RECIPE: Hummus, as a sandwich spread
Hummus is a great source of concentrated protein, low in fat, low in cholesterol, and because it has no animal fat, will not go rancid. For a complete protein, always eat it with a grain (like noodles or bread). It is one of my lunchtime staples, rolled into pita bread or flour tortilla, depending on trip length.
- 1 lb. Bag of dried garbanzo beans
- 4 tbs. sesame tahini (you can substitute oil)
- 4 tbs. lemon juice
- 4 tbs. olive oil
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbs. fresh ground black pepper
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 onion, sautéed
- ½ tsp. thyme
- red pepper to taste
Unless you want repeating hummus, use dried garbanzos. Soak them all day while you’re at work, and boil them when you get home. Do not boil them in the soak water. You can prevent the legendary gas of all beans by changing the water. Some beans need several changes. Garbanzos need only the one change. Where were we? Oh yeah, boil them babies for about 40 minutes. Drain.
| Without drying, hummus will last up to a week in the fridge. I dry it for my trips. I line the tray of Scooter’s food drier with plastic wrap, smear the stuff on, and dry over night. It’s dry when it’s all crumbly and a lighter color. Then I drop it in the food processor again and powder it. I store it in ziplock bags on the shelf until I need it. On the trail, it reconstitutes in about 5 minutes, just add water (the finer you powder it, the faster it reconstitutes). Then spread it on bread and eat it. |
If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a potato masher, but the skins build up and you have to scrape them off with a knife. I recommend the food processor, which holds about ½ a batch at a time. Dump some of the beans in the bottom, add everything else (or ½ of everything else), then top off with more beans. Hit the button. If it’s too dry, add some water, beer, oil, whatever. When it’s nice and smooth, taste it. Don’t stick your tongue in the food processor while it’s running - use a spatula. It will lose flavor overnight, so make sure the flavor wakes you right up.
Things I have added with great success: ginger, rosemary, celery seeds, celery (makes it watery), beets (yikes!), salsa, sesame seeds, peanut butter, sugar, pinto beans. I think you get the picture: basically you’re creating a high protein mush that has no flavor, and you can make taste any way you want.
[Back to Free Advice]
|