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.

Hiyayakko! Cold Tofu with Scallions

Quick, cool, and fresh! Hiyayakko is a cold Japanese tofu appetizer which literally takes only a minute or two to make. Ideally, its made with fresh tofu - I'm just going with the soft kind in the plastic box from Chinatown :) Feel free to mix up the seasonings and experiment!

Hiyayakko - Cold Tofu Salad
Serves one as a small entree or two as an appetizer

1/4th of a tofu block, soft or silken preferred (makes 6 2x2 inch slices)
1.5 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp grated ginger
dash of sriracha or paprika
1 scallion/green onion, white only, thinly sliced
sesame seeds

1. Drain and slice tofu and scallions.
2. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and sriracha in a small dish. Spoon over the tofu.
3. Top with scallions and sesame seeds. TADA!

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad is a tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad, drizzled usually with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The only thing that makes this salad amazing is the quality of your ingredients. Today's is extra special because most of my items were free! My friend/coworker grows tomatoes (and everyone knows New Jersey tomatoes are the BEST), the basil was fresh from the plant I just bought, and the greens and olive oil were from a free sample Barilla is marketing for in NYC.

Asian Cucumber Salad

Cucumber salad is a great no frills side dish for hot summer days. I think it goes best with spicy and saucy foods (like yesterday's garlic eggplant or a plate of ribs).

Today's recipe is borrowed from A Sweet Pea Chef, who added sesame seeds, grated ginger, and rice wine vinegar to spice up a typical cucumber salad. She has a ton of great photos and recipes on her site - you should totally check it out!

I opted to replace the rice wine vinegar for cider vinegar (simply because I have one and not the other. I'm a terrible Asian, don't judge. haha). They have very different flavors, so I used a bit less than she does. I also added a teaspoon of sesame oil but forgot to sprinkle the sesame seeds for the photo... but you get the idea.

Strawberry Cilantro Vinaigrette

Because I'm a single young adult, paying off exorbitant college loans while working ridiculous hours, I have opted for financial reasons to live in an apartment that cannot support air conditioning. It is my penance for choosing instead to eat socially and travelling three to five weeks of the year. Oh how I suffer so.

Therefore, it is preferable to eat meals that require little to no interaction with heated instruments. Tonight was a lovely garden salad, with pear, tomato, carrot, mozzarella, almonds and a hard boiled egg. Anyone can make a salad - toss fresh ingredients into bite sized pieces. The piece de resistance, however, is the dressing.

In lieu of pouring on processed salad dressing purchased from aisle 8, I tend to make my own. Why? Because I make my salad dressing fresh and unique to the salad of the day. It keeps the preservatives out and the novelty constant. And making dressing is surprisingly easy. The only equipment you need is a jar with a screw top lid. Add all ingredients, shake vigorously, and pour.


Strawberry Cilantro Vinaigrette
1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp strawberry jam or preserves
2 tsp cilantro leaves, minced finely
2 tsp olive oil
1 squirt mustard (probably 1/2 a tsp)

Add more jam, or honey for more sweetness. Add more vinegar for more of a bite.

Mango Smoothie

Mango mango mangoes! Mangos are definitely one of my favorite fruits. So when I saw them on sale, I definitely bought too many - and they were all ripe. So hence today's recipe, which combines mangos and other fruits into a delectable smoothie (or shake, depending how you think about it).

Mango Smoothie
Yields 4 cups - 2 large servings

2 ripe mangoes
2/3 banana
1 apple
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened yogurt
Optional: 3 tablespoons vanilla ice cream (it had to be eaten - it was getting all crystallized. So sue me.)

1. Peel the banana, core and cut your apple into large chunks. Toss into the trusty blender and pulse a few times.
2. Peel and dice the mango - this will be messy. Toss into blender with the yogurt, milk, and maybe the ice cream. Blend until smooth.
3. For a thinner shake, use more milk. For a thicker shake, use more ice cream, ice, or less ripe mango.
4. Enjoy!

AH-mazing Tuna Salad

While I normally pride myself on having a well-stocked kitchen, today was one of those rare days when I was scraping the bottom of the barrel. So, as dinnertime crept ever closer, and my tummy started grumbling, my mind struggled to come up with a way to combine the odd items in my pantry and fridge into some semblance of a real meal. "Protein," I thought, "I want protein." But, alas, having not purchased groceries in almost two weeks, both my fridge and freezer were devoid of meat. As I rummaged through my pantry, looking for something - anything - that appealed to me, I found it: tuna!

"Tuna?" you say, "Really?" Oh. Yeah. Within seconds, I had a game plan and my final results were simple and delicioso! Read on for my recipe!

AH-mazing Tuna Salad

2 - 5 oz. cans tuna, drained
1.5 tbs. mayo
1.5 tbs. horseradish sauce (which I ALWAYS keep on hand)
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tbs. red onion, minced
1/4 tsp. dill
salt
fresh ground pepper


1. Place tuna in a non-reactive bowl.

2. Add mayo, horseradish sauce, and lemon juice. Mix until well-blended.

3. Mix in onion.

4. Add dill. Taste. (It's always good to taste as you go; otherwise, you're cooking blind!)

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as is, over salad greens, or on toast. Store leftovers in the fridge for two to three days.

Helpful hints:
- Use a non-reactive (like glass or plastic) bowl. When you mix high-acidity foods (such as lemon or tomato) with metal, your dish can take on a metallic taste - bleh!
- Normally, I'm not a fan of lemon (neither is Suanne, for that matter); however, it does have some helpful uses. I add a touch of lemon just about anytime I use frozen or canned seafood. It seems to restore some freshness to the meat. And if you only use a small amount, it's usual undetectable.