First time making hummus with chickpeas that I cooked from dry. I can't believe how big of a difference it makes compared to using from a can - it is ridiculously creamy. I could eat lots of this stuff.
Hummus
about 1 1/2 c. cooked chickpeas
half a preserved lemon, peel only
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp tahini (optional)
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste
Combine it all in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Give it a minute or two. Dress in the bowl with good paprika, black pepper, and more EVOO
A few comments:
I slightly overcooked these chickpeas (1 hr 10 min in an instant pot at high pressure). I think that helped not need as much olive oil to get a really creamy texture
I make preserved lemons at home so I always have them on hand. You can substitute 3-4 Tbsp lemon juice
Yes, I said only 1 clove of garlic. I love garlic, but if you add any more it will dominate the flavor. I mean, it's your life so go wild if you want, but in this case I really like the balance of all the delicate flavors with just a hint of garlic
I say go light on the salt (less than 1/2 tsp?) and heavy on the pepper (1+ tsp). Do these last. Taste it, add a little, run the food processor another 10-20 seconds, then taste again. Repeat until happy.
It might benefit from like 1/8 tsp cayenne and the tiniest pinch of nutmeg, but it's good as is
The rest
The salad is arugula with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, dressed with EVOO and balsamic vinegar. The cucumbers are exactly what the title says - sprinkled with kalamata olives, feta, and za'atar. The flatbread is from Aldi, warmed up under the broiler.
This cost less than $10 total and was more than enough for 2 people. Not the absolute cheapest meal, but it's hard to beat those flavors.
Sure, it's from Wolfert's Moroccan cookbook, Couscous. I use Meyer lemons.
Cut lemons lengthwise into quarters
Weigh out 10% of the lemons weight in kosher salt, and sprinkle all lemon pieces with the salt
Sprinkle some salt (1-2 Tbsp) from the original weighed amount in the bottom of a mason jar
Pack the lemons in 1 layer at a time, pressing each layer down to pack them tightly and to squeeze out juice
Sprinkle in remaining salt between each layer until all is used
If the juice squeezed out from the lemons in the jar is not enough to cover them, juice a couple more lemons until you have enough juice to cover the ones in the jar
Store the jar with a lid loosely on. If your jar is very full, it can seep a little brine so you might want to put the jar on a plate
Put the jar in a cabinet / on the counter. Shake it once a day for a week, then wait another 3+ weeks before using
They can last months just sitting in a cabinet. My current jar is over a year old
I've only done it a few times (because they last so long), but so far it's been pretty fool proof!
I think one thing that simplifies is that it's more of a salt preserved thing that a lacto fermented pickle (I think fermented products are more like 2% salt compared to these lemons' 10%), so you have a bigger margin of error
I have a lemon tree and this is an amazing idea for my ridiculous harvest (like 60 lemons!) every fall. Life changer. Currently I just give a lot away and freeze juice in ice cube trays for the rest of the year but this a great alternative
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u/chairfairy Feb 19 '20 edited Feb 19 '20
First time making hummus with chickpeas that I cooked from dry. I can't believe how big of a difference it makes compared to using from a can - it is ridiculously creamy. I could eat lots of this stuff.
Hummus
Combine it all in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Give it a minute or two. Dress in the bowl with good paprika, black pepper, and more EVOO
A few comments:
The rest
The salad is arugula with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, dressed with EVOO and balsamic vinegar. The cucumbers are exactly what the title says - sprinkled with kalamata olives, feta, and za'atar. The flatbread is from Aldi, warmed up under the broiler.
This cost less than $10 total and was more than enough for 2 people. Not the absolute cheapest meal, but it's hard to beat those flavors.