Veganomicon_ The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook - Isa Chandra Moskowitz [50]
Transfer to an airtight container and chill for 30 minutes before serving.
To serve:
Spread into a shallow bowl, dust with paprika, and drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on top.
Serve with pita, crackers, crostini, vegetable crudités, etc.
Variations: Fold in after pureeing ½ to 1 cup of the following: caramelized onions or shallots, roasted garlic, roasted carrots, roasted beets, roasted red peppers.
Herbed Hummus: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the following: chopped fresh dill, fresh parsley.
Olive Hummus: Add ¼ cup black or green olives and pulse in after pureeing.
Hummus for Bagels
HERE in NYC we love our bagels, but a longtime dilemma for vegans has been what to put on them. Sometimes tofu cream cheese is just too heavy, too fake-tasting, or just not available, so hummus has been a traditional standby. Along with a thin slice of tomato and onion, a zesty shmear of hummus is often just what a sesame or “everything” bagel really craves.
If making hummus just for bagels, a thicker consistency is desired. Reduce the olive oil to ¼ cup, up the tahini to ¼ cup, and cut the garlic down to just 1 clove. Omit the water or use just a few tablespoons. This hummus should be easily spreadable with a knife and not “wet” in texture; the grainier consistency lends itself better to spreading on to your bagel in thick layers.
LOWER-FAT CAULIFLOWER HUMMUS
MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS
TIME: 30 MINUTES, PLUS CHILL TIME
Cauliflower joins forces with chickpeas in this low-fat, high-fiber version of hummus. If you’ve ever watched a movie while mindlessly munching on a few veggies and hummus and then rued the day after realizing just how much fat and calories you consumed, this is a great alternative.
1 smallish head cauliflower (2 pounds or so),
chopped into largish pieces
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1½ cups cooked chickpeas, washed and drained,
cooking liquid reserved
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup chopped scallions
¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons or so reserved chickpea cooking liquid
BRING A pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cover. Boil for 12 to 15 minutes, until you can easily pierce it with a fork.
Drain and let cool just a bit, then place in a food processor or blender while still warm and puree a bit (a food processor works best; a cheap blender might not work unless you chop the cauliflower smaller and add some of the liquid ingredients).
Add the remaining ingredients and puree until relatively smooth. Taste and adjust the ingredients if necessary; you may want to add more cumin, salt, or lemon juice. Use the reserved cooking liquid to thin the hummus if you need to (we usually need to).
Transfer to a container, cover, and chill for about an hour. Serve cold with veggies and pita.
GUACAMOLE
MAKES 1¼ CUPS
TIME: 10 MINUTES OR LESS
We feel a little silly putting a guacamole recipe in a cookbook, but just in case you’ve been living under a rock here it is, the vegan’s best dippable friend. It goes great with lots of things, not just Mexican food. Terry is a guacamole purist and likes to keep it as simple as can be. Isa likes to put all kinds of junk in her guac, but the kids love it anyway. So, here’s a bare bones recipe that’s made faster than you can say “aquacate!” that’s ready for mix-ins. Like any guac, this should be made to order and served immediately. One avocado can make enough to serve two people or just one hungry avocado enthusiast, so just double, triple, or quadruple the ingredients to serve more. Make only as much as you need, though, because leftover guacamole doesn’t keep!
THE key to great guacamole is a great avocado. There’s a sweet spot in the ripening cycle of this magical fruit that is ideal: the outside of the avocado