Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

1 15 oz. can of chick peas (garbanzo beans)
1/3 cup sesame tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons or more olive oil
2 garlic cloves, or to taste
1/2 - 3/4 cup roasted red peppers
A good dash of cumin or more to taste
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

Method:

In a food processor combine garlic, beans, tahini, cumin and/or cayenne, salt and pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, and water if necessary & process until smooth.
Add red peppers and process until desired consistency is obtained. Add a little water if still too dry.
Garnish with parsley and lemon, cumin and/or cayenne.
Serve with hot pita bread, bruschetta or other crusty bread.

Variations:

Make with canned or soaked chipotle peppers, olives, spinach, artichoke hearts, different spices etc.
Substitute sunflower seed butter for the tahini.
Sprout the chickpeas to amke a RAW hummus.


Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet

Cracked wheat Tabouleh with Tahini sauce

pronounced: tah-BOO-lee
Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water (use boiling for quick method)
• 1/2 cup cracked wheat
• 1 bunch chopped parsley
• 1 small bunch minced mint leaves (optional)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red and/or green onion
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 cucumber diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice, to taste
• 1 tsp. kosher or sea salt, or to taste
• Fresh cracked Pepper, to taste
• pinch ground cumin (optional)
• Pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• Pinch allspice (optional)

Method:
1. Soak the cracked wheat in the water & refrigerate several hours or overnight.(For a quicker method: boil the water and pour over wheat in a bowl and cover for about 20-30 min.).
2. Mix wheat with other ingredients, lemon juice & olive oil last.
3. Serve with Tahini sauce (recipe follows).

Variations:
Substitute wheat with couscous or even cooked brown rice.
Garnish with cubed or crumbled feta cheese, Kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers or artichoke hearts.
Use prepared salad dressing instead of olive oil and lemon (like Ceasar dressing).

Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 c. tahini
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 c. water, more or less
• Salt & pepper, to taste

• Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Method

1. Process all ingredients in a food processor, starting with garlic (mince fine), then tahini, lemon juice, enough water to obtain a creamy consistency, and finally salt, pepper and cayenne (if using).
2. Refrigerate for several hours. You might have to add a little water at this point if sauce is too thick, and adjust seasoning as well.
3. Serve with tabouleh, falafel, fattoush or any kind of salad.

Variations

Try with peanut, sunflower or other nut butters.
Add hot sauce to make a pink spicy dressing
Add 'Liquid Aminos' or Tamari soy sauce.



Copyleft (2010) The Budget Gourmet