Hummus

I think hummus is just scrumptious, but the thought of making it from scratch has always intimidated me. I think it's the unfamiliar flavor profile.

A few days ago, however, I put on a brave face and decided to give it a whirl? Why? Well, even though I love hummus, but am not particularly fond of the plain, boring, canned chickpeas I had in my pantry.

After doing some research, I concocted the following recipe. It was actually quite easy and was also very delicious. Win, win!

Ingedients:

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 can of chickpeas (reserve 1/4 to 1/2 cup of liquid - more liquid will result in thinner, creamier hummus)

4 TBSP lemon juice (fresh is best, but from concentrate will do in a real pinch)

2 TBSP Tahini (sesame paste - not only can you find this at most gourmet food stores, but some grocery stores carry it, too)

3/4 - 1 tsp salt

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 - 3/4 tsp cumin

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender (or do as I do and use a bowl + an immersion blender).
2. That's it! See I told you it was easy! Serve with pita squares or pita chips, crisp bread, zucchini or celery sticks, red pepper spears... you name it! If you want to make it more authentic, garnish with a little olive oil drizzled on top.

Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

Summer is FINALLY here, and we all know that means: grilling and BBQ season. As a quasi-vegetarian (can't give up my seafood), finding something to eat can be somewhat of a challenge among all the hamburgers, hot dogs and steaks. My amazing friend Lindsay gave me the recipe for these black bean burgers, and I no longer feel awkward when invited to BBQs. These burgers are SO yummy, my (previously) strictly carnivorous family is addicted to them. The recipe calls for the patties to be cooked in an oiled skillet for a couple minutes, but when it's BBQ time, I like to cook them for only a minute or two, and then place them on the grill for a couple minutes more. Oh, and you can find the cotija cheese at Smith's. The taste is similar to feta cheese, but it crumbles easier.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 T olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper, membranes and seeds removed

1 tsp. ground cumin

1-15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Cilantro-Lime Mayo

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Whole-wheat buns

1/2 cup cotija cheese

1 large tomato, sliced

12 slices avocado

Burgers:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft. Add garlic, jalapeno, and cumin. Saute for additional 2 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into a food processor or blender. Add black beans, brown rice, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until the beans are chopped, but not pureed. Scrap the black bean mixture into a large bowl. Add half the breadcrumbs and chopped cilantro. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until combined.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties. If the mixture is too moist to form patties, add more breadcrumbs. Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet (preferably not nonstick, so a good crust can form) set over medium heat. Add burgers and cook for 4 minutes per side.

Cilantro-Lime Mayo

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, cilantro, and pepper.

Lightly toast the whole wheat buns. Spread 2 tablespoons cilantro-lime mayo on each bun, and top each with a black bean patty, 2 T crumbled cotija, 1 slice tomato and 3 slices avocado. Enjoy!

Avocado Salsa

This stuff is magically delicious. Perfectly chunky and fresh for scooping up with tortilla chips, or you can slap it over a burrito, nachos or whatever. Yum.

2 avocado's -cut into bit sized chunks
3 tomatoes -cut into bit sized chunks
1 bunch of green onions chopped
about 1 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
1 can of corn(you may use frozen or fresh of course)
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 packet of Good Seasons dry Italian dressing made according to directions

Toss all together in a bowl and let marinate in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Once again YUM.

Refried Beans

I got this recipe from my mom and it is so much better than canned refried beans. It helps that it's also super easy to make.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pinto beans (about 1 can, drained)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 garlic powder
1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp olive oil
about 3/4 cup water (to desired consistency)

Directions:
1. Combine beans, cumin, salt, garlic powder, tomato paste, and olive oil in a medium sauce pan.
2. Using an immersion blender, blend ingredients until smooth.
3. Add enough water to thin out beans. Beans should be thinner and smoother in consistency than canned refried beans.
4. Heat beans through and serve warm.