Hummus

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Before everyone freaks out and says “Hummus?!  That has BEANS, Dr. Angela!”  I am very aware that hummus uses beans.  I am not opposed to beans in the diet if someone prepares them correctly.  This takes time, forethought, and is definitely NOT convenient.  When I recommend foods for someone’s diet, it is all about getting adequate nutrients while eliminating toxins (and making it work for their lifestyle).  I can’t tell you how many times I hear “Dr. A, I just need my food to be convenient!”  That is why I typically eliminate food categories where the preparation is extensive in order for them to be nutrient dense and free of toxicity.  Beans are one of those categories due to phytic acid.  If you do not soak your beans in an acidic environment prior to cooking them, they may not be the healthiest option.  That means, in order to make them a healthy option, you have to do something inconvenient.

I made this hummus to prove this very point.  If you want hummus, you can’t buy store bought versions without additives and bad oils, so there’s no convenient option unless you have a friend willing to make it for you!  This would be an example of how to make hummus and have it be a healthy addition to your diet.  Since I have the luxury of getting those same nutrients in more convenient options, this is not something I do regularly.  However, sometimes I get a wild hair and decide to make something labor (or at least time) intensive!

Hummus

Ingedients:

  • 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (cooking instructions below)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • juice from half a lemon
  • 2-4 tbsp tahini (or any nut butter)
  • 1-2 tsp cumin
  • handful parsley
  • EVOO
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

For the beans, soak a bag of dried chickpeas in warm water with a couple Tbsp of lemon juice, vinegar, or some other acidic liquid.  Leave for at least 24 hours before rinsing and boiling in water on the stovetop for 6-8 hours.  Add more water along the way if it is evaporating.  Once cooked, you can drain them and use them for hummus!

Place 2 cups of  garbanzo beans in the food processor with tahini, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Pulse until crushed up and then turn on the processor and let it go while you are drizzling olive oil in the top shoot.  You will know you have enough olive oil when the mixture is creamy, like hummus!

For the rest of the beans, place them in freezer safe containers and freeze them for later use!

Sweet and Savory Popovers

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I saw these little guys on PaleOMG’s blog the other day, and thought to myself: “There’s not much to those. I bet you could make tons of flavors!” So, I decided that night that I was going to make one batch of six and in case it was an epic fail, I would make 3 savory and 3 sweet. I have thyme in my garden right now and tons of garlic scapes from the CSA so one flavor was garlic thyme. Cinnamon was an easy choice because who doesn’t love cinnamon? These are like pillowy dinner rolls with an indented center that would be amazing filled with custards, curds, compound butters, or whatever your little heart desires. When I made these, the process seemed to be very forgiving because my eggs were sort of a disaster. Farm fresh eggs means sometimes you get double yolks. I had 2 double yolks and decided that I was worried it may alter the texture. So, at least you know that a mishap like that will still allow for a good outcome!

Sweet and Savory Popovers

(basic popover from My Paleo Patisserie)

Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbsp arrowroot
  • 2 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 large eggs, room temp
  • 1/4 cup canned coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp ghee
  • Thyme/Garlic: a few sprigs of thyme and a minced garlic clove
  • Cinnamon: 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp coconut sugar (If you decide to do all one flavor, then double the flavor addition)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F. In a small bowl combine the flours and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk the eggs up lightly and add the coconut milk, water, and flour mixture and combine until school. Put a little bit of the ghee into each of the 6 muffin tins. Put the muffin tin and fat into the oven for about 5 minutes and then remove. Put 1/4 cup of the batter in each muffin tin. Cook for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350F and cook until golden brown, which could be another 15 minutes.