"name your bean" hummus

Lunch (for me) is SOOO boring at out house lately. The boys are happy as ever scarfing down a rotating menu of turkey/cheese, peanut butter/soy butter and grilled cheese. I mean happy! Actually, Xavier would eat cream cheese and green olives on toast everyday if I would let him but that is a recipe for another day!! Anyway, the thought of yet another lunch of pretzels dipped in peanut butter for me was less than appealing...so I wracked my brain for something different that I could make in say, 2 minutes. Hummus came to mind. I usually have an assortment of canned chickpeas on hand for days such as this but today I was out of luck. I did however, have some cannellini beans that I thought would do the trick.

My general hummus recipe goes something like this:

Hummus

1 can chickpeas or other bean, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic
2-3 T. tahini
1/2 t. cumin
juice of one lime or 1/2 lemon
2-3 T olive oil
dash of hot pepper flakes or cayenne

Place in food processor and process until smooth. Add a couple of T of water if it is too thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste.



I happened to have some green onions on hand so I threw a couple of those in there too and blended them up just for fun. I put some in a tortilla and topped with some cilantro and a little more green onion and lunch was served. If I would have had some pita bread, cucumber, sprouts and maybe a little red pepper it would have been divine!! Regardless, it sure beat peanut butter! I made it again with black beans the next day and it would have been great on some tortilla or pita chips....if I wasn't too lazy, I mean busy, to go out and get them!!

Will the kids eat this?? Xavier, of course! Dax? Not a chance. NO WAY! Not even with a GOOD bribe.

Speaking of bribes..... the other night our conversation went something like this.

ME: Dax if you want this...

then you have to eat your broccoli!

DAX: Tan I have tetchup?

ME: For what???

DAX: For my brotowee.

ME: What??

DAX: For my brotowee! (said loudly and slowly)

ME: Sure...whatever it takes. (Ketchup is a food group in our house. At least it is made from a vegetable...or technically a fruit, right?!?)

DAX: I'm finished!!! Can I have my 'anana trit?

ME: What is this....?????

DAX: I only like the tops. That is the brotowee. The bottom is not brotowee.....can I have my 'anana trit pwease?

You have got to give him credit for trying!!

quick black bean soup

Here is a super quick and easy recipe that can mostly be made from your pantry. This is a great go to recipe when you are short on time but need to have dinner on the table quick! Another one from epicurious.com...

Black Bean Soup with Cumin & Jalapeno

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile with seeds, divided
2 15- to 16-ounce cans black beans, undrained
1 15-ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped green onions
Crumbled feta cheese

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer 3 cups of soup to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to pot. Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon jalapeño, if desired.
Ladle soup into bowls. Pass cilantro, green onions, and feta cheese separately.

I made this pretty much as is except using veggie stock instead of chicken stock...this makes it a great vegetarian option as well. I also didn't puree any of it...too much work:) I loved the use of feta in this!!! So good! I served it with corn muffins one night and cheese quesadillas the next.