Rocket & Roses Fragrant Cool Dip (vegan & gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Mr Sinatra ~ Night And Day
Thunder ~ Higher Ground
Damien Rice ~ Cannonball
Beth Hart ~ Halfway To Heaven
The Puppini Sisters ~ Jilted
Stevie Ray Vaughan ~ Rude Mood/Hide Away
Paloma Faith ~ Trouble With My Baby (Live)
Buena Vista Social Club ~ Murmollo
Bam Budd ~ Recstra
Prince ~ Cream
Bruce Springsteen ~ Silver Palomino
Mozart: Piano Concerto #21 in C
Lenny Kravitz ~ Strut
Dixie Chicks ~ Never Say Die


I have been very busy plotting and test cooking for my next Suma creation which is going to be posted on Monday. And once more I want to thank Ann for being my kitchen bitch assistant. I seriously couldn't do it without her right now. We had great fun sitting down to a Japanese inspired banquet after we had finished. Always a good part of recipe testing...

I was so happy to recently find a local supplier of lotus root. In the past when I had wanted to buy it I had to go online and it would cost around £10! (Including postage of course) But we found some for £2! So I have been busy cooking it in many different ways. One of which was baking slices in the oven to make lotus chips. I seasoned half of the slices with salt and the other with Shichimi spice. They still need a little more work so will post the recipe when I am happy with it. To go with the chips I wanted a light dip. I wanted it to compliment the spicy chilli seasonings. 

Using silken tofu is an obvious choice but one I enjoy. I don't use it often but I do like the blank canvas of it. In a couple of blitz's of the blender I have a smooth and creamy texture for my dips. The addition of fresh lemon and ginger juice and the tiniest measure of Umeboshi paste give this dip a delightful aromatic flavour. With some fresh chives stirred into the mix to round the flavours out perfectly. This dip is light, cooling but has a beautiful flavour on its own. Ann took the leftovers home and had some smeared in a wrap for her lunch today. For something a little different dip wise...you can't go wrong with this one.. 

Rocket & Roses Fragrant & Cooling Dip...served with Lotus Root Chips

Rocket & Roses Fragrant & Cooling Dip
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

12oz silken tofu
2 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh ginger juice
pinch of Umeboshi paste 
10 fresh chive strands, cut into 1/2" pieces

Place the drained silken tofu into a blender and blitz until you have a smooth texture.

Add the lemon juice, ginger juice and Umeboshi paste into the blender and blend until thoroughly combined. Remove the mixture into a serving bowl and stir in the chopped fresh chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your day is going well? 

~Red~ 

NB: This is my creation. I have no problem with you using this recipe or sharing it. I simply ask that you give credit where its due and link it back to this posting. Many thanks..~R~


 

 

Rocket & Roses Chilli, Broad Bean & Lentil Dip (vegan & gluten-free)

Rocket & Roses Kitchen Play List:

Thunder ~ Live At Donnington Album 

The thought that not that long ago..well ok maybe a few years now..I didn't really get the whole chilli heat thing is amazing to me. Now I have them as often as possible and they are an essential item in my regular breakfasts. I'm not an addict so I don't go for the hotter the better option and I am certainly not going to enter any chilli eating contests..ever. I leave that to the serious chilli fans out there. lol. But I have definitely found my chilliside. The same with asparagus but that really is a recent thing. As they came into season I started to buy them and threw out the old tried and tested ways of eating them...and actually found that I really love them. I'm very happy about this but today I went a step further and used them as a crudite and they were amazingly good. Ah...food loves...lol 

Now to food hates...least liked kitchen duty...skinning broad beans. Arghhhhh! As I am a self confessed patience challenged person I find this job most annoying. Why do I keep putting myself through it? Well I actually love the end result but only if all traces of skin have been removed. It's strange that I can spend hours prepping veggies and can happily chop for England....but give me a bag (or two!) of broad bean pods and I feel almost rageful. It is a necessity to combine this chore with doing something that takes my attention away from it...last night it was watching ML and our little nephew having a marathon Mixels Lego monster building session. Saddos..lol. And when I had finished I was left with...well..a small amount of beans..dammit! I also have a strange shudder reaction to the furry skins of the shells...anyway....lol. 

I had a stash of chillies thanks to ML's bargain hunting skills and I decided to have a go at making a hot dip to go with veggies and/or tortilla chips. As my two ginormous bags of broad beans yielded so little I had to get creative with an additional ingredient. I wanted to keep true to the natural lush greenness of the chillies and beans so to me it was obvious to use plump cooked green lentils. I was really happy with the resulting dip as it has the heat that I was hoping to achieve but it didn't take away from the wholesome beans and lentils natural flavours. The fresh garlic was a subtle addition to the flavour and the ground ginger provided a further kick of mellow heat. As the stock was added it smoothed out to a very pleasant silky dip.

Rocket & Roses Hot, Hot Chilli Broad Bean & Lentil Dip

Rocket &Roses Hot, Hot Chilli Broad Bean & Lentil Dip 
(Original recipe from the Rocket & Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1/2 tbsp coconut oil (optional as you could steam saute)
6oz broad beans, cooked and skinned
2 onions, chopped
6 fresh garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 green chillies, de-seeded and sliced 
1 tsp ground ginger
1 14oz tin of green lentils, rinsed and drained
2 fl oz low sodium veggie stock 

Place the cooked broad beans and green lentils in a blender.  

Gently heat the oil in a skillet and then add the onions, garlic, chillies and ground ginger. Stir to coat well with the melted oil then cover and leave to cook down over a low heat. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When the onions are very soft and the mix has mulched remove from the heat. Leave to one side to cool a little. 

Add the onion mix to the blender and then start to blend the dip until smooth..adding the veggie stock when needed. You may need a little extra stock or water depending on your ingredients. When the blender has smoothed the mix out pour it into a container with an airtight lid. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. Best served chilled...or warm with tortilla chips. 

Roll call for the cruds: asparagus, baby sweetcorn, sugarsnap peas, carrots, red and yellow pepper. It tasted great with all of them..but obviously the choice is yours. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Saturday has been a blissful one...

~Red~ 

NB: This is my creation. I have no problem with you using it or sharing it. I simply ask you give credit where it's due. As I always try to...many thanks. Namaste..~R~    

White Bean, Sage and Garlic Dip

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

Stevie Nicks ~ Stop Draggin' My Heart Around
Foo Fighters ~ Tired Of You
Joan Jett ~ A Secret Love
The Puppini Sisters ~ Sway 
The Bryan Ferry Orchestra ~ Slave To Love 
Bowie ~ Golden Years 
Emmylove Harris & Don Williams ~ If I Needed You
Abbacadabra ~ Mamma Mia
Bach: Orchestral Suite in #3 in D : Air 
Rod Stewart ~ Stay With Me
James Morrison ~ One Last Chance
Maxine Sullivan ~ It Ain't Necessarily So 
Jessie Ware ~ No To Love 
Dixie Chicks ~ Easy Silence

I've had the pleasure of the littlest niece's company for the day. My sister has started a part time job and that means that I get the chance to spend some extra time with the little one. We have been busy painting, cooking soup, playing games, dancing and shooting pirates. lol All great fun and having her thoughts and input on the events of the day has been interesting and at times quite funny. Sometimes it's hard to remember she is only 2..well until next week. She is far wiser and more mature than some 5 year olds. Seeing her slumped in the car seat on the way to her home was quite a satisfying feeling...I'd worn her out. lol. But no doubt that it was a temporary thing...

So to today's recipe...it was a recipe that I made on Friday for the weekend. I am experimenting with fresh sage right now having thought for years that I didn't like it. Now I know that I am not a big fan of the dried variety but the fresh option is really quite lovely. I found this recipe posted by that great cook Anon but as soon as I read through the ingredients I knew I had found a recipe I wanted to try..now! In minutes it was printed off and in a few more I was in my kitchen prepping. 

It is an easy dish to make if you don't drop the baking dish as you are lifting it out of the oven! Urgh! lol And once it's blitzed you have a fairly sizable pot of dip. I used mine as a dip for crudites, spread for oatcakes, in a sandwich and I think it would be great as a filling for a jacket potato although I have yet to try that one. Its flavours despite the amount of garlic used are subtle and wholesome. Oh and I had some on hot GF toast which was very good. 

White Bean, Sage & Garlic Dip with Rustic Oarcakes

White Bean, Sage & Garlic Dip  Servings...many lol.

2 1/2 tins of cannellini beans, rinsed well and drained 
5 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
10 fresh sage leaves 
2 bay leaves 
1 tbsp olive oil 
1 whole head of garlic, outermost papery husk removed
salt and black pepper 
juice of 1 lemon 

Preheat oven to 350'F/180'C/GM 4. Spray the head of garlic with olive oil cooking spray. Put it in a small baking dish with 1/3 cup water. Bake until soft and lightly caramelised, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool and then squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves. 

Put the drained beans in a saucepan along with the bay leaves, sage and garlic and just cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and then simmer for 3o minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain the bean mix. 

Blitz the bean mix with the roasted garlic, oil and enough of the cooking water to achieve a spreadable consistency. Season to taste with the salt, pepper and lemon. 

Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Tuesday has been as much fun as mine...

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is not my creation and therefore I take no credit for it whatsoever. But thanks to whoever did. ~R~


 

Sarah's Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (Vegan, Fat-Free, Oil-Free,GF, Sugar Free)

Rocket & Roses HQ Play List:

BBC Radio 2 Desert Island Discs Podcast ~ Nigel Slater 

After an indulgent holiday season I have happily gone back to my healthy eating habits. Blimey, did I miss them more than I realised. I feel so much better now I have ditched wheat and sugar again. I'm always vegan..nothing will ever change that...but I had allowed myself to eat wheat breads and convenience vegan foods. All packed with preservatives, sugars and salt...so therefore by the end of the holidays I was feeling bloated and just plain horrible. It wasn't worth it. I wish I could say it was. But now the bloat has gone...I feel perkier...and my body is responding better once more. Why do we put ourselves through this? I am sat here with my decaf Green tea and glass of water...about to make my lunch time salad and I am extremely happy with this picture.

During the holidays I bought store made Hummus. I know..I can hear you gasp in horror...lol. But being human means I am liable to the occasional failure. I found them to be too acidic and this overrode the great flavour that hummus can have. And because of the preservatives I was at one point left with mouth sores. Yep..what a plonker..I know. So since getting back to my 'real' life I have been avoiding Hummus. And then I got a grip..and started looking through my many hummus recipes in my files and cookbooks. But I wanted a good and preferably a fat free version..or no added fat at least. I couldn't make a decision and then I was sat working and my thoughts drifted to the hummus search once again. I usually have Pinterest open on my desktop for those..."Argh I can't think of the words I need...." moments. lol. I tapped in a fat free hummus search and today's recipe was the first one that popped up. It had no additional fats...and it looked like it would be packed full of flavour. It is the creation of Sarah @ everydayvegan.blog.com and she gives you a great reality check when it comes to the hidden fats in regular hummus. For the original recipe and Sarah's great post simply click this link.

As with all homemade hummus it is easy to make once you have grilled or roasted the peppers. And I didn't even mind peeling the skin off of each piece as I normally do. (It usually gives me the heebies jeebies as does removing the flesh from roasted aubergines...it's a slimy texture thing..lol) Then it's a throw everything in and blitz recipe. It makes a light textured hummus and the spice really kicks in after a couple of mouthfuls...which is probably good when you are trying to keep portion control. lol. I enjoyed mine as a snack like the photo below...served with yellow pepper strips, carrot sticks and homemade Rustic Oat Cakes. It was a simple pleasure...no hidden nasties..just good, fresh and flavour filled food.

Sarah's Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Sarah's Spicy Red Pepper Hummus
(Recipe from EveryDayVegan.blog.com)

1 large red bell pepper
1 can of chickpeas ( 3/4 drained)
2 garlic cloves, minced 
2 tbsp lemon juice 
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (add more if you like heat)
1/2 tsp smoked garlic 
salt (to taste) 

Cut large red bell pepper into quarters (dispose of stem/seeds) and place on cookie sheet that had been covered in foil. Roast under the broiler at 500'F until skin is blackened. (Or roast in a hot oven as I did ~R~) Take out and transfer to a bowl, cover and let set for 10 minutes - once cool, peel off burnt skin and discard, then place the rest of the pepper in food processor along with chickpeas ( 1/4 of liquid in can) and all remaining ingredients. Pulse until smooth. Serve. 

Enjoy! 

Thanks for stopping by and I hope your Thursday was excellent....

~Red~ 

NB: This recipe is not mine and therefore I take no credit for its creation. It is the hard work and creation of Sarah @ Everydayvegan.blog.com. I thank her for a great recipe..~R~

 

Oh She Glows Easy Vegan and Gluten Free Crackers Part 2 ~ With Toppings

Kitchen Play List: Lady Antebellum ~ Need You Now Album

These vegan and gluten-free crackers have been enjoyed and eaten! Gone..all for the sake of this blog posting..Ahem. lol. As promised I chose three recipes to try out as toppers for these crackers. 

Easy Vegan & Gluten Free Crackers with a Trio of Toppings

The first topping I chose was Lydia's Pea Spread. When Chris from Vegelicious.com posted this spread recipe I knew I had to try it out. I had been wanting to try a 'pea' dip for a long time and the closest I'd got to that was Edamame Hummus..OK..so not close at all but it was a similar principal. Chris had been served this on holiday in Germany and loved it so shared it via her blog. At the bottom of this posting is a link directly to her posting of this recipe. Chris does warn you about the intense garlic hit and even halving the suggested amount we still got quite a kick but this spread is addictive. It's fresh and very pleasing.  

Lydia's Pea Spread on Oh She Glows Crackers - Delish!

The second topping, a Chilli Bean Dip, I had found on vegweb.com many moons ago and it had been sat in my tray waiting to be tried. I added an extra 6oz cooked black turtle beans to it and it's a very mild Chilli flavour and then after swallowing you get a tiny cayenne hit. It was ok but we both felt it was missing something and maybe a little too watery. But we still enjoyed it with the crackers. 

Chilli Bean Dip on Oh She Glow Crackers - Mildly tasty

And the final topping was also found via vegweb.com but one I found on the day of baking the crackers. Broccoli Dip with Marinated Sun Dried Tomatoes and Brazil Nuts. The photo on vegweb is much brighter red than mine turned out. I was using a very dark brand of dried sundried tomatoes so maybe that was it? My Love thought this topping was delicious and thought it was quite 'broccoli and cheesey'. For me, I would definitely use a different sundried tomato next time. I felt the chewiness wasn't really to my taste. But the other ingredients were very tasty. 

Broccoli Dip with Marinated Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Brazil Nuts on Oh She Glows Crackers

As toppings for OhSheGlows.com vegan and gluten free crackers...I think they all worked really well. The crackers didn't wilt when you topped them and they were the perfect accompaniment for the toppings. My favourite combo was Lydia's Pea Spread but My Love's was the Broccoli Dip. I am now inspired to make new toppings to team the crackers with..and may be even have a go at making my own gluten free crackers.

For Lydia's Pea Spread link:
http://www.vegalicious.org/2011/08/01/lidias-pea-spread/ 


For Vegweb's Broccoli Dip:

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=37951.0

For Vegweb's Chilli Bean Dip:

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=41632.0

Hope you give these crackers a try...even if you don't 'need' to eat gluten-free they are a seriously delicious cracker....

Thanks to all for the great recipes..I enjoyed making and testing all of them...

Enjoy! 
~R~ 

Rocket and Roses Black Eyed Bean & Lime Dip

Kitchen Play List:  Pearl Jam ~ Porch
                                      The Union ~ Easy Union
                                      Shakira ~ Eyes Like Yours
                                      Whitesnake ~ Now You're gONE
                                      Slash feat Myles Kennedy ~ Starlight
                                      Frank Sinatra ~ You Make Me Feel So Young
                                      The Kinks ~ Waterloo Sunset


Post written on Monday 27th June...and I just plain forgot to post it! lol. 
 
Crikey..has summer reached England at long last..but of course..now I am too damn hot! lol. I am a self confessed winter lover though. So today I was sat at my desk and looking at the kitchen thinking "...Blimey it's gonna be hot in there!" Even for me there are times when I didn't have to cook everything from scratch and I could just throw something in the oven etc. But I can't...oh well. 

Today I needed to make a salad topping for the week. And yes I could've knocked up a hummus but I really wanted something new. I stood at my stock shelves and I realised I had an abundance of tins of black eyed beans. Lovely. I had some lovely plump cloves of garlic that I wanted to use but didn't want 'raw' garlic...I wanted mellow garlic. So out came the bottle of sunflower oil. Balsamic Vinegar was the next selection as was some filtered water. The last ingredient was a gorgeous vibrant green lime that was sat on my kitchen counter. 

The results was a mellow but rich bean dip. It's a lovely pinky/brown colour with specks of black..I left mine a little thicker as I wanted it for a topping but you could add slightly more water if you want it for a thinner dip. I absolutely love it and as I'm typing this I am eating my lunchtime salad with it on top. It's definitely worth the extra step of cooking the garlic for a few seconds as you do get a rich garlic taste. 

A good and tasty Rocket and Roses Black Eyed Bean & Lime Dip

 Rocket and Roses Black Eyed Bean & Lime Dip
(Original recipe from the Rocket and Roses Vegan Kitchen)

 3 14oz tins of black eyed beans, rinsed and drained
3 /med/large cloves of garlic, micro grated
1 tbsp sunflower oil, or oil of choice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp sunflower oil
5 fl oz water
Juice of 1 ripe lime

In a small saucepan add the 1st measure of sunflower oil along with the grated garlic. Stay with it as it only takes seconds. Heat on a low heat and once the garlic starts to sizzle keep it moving for 30 seconds. Do not allow it to brown as it will just taste bitter. A golden colour is preferred. Remove from the heat to cool.

In a food processor pulse the beans until they are roughly chopped but broken down. Drizzle in the 2nd measure of sunflower oil along with the balsamic vinegar. Pulse until they are incorporated.

Take off the lid of the processor and spoon in the garlic and oil from the pan. And pulse to incorporate. With the processor running drizzle in the water and then the lime juice. Leave to blend on high for approx 2 minutes.

If you want a thinner consistency you will need to add the extra water at this stage and blend until you are happy.

This made a large box of dip and that's great for me as we eat it over the working week.

Enjoy!
~R~

Rocket and Roses Creamy Soya Bean & Artichoke Hummus.

Kitchen Play List:  Queens of the Stone Age ~ Songs For the Deaf

There is a very pleasant aroma wafting around the kitchen and my work space today..in the kitchen I have some Raspberry, Strawberry and Loganberry fruit tea steeping in my fridge jug and the smell is intensely berry and divine. However that won't be for very much longer as I am about to hit the kitchen and cook our evening meal...lol..and this has absolutely nothing to do with this posting...I just wanted to share. lol.

The seeds of creation for this hummus I give credit to Rstahr via vegweb.com. I was cruising the dips/hummus/pate section and found their White Bean and Artichoke recipe. It was just about the thing I was looking for as a topping for my lunchtime salads. I wanted something...a little different for a few days. And artichokes seemed to hit the spot. 

But for some reason the moment I hit the kitchen to start making this hummus I started changing things around with it. Hence the credit to Rstahr...and then the Rocket and Rose tag because I have made it my own.

Usually I would head straight to cannellini beans for a 'white bean' recipe but today I found myself reaching for a carton of organic soya beans (can be purchased at Sainsburys). Not the fresh green form of soya bean but the almost haricot bean looking one. I had used them recently in another beany dip and they were lovely and creamy. There is the initial rinsing and re-rinsing as you have to wash away the soya bean jelly they come packed in. But it's really only a moment's work. I always have tins of artichoke hearts in water in my store cupboard so I was good to go. lol 

The results were a light, creamy and different version of hummus. I really liked it and enjoyed it on my salad this lunch time. You do get a good artichoke flavour with each mouthful as well as the usual garlicy tahini old faithfuls of a good hummus. If you are looking for something that little bit different then give it a try. 

Rocket and Roses Creamy Soya Bean and Artichoke Hummus

Rocket and Roses Creamy Soya Bean and Artichoke Hummus
(Inspired by Rstahr/vegweb.com - Recipe from the Rocket and Roses Vegan Kitchen)

1 14oz carton of soya beans, rinsed well and drained
1 14oz tin of artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, grated
1 1/2 tbsp tahini
1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 tbsp fresh lemon juice
freshly cracked black pepper
3/4 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp cumin

Add the soya beans and artichokes to a food processor and pulse until they are broken down. 

Add the remaining ingredients to the processor and be patient....blending for a minute at a time and then getting in there with a spatula and pushing it all down. Then when it's reached a paste..leave it to blend on a high speed for 4 minutes. (And hopefully your processor won't smell like the engine is about to burn out...like mine does!) lol. 

Spoon into a airtight container and store in the fridge until needed. 

Enjoy! 
~R~ 

A Basic Wholesome Hummus

Kitchen Play List: Kelis ~ Milkshake
                                     Lady Antebellum ~ Need You Now
                                     Jason Collett ~ Blue Sky
                                     Rolling Stones ~ It's Only Rock and Roll
                                     Shelby Lynne ~ I Only Want To Be With You
                                     The Gossip ~ Standing in the Way of Control

I wish Anon would make themselves known! This is another of those recipes I found posted by this mythical creature. lol. If you know the origin of this recipe please let me know as I prefer to give credit where it's due....

It's a good base recipe for making your own hummus. If your only experience with hummus is the shop bought kind...I feel for you...you are missing out on so much! lol. It's not hard to make and compared to the shop bought ones, it isn't packed with the preservatives and the nasty acidic after taste you can sometimes get. I have known shop bought hummus's to give me mouth ulcers. But if you don't have the time to make your own then fair enough...no judgment. lol


This recipe on its own is good. Its flavours are wholesome and the texture is very light and fluffy. I sometimes add things like peppers, chillies and an array of herbs and spices. It gives you a decent hummus as is but a perfect canvas to experiment with other ingredients. 


The only negative thing I would say about this hummus is the amount of oil used. My hummus's are usually as low oil as possible but when I'm making this one I don't mess with it. But if you aren't that worried about the amount of oil needed or aren't on some kind of restricted eating plan then give this one a try. 


I always use slightly more lemon juice than the recipe suggests but don't worry, it's almost impossible to make this hummus too acidic...I said almost! lol. It makes a large box of hummus so is good for buffets  or to have in the fridge for the weekday lunches. 

Wholesome Hummus

Wholesome Hummus
(Found posted by ANON on a website) 

2 14oz tins of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (plus extra if needed)
3 tbsp tahini
3 garlic cloves, grated
1/4 cup water
1 tsp cumin powder
pinch of coriander powder
pinch of paprika
salt and pepper to season, to taste

In a food processor put the drained chickpeas and the oil and blitz until broken down but not paste like or creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until almost smooth or the texture you prefer. Taste for seasonings and alter according to taste. 

I usually add a little more lemon juice at this stage but that's just my preference. 

Go for it and experiment with other ingredients and I would love to hear how you get on? 

Enjoy! 
~R~

Creamy Soya Bean & Black Bean Hummus

Kitchen Play List:  Billy Joel ~ She's Got A Way
                                      Thunder ~ Yesterdays News
                                      Slash ft Iggy Pop ~ We're All Gonna Die
                                      Madeleine Peyroux ~ Careless Love
                                      Shakira ~ Don't Bother
                                      No Doubt ~ Underneath it All

I firmly believe that you can never have too many Hummus recipes. And as I probably have about a hundred of them..it's a good belief! lol. I haven't always liked hummus but to be honest I hadn't even heard of it until about 10 years ago. It was during my first visit to My Love's parents house that I tried it. Instantly I was hooked and I couldn't understand why I hadn't tried it before. But I wasn't brought up in a 'hummus' household...if you know what I mean. My Mum experimented with lentils and soup mixes in stews and soups but lentil/bean dishes weren't part of household eating style. When I left home I experimented more but somehow the simple hummus slipped by me. Not now! I am now a card carrying paid up member of the chickpea fan club and enjoy all types of hummus. One of my favourites is made with pinto beans..not a chickpea in sight. lol. I use many different types as toppings for my lunch time salads and never tire of them. 

A few years ago I started to react badly to the preservatives in pre-made/produced foods and unfortunately hummus was one of them. So I make all of my own hummus now and if I do have a pre-made shop bought one, I find them too acidic and I never feel good later. 

So today I didn't have a topping for my salad and I'm still craving the comfort that I was seeking on Monday. Weather/hormones/My Love being away...yada yada yada. lol. I would love to say this is entirely my creation but it really isn't. I adapted the Black Bean Hummus from Joanne Stepaniak's wonderful Vegan Deli. 

The results were a deliciously creamy and light hummus. The flavours were subtle on the whole and then you pick up a little heat from the cayenne pepper. And it brought out the wholesome flavour of the salad ingredients. 

It doesn't look that great as it's beige, with flecks of black but what it lacks in appearance, it really does make up for it in taste. I hope you try this for yourself...

And I feel I should take the oppurnity to say thank you to my In-Laws for introducing me to the lovely stuff! lol

Creamy Soya Bean & Black Bean Hummus

Creamy Soya Bean & Black Bean Hummus
(Recipe adapted from Black Bean Hummus in Vegan Deli/Stepaniak)

1 14oz carton of Soya Beans, rinsed well and drained (Sainsburys sell them!)
1 14oz carton of Black Beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp tahini
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce/tamari
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Put the drained beans into a processor and pulse until broken down. Add the remaining ingredients and leave to blend until it is a smooth paste. You may need to get the spatula out and push everything down a couple of times but it's worth the effort. Store in a airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve. 

Enjoy! ~R~   

Middle Eastern Avocado Dip and Tahini & Yoghurt Dressing

Kitchen Play List: Joe Cocker ~ Bye Bye Blackbird
                                     Melissa Etheridge ~ Into the Dark
                                     Newton Faulkner ~ People Should Smile More
                                     Il Divo ~ Ave Maria
                                     Mr. Buble ~ Cry Me A River
                                     Foo Fighters ~ M.I.A
                                     Shelby Lynne ~ Breakfast in Bed

Now these are the wonderful final recipes from the Middle Eastern Inspired meal I cooked a few days ago. The Avocado Dip is simple to make and tastes good when used with the wholemeal pitta and carrot sticks which I served them with. The Tahini & Yoghurt Dressing tasted lovely with the hot meal but not so much the next day as a salad topping! Don't know until you try eh? lol I hope you try them...the recipes are from A Vegan Taste of the Middle Eastby Linda Majzilk.

Avocado Dip
(Recipe from A Vegan Taste of the Middle East)

2 medium Avocados
2 rounded tbsp light tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
black pepper
paprika

Peel the avocados and mash them in a bowl with the lemon juice until smooth. Add the tahini, olive oil and garlic and season with black pepper. Mix very well, transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with the paprika. 

Tahini & Yoghurt Dressing
(Recipe from A Vegan Taste of the Middle East)

2 rounded tbsp light tahini
5 rounded tbsp plain soya yoghurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 rounded tsp parsley
black pepper

Combine all the ingredients and serve chilled. 

Enjoy!
   

Borlotti Bean and Garlic Dip

Kitchen Play List:     Whitesnake ~ Fool For Your Loving 
                                    Pixie Lott ~ Mama Do 
                                    The Gossip ~ Fire With Fire
                                    Frank Sinatra ~ Witchcraft
                                    Fantcha ~ Sol Ja Camba
                                    Robert Palmer ~ Simply Irresistible 
                                    Queen ~ Your're My Best Friend

Holy stockpile of dried beans batman! lol This weekend I re-organised my dried goods stock cupboards. And now I am left with several bags of dried beans that I need to use up by...well..yesterday. lol. So this week I shall be trying my best to get them through the pressure cooker and made into tasty meals. The first bag on the list was a 500g bag of Rose Coco Beans. They are very pretty beans and can be used in the same way that Borlotti or Pinto Beans are used. I already had in mind two recipes to use them in. 

Borlotti beans are fantastic in dips and of course the wonderful re-friend beans. This recipe I had found online last year submitted to a site by Rekha Arnott. I printed it off and added to my recipe files. And I'm very happy to be making it at last. 

The results are a very thick, creamy, garlicky, comforting dip. A little goes a long way. I used it as a topping for my lunchtime salad and I think it would be great with crudites, chips or on bread. 

 

Borlotti Bean and Garlic Dip
(Recipe by Rekha Arnott)

40 ml olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
400g cooked Borlotti beans (or 1 tin)
40 ml lemon juice
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley 
Salt and Black Pepper to season

Heat the oil in a small pan and add the garlic, cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant. Be careful not to let it burn! Turn off the heat and set aside to cool for 15 minutes. 


In a food processor, place the drained beans, lemon juice, parsley and then the oil and garlic. Process until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper. 


Spoon into a container and store in the fridge until serving.



 
                                     

Rocket and Roses Red Pepper and Thyme Dip

Kitchen Play list:   Night and Day ~ Cole Porter
                                 Closer ~ Nine Inch Nails
                                 Follower of Fashion ~ The Kinks

This dip is refreshing and very pretty, if a dip can be pretty? lol. It's better after being left in the fridge for a few hours so the flavours can blend. But we have eaten it straight away and it's still good. It still has a slight crunch to it from the pepper which we like. It's good as a dip, spread or a salad topping. 

Rocket and Roses Red Pepper and Thyme Dip Makes 1 cup
(Original recipe from the Rocket and Roses Vegan Kitchen)  

1 tin of Haricot Beans, rinsed and drained
1 large Red Pepper, de-seeded and roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp olive oil
Pinch of salt

In a food processor, place the beans and garlic, and pulse until they are broken down.  Add the chopped pepper and blitz until the pepper has been blended into the beans. This takes a couple of minutes and you will need to push the mix down with a spatula a couple of times. Add the olive oil and salt and blitz for one more minute. Spoon the dip into a container and leave in the fridge until ready to eat.