I’m complaining and am being starved, but when you return home from school the notion of cooking dinner is decided by what the majority wants to eat. Having had weeks to brood over what to cook, I decided that black bean hummus was exactly what the food gods ordered to finally quiet the cravings that I’ve had for it ever since that glorious September night at Biscotti’s.The major obstacle I found was that while the Crabtree’s have 4 (count them: 1, 2, 3, 4) Bundt pans, we did not have a food processor. That just goes to show the type of food we southerners typically lean towards, since the notion of needing a food processor to make hummus never would have come up in my household before. Therefore, I went out and both myself an early birthday present and got one right before going to Publix to pick up the ingredients I needed. The recipe that I decided to follow a Cooking Light winner for their 2008 Ultimate Reader Recipe Contest entitled “Spicy Black Bean Hummus”. The name is very literal, and not to be corny but is literally the best hummus I’ve ever eaten.

You first start off by chopping the garlic in the food processor…(I love garlic so I used 2 cloves instead of 1)

Then you add all the other ingredients….

Grind, grind, grind

Add some olive oil and voila! I know now you all want the recipe so here it is….

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

Ingredients
· 1 garlic clove, peeled
· 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
· 1 tablespoon tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
· 1 teaspoon ground cumin
· 1/4 teaspoon salt
· 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
· 1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
· Dash of crushed red pepper
· 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
· Dash of ground red pepper
· 1 (6-ounce) bag pita chips (such as Stacy’s Simply Naked), carrots, sliced green peppers, etc.

Directions: Place garlic in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add lemon juice, tahini, cumin, salt, black beans, jalapeño pepper, and crushed red pepper; process until smooth. Spoon bean mixture into a medium bowl, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with ground red pepper. Serve with pita chips.

Note: I have been dying for a good turkey sandwich so I toasted up some bread, added Boar’s Head turkey, sliced tomato, spinach leaves, pepperjack cheese, and a smear of hummus on the bread.

Add Sun Chips and Diet Cherry Coke, my other guilty pleasures and I think I upgrabbed the commoners lunch to a kings (or in my case, a queen).

Food, Football, and Glory

First of all I would like to say congrats to the Florida Gators for breaking the banjo over the Tennessee Volunteers’ heads on Saturday by winning 33-23. I had such a great time with my family and friend in Gainesville for the football game and the silencing of “Rocky Top” was music to my ears. The night ended at Krystals for me, which if you are from Ortega you know always is the stamp of approval for a night out on the town.

Overall, this was a very successful weekend for me which started off with making a steaming bowl of Chicken Fajita Chili. With the cooling temperatures (mid-70s burrrr!) and the promise of fall in the air, I have been craving homemade soup and decided to indulge myself. I searched the net looking for a recipe to use and didn’t find one that fulfilled my few requirements: 1) it had to be spicy, 2) it had to be loaded with veggies (no, I do not consider 3 types of beans veggie approved), and 3) is had to be cheap to make (my roommates are still my parents people!). Only one type of food came to mind when thinking about spicy and cheap….

I bet you can’t guess it….

Mexican!

(I just want to note that I realize Mexican didn’t fulfill one of my requirements (VEGGIE LOADED or HEALTHY, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t make it work.)

With Mexican on my mind I decided that Chicken Fajita Chili was exactly what my stomach was rumbling for. During my lunch break from work I went to Publix and grabbed all the ingredients that I needed. The best part about soup is that you can add and subtract based on personal preferences and since my parents left me and the dogs all by our lonesomes for the weekend, I put in the soup exactly what I wanted. I must note though, that getting a rotisserie chicken is on the expensive side for all the coupon lovers out there, but when in a time crunch it does the trick. On the flip side, when dealing with mostly frozen or canned items I was saving some doe. It’s a great tip to stock up on the canned items to have on hand if you want to bulk up the chili or make it spur of the moment.

I basically threw all of the ingredients in a pot, brought it to a boil, and then let it simmer for 1 ½ hrs. It was that simple for a gigantic pot of soup that could have feed an army or at least a unit. I may be biased, but I think that it was some of the best chili I’ve had in a long time, especially with the extra cheese and hot sauce I sprinkled on top, because who can deny more spice and cheese? Not wanting the chili to go to waste, I froze some of it and then lived off it for the rest of the weekend. You know that it was good when after 3 meals of chili I still wanted some more, but opted to eat it as a dip with Tostitos Scoops- let the chili simmer longer and you can make a great dip!

My one regret is not having a marg with it….CHEERS

The recipe to my Chicken Fajita Chili is below, but I must warn you that chili is a taste as you go affair. Don’t be afraid to add more water if the sauce is too thick or more spices if it’s too bland. Chili is one of the most forgiving meals you can make so just avoid burning it, taste as you go, and you will be fine.

Chicken Fajita Chili

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded or chopped smoked chicken (about 1 lb.)

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup spinach, cooked and drained

2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, thawed

1 (14.5-oz.) can low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1 can red enchilada sauce

2 cups hot water

2 teaspoons hot sauce

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 package of chili seasoning

Garnish (optional): Tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, sour cream

Directions:

Shred the chicken, chop the onion, and mince the garlic. Put the onion and the garlic in a large pot (or crock pot) with the chicken broth over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce heat and allow pot to simmer for 1-1 ½ hrs. Stir occasionally. Garnish with toppings.

View Recipe on Tasty Kitchen’s Website!