Three Hummus Recipes from Father S.

Hummus - Middle Eastern Garbanzo & Sesame Butter Spread (Vegan)

This is what we do when we need to make a quick bowl of hummus at home. Sometimes we remember to cook up a large pot of garbanzos at the beginning of a fasting period and freeze these in meal-sized packets for easy use. If not, we’re left to using cans.

4 Cans Cooked Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans

3+ Medium Cloves of Garlic (to taste)

3/4 C. Tahini – sesame seed butter (to taste)

1/4 C. Fresh Parsley, tightly packed, Optional

1/4 C. Fresh Scallions or Onion, Chopped

Juice from 2 Med. Lemons

1/4 C. Olive Oil (or eliminate, if fasting)

1 1/2 Tsp. Salt

Put garbanzos/chick peas into food processor. Add Lemon Juice and Olive Oil and blend well. Blend in Tahini. Add Salt, Garlic, Parsley, Onion and/or Scallions and blend again. Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking. Best if allowed to sit for several hours or refrigerated overnight. Serve on Pita Bread, Tortillas, Crackers or Bread. Very good.

Hummus – Moroccan or Algerian Style (Vegan)

Hummus is one of those fasting-legal dishes which have become a staple at our house. Its bean protein really sticks with you throughout the day, and also makes an excellent before Vespers snack. The following is a recipe from Orthodox and birding friend, Leslie Cusick, who is part of the OCA Parish of St. Anne’s, in Oakridge, Tennessee.

2 Cans Garbanzo Beans, drained, liquid reserved

1/2 C. Tahini Pasted (roasted is best if you can find it)

1/3 C. Warm Water (or some of Garbanzo bean liquid)

6 Cloves Fresh Garlic, or to taste

Juice of 2 Lemons

1-1/2 Tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper

3 Tsp. Ground Cumin

1/4 C. Good Olive Oil, optional if fasting

Put first 5 ingredients into food processor and process until smooth. If adding oil, gradually add it next. If not, blend in the remaining ingredients and process until well combined. This recipe is more Moroccan/Algerian Mediterranean than the more Eastern or Northern Mediterranean one. It is delicious! Add more lemon juice for a looser consistency, if so desired.

Spanish Spinach Hummus (Vegan)

Okay, it may seem a bit of a stretch, but we came up with this one during Great Lent one year when, early in the afternoon on a day when Pre-Sanctified Liturgy was going to be held, someone gave us a large case box of fresh spinach. We had been planning to make hummus for the Lenten meal which our Parish traditionally holds after services. Instead, we adapted to suite our revised situation an old recipe from Seville in España, one which was originally strongly influenced by the Moors. Actually much more “Moorish” than Spanish, as the recipe is a good outcome of the “necessity is the mother of invention” quandary, it is also to be considered an example of the concept, “Moor with less"

2 Lbs. or More Fresh Spinach, Washed, Stemmed & Lightly Torn

1 Lg. Onion, Roughly Chopped

6+ Cloves Fresh Garlic, Peeled

¼ C. Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil

¼ C. Fresh Cilantro, Optional

2 Tsp. Cominos (Cumin), Ground

2 Tsp. Paprika

½ Tsp. Oregano

¼ Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes or Red Chile, or to taste, Optional

1 Tsp. Salt, or to taste

1 Tbsp. Tahini (Sesame Butter)

3 Cans Garbanzo Beans (Chick Peas), partially drained

2 Tbsps. Fresh Lemon or Lime Juice, Optional

Wash and lightly tear up the fresh spinach. In a heavy pan, heat olive or other oil. Add onion and garlic, stirring frequently until sautéed. Add fresh spinach, optional cilantro, and additional spices. Stir frequently and only lightly “stir-fry” the greens, removing them from the heat while still a bright green color. Place vegetables in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add Tahini, garbanzo beans and optional juice of lemon or lime. Process again until well blended and coarsely ground. Serve warm, room temperature or slightly chilled, along with pita bread, crackers or French bread. Or, serve over rice, couscous or yellow split peas.

Excellent Vegan Mayonnaise

½ cup of soy milk, plain and preferably unsweetened
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of canola oil
¼ teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon of agave - or you can use honey if you're Orthodox and don't mind exploiting the bees
¾ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
zest from 1/8 of a lemon
1/8 teaspoon of dry mustard

Directions:

Put everything in the blender and process until it is thick. I make mine in my Vitamix and it takes about 15 seconds. If you have a lower speed blender you may need to process a little longer. The homemade vegan mayonnaise will become thick and completely emulsified exactly like a mayonnaise made with egg.

Comments:

You will not be able to tell the difference between this and egg mayonnaise. The flavors may be slightly different from your favorite brand, but the texture and overall flavor profile are just like egg mayonnaise.

I have kept this in my refrigerator for a couple of weeks. It will last as long as the soymilk.

If you only have sweetened soy milk wait and add the agave at the end, you will probably need less, but that will vary by brand of soymilk and your taste.

Matushka's Salad Dressing

A salad dressing recipe from Matushka Marina.

2/3 c olive oil
1/3 c wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 t pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp dried oregano

Mix the ingredients in a jar. I make a double or triple batch, and just leave the covered jar on my counter or in my cabinet, and it keeps great. We love it, too! Shake well before use, of course.

Paskha

No fasting recipe today--time to start getting ready for Pascha!!!!

recipe from Jenny:

I've never made "real" cooked Paskha cheese, but we all like this, and it's very quick and easy, so I'm not sure I ever will!

Cream Cheese Paskha
adapted from Food for Paradise

1/2 lb softened butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 lbs softened cream cheese (3 pkgs)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
golden raisins (or regular)
slivered almonds

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to mix. Add sour cream and desired quantities of raisins and almonds. Spoon into a nice serving bowl, smooth, and decorate the top with additional raisins and almonds. Some ways to decorate: a border, a cross (3-bar or simple), XB (the initials of Christ is risen in Russian), the outline of an egg... Chill, covered, for several hours before eating. This is wonderful on kulich or tsourekia, or any sweet breads!

Hummus and Pita

recipe from Jenny:

We had this for a picnic dinner at the park last night and it was so good! I've never made pita or humuus before, but both are surprisingly easy, and so much better than store-bought. These are not pocket pitas--more like flatbread. I'm going to try the humuus with no oil for during the week.

Humuus

2 15oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
3 TBS lemon juice (or juice of one lemon)
1 TBS tahini (ground sesame seed paste)
1 TBS olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
few TBS water
salt

In a good blender, blend first five ingredients. Add water as necessary to achieve a smooth paste—slightly lumpy is fine. Add salt to taste. Chill. A variety of different seasonings can be added as desired.


Arabian Pita

1 tablespoon yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
6 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups unbleached flour

In a large bowl, mix yeast, water and sugar; set aside for about 5 minutes, until frothy. Add oil and salt. Add flour and mix well to make a softish dough. Add more flour as needed. Knead dough briefly, then divide into 18 egg sized balls. Place on a floured surface, cover and let rest for 15-30 minutes.

Roll balls into 6 inch circles and cook in a skillet on med-high heat until large "bubbles" form and the bottom side is lightly browned. Flip pita over and cook for a few more minutes. Wrap in a towel to keep warm while cooking the rest of the pitas.

To make pita chips, roll thinner and cook slightly longer. Break into pieces when cooled.