Green California Hummus

A friend introduced me to "California hummus" at a local restaurant called Pita Grill, which is a small NYC chain with California Mediterranean flavors. The California hummus is so good, I haven't bothered to check out the rest of the menu. I'm hooked on it. And I decided the only way to cure myself was to try making it on my own!

California hummus is green, herby, but also has that warm nourishment that comes from chickpeas. It doesn't feel as heavy as a typical hummus, but it still carries its weight as a tasty dip at your next event, or mixed with chicken salad. Nom nom!

California Hummus
Serves 4 as a side dish

1 16 oz can chickpeas (garbanzos)
2/3 cup chopped cilantro (stems okay)
1/3 cup chopped parsley (stems okay)
1 jalapeno, chopped (seeds optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and spices.
3. Using a hand blender or food processor, add half the olive oil and pulse to blend. continue adding olive oil as needed to get the desired consistency.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
5. Serve with carrot chips, celery, pita chips, over grilled chicken, with falafel, wrapped in an omelette...
6. Optional add ins can include red pepper, spinach, cheeses - go crazy.

Escarole, Sausage, and Split Pea Stew

It is 35 degrees in New York. My toes are cold, my humidifier is on high, and I have more layers on than an onion. Which means that it is time for SOUP! I pretty much exclusively live off of soup in the winter months and I have made more soups than is probably normal for someone my age. But I digress, I love soup and here is another recipe.

Escarole is a leafy green vegetable. I was first introduced to it in lentil soup, Progresso to be precise, which I ate with slices of whole wheat toast as a winter after school snack. I rediscovered it in my local supermarket and it tends to be on sale often. Its a bit temperamental as a vegetable - if you cook it even a tiny bit too long, it acquires a bitter aftertaste. So the key to this recipe really is simple: add the escarole at the very last minute.

The following recipe is a meld of two foods I enjoy - lentil soup and yellow daal (an Indian pea soup). It has a lot of meatiness in the sausage and chicken broth and requires very little seasoning.

Escarole, Sausage, and Split Pea Stew
Serves four, about an hour

1/2 pound (1 cup) of dried split yellow peas
1/2 pound of sausage (I used breakfast sausage, but italian is good too)
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, cut into coins
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 head escarole, sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons, no longer than 2 inches
5 leaves lettuce (Optional: if you have a small head of escarole or want to mellow the flavor)

1. Boil three cups of water. Soak the dried split peas
2. Prep all vegetables and remove the sausage from the casing
3. Heat a stockpot on medium. When hot, add the sausage, crumbling into small pieces.
4. When the sausage is mostly cooked through, add the onion, carrots, and garlic. Saute until onion is cooked through.
5. Drain the split peas and rinse.
6. Add the chicken broth, water, bay leaf, curry, and the split peas. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until lentils are cooked through and are soft.
7. Add the escarole and lettuce and stir to incorporate. Cook for about 3 minutes and serve with crusty bread. 
8. Can be served as a hearty side, a chunky stew, or pureed with more water as a creamy soup.

Masala Broccoli Potato and Lentil Soup

Soup, I love thee - let me count the ways:

• You're warm and comforting
• You're ridiculously easy to make
• You take me (and my ingredients) as we are, and don't require fancy things
• You usually are very considerate of my waistline

Today's soup was born out of a splendid buy at the Chinese supermarket, which offers quick sales. That is, certain items are discounted due to being overripe, bruised, etc, for cheap and fast consumption. Usually that means I get a lot of one thing that needs to be cooked ASAP but will last me a week, like my garlic eggplant. This time it was 5 crowns of broccoli!

This soup is vegetarian and can easily be made vegan. It has a great savory undertone from the spices, but they're not overwhelming - its just enough to give the soup a je ne sais quoi.

Masala Broccoli Potato and Lentil Soup
6 servings, about 1 hour for all prep

1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp curry
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp black pepper
4 crowns broccoli (you can use stems too, just peel off the tough outer
layer at the bottom)
4 medium potatoes
3 ribs celery
2 carrots
6 leaves napa cabbage (I had it on hand and it had to go!)
1 tbsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk (again, had to go)

1. Prep all ingredients by chopping them all into rough 1 inch cubes. Garlic should be minced.
2. In a smaller pot, fill with 4-6 cups water and set to boil.
3. Heat a large pot on the stove. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Since there is next to no fat in the ingredients, you can be liberal with the olive oil.
4. Saute the onions until translucent. Lower heat to medium low, then add the garlic, curry, masala, and tomato paste. Roast until fragrant.
5. Add potatoes and celery to the onions and garlic, tossing them to incorporate with the spiced olive oil. If the pan becomes too dry, add 1/2 cup of the hot water you have set to boil.
6. Add remaining vegetables and 1/2 cup hot water. Cover and steam/simmer for 10 minutes, until broccoli is tender.
7. Add the milk and remaining hot water to just barely cover the vegetables. 
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Serve as is with chunks or use an immersion blender to puree. Serve with crusty bread.