Hummus Is Yummus

In my precruise effort to slim down I decided a vat of hummus was necessary.  Grocery store hummus is overpriced and kind of like canned soup, why buy it when homemade is so good.

2 cans of garbanzo beans
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup tahini
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic Pressed
1 T Harrisa (my secret ingredient)
Paprika and Salt to taste

Put everything in the blender it makes it smoother than  the food processor, use the liquid from the garbanzo beans to thin it out.  If you like it spicy use more harrisa.  Eat with carrots, peppers or pita.  My favorite variation has some baba ganoushe blended in. I recently added 1/4c wing sauce, amazing.

Soup

I live in Florida where it's nice and cozy, but the thought of everyone north of me freezing brings on the soup cravings.  Soup is one of my favorite things to make because it's nearly impossible to screw up.  I have been trying to drop those few pounds I gained during the holidays so black bean soup seemed like a good hearty healthy choice.  Time to clean out the cupboards.
1 can FF vegetarian refried black beans
2 cans black beans drained and rinsed(organic ones aren't near as overcooked)
1 large onion
1 can rotell (tomatoes with chilies)
2c veggie or chx stock ( I use the veggie powder you shake with water)
1 lime

Saute the onion in a little olive oil, stir in some cumin, salt, paprika, hot sauce, and salsa verde if you have it.  When the onions are soft everybody else goes in the pool.  Simmer until the refried beans are melted and serve with plain yogurt for creaminess and cheese for yumminess.

Doughnuts

If you haven't heard Doughnuts are the new Cupcakes.  Every culture has some form of fried dough deliciousness.  Americans Donuts, Portuguese Malasadas, Arab Loukoumades, Mexican Sopapillas, French Croulers, Italian Ricotta.  I do not discriminate not even against the bags of fried biscuit dough the serve with Chinese takeout.  Today I caved and bought a donut (the easy way to spell it) baking sheet, seems healthier to bake them, and a donut cookbook.  I am so excited I could stay up all night baking and frying bits of dough.  The only problem is deciding which to make first, ricotta, red velvet, smore, banana bread, chocolate macaroon, or chai donuts.  I think I will sleep on it.  Pictures may come if I don't eat all the evidence.
doughnutcookbook.com

So I ate half of them before I took the picture.  I found a basic recipe online that used ingredients I had on hand, when done I dipped them in butter and cinn/sugar. Yummy

Favorite Things

My favorite foods to cook and of course Eat.

• Hummus is yummus, as is most middle eastern food
• Greek yogurt with mint and wild alaska salmon in any combination
• Real macaroni and cheese, lobster never hurts, I also love panko on top
• Potatoes, my potato salad cookbook is one of my favorites
• Coconut macaroons, coconut rice custard, coconut curry, coconut shrimp and onion rings, coconut coffee creamer, I like coconut
• Brie en cruet, I can make this a meal
• Portabello mushrooms with red and yellow peppers
• Tomatoes, roasted, grilled, fresh, fried green, I don't discriminate
• All fruits and veggies, when people say they don't like fruits or veggies I wonder what the heck do they eat.
• Croissants and Cheese sweet or savory are the two foods I could never live without

Health Advice

I obviously love food,  I also love being healthy.  People that know me well are intrigued that I can blabber on for hours about an amazing meal I once ate, yet repeat the same amount of health wisdom.  I love my life; I love my body.  It's all about balance.

A very short list of my health wisdom:

• If it comes in a box it isn't food
• Hydrogenated anything will stick to your insides like glue
• Fake sugar makes your body crave real sugar
• Farmed fish and factory meat should frighten even the to most careless
• Butter (cows) over Margarine (scientist) wins every time
• If you don't need it don't eat it