#yes tahini is just sesame seeds so where sesame seeds can go it can go

[confinesofmy]

for the first time in a long time, i threw together something to eat and it was actively bad. not because of parosmia or any other external thing, it just genuinely wasn't good. i barely finished it and was really glad it was one serving. #humbled

[artificialqueens]

hotel california. (gigi/jackie) — chapter two, roza

summary: jackie and gigi take to the city to get some basic shopping done as the persian feels herself developing a strange connection towards the blonde she just met. gigi is happy to be a taste tester and ride her bike.

author's note: thank you to all of jankie candle for being the best support and of course to alex for always being the best beta. I hope you all enjoy!

ao3 link / my tumblr: @leljaaa / (人 •͈ᴗ•͈)

— *.✧

"This is pretty good," the words left Jackie's lips as she tightened the gold belt on her white kaftan as she was left to stare aimlessly in the mirror, admiring her acute sense of fashion.

The clock struck ten minutes to seven as Jackie finished adjusting her hair, making sure she adjusted her light red lipstick as she heard a knock on the door.

Completely giddy, she raced out of her room, grabbing her wallet before her hands pulled on the handle and opened the door.

Gigi was outside her door, parked against the wall in an ensemble completely resembling the sunsets back home in Tehran.

Her blonde hair flowing across the top of the pastel blue, yellow and pink colour blocked outfit. She looked beautiful and Jackie was completely in awe at the colour scheme and how the American managed to make her entire heart race purely by virtue of wearing an outfit.

Gigi's cool facade seemed to drop the minute she looked up to see Jackie dressed to the nines as she always was. The blonde's heart stopped and she masked the burning flush across her cheeks with a cough, saying aloud that she looked very pretty.

God is a woman. Crystal was absolutely right.

They headed for her bike, the American admitting she left it outside her garage so they could get on the bike and leave.

"So you are good at riding?"

Gigi chuckled, nodding as she spotted Jackie's worried face. "I'm very good! I have studied my craft well," she replied with a wink carrying her matching helmet as they make it towards the next complex besides Jackie's.

"Okay, you're going to sit behind me and I recommend you hold my waist or lower back because my shoulders aren't a good option."

Jackie nods, waiting for Gigi to position her bike, the blonde grinning at the sight of her dual-seated brown and black motorcycle.

"Alright here we go!" Gigi yelled, excited that she got to take such a beautiful girl out on her bike, especially considering the circumstances surrounding Jackie's entire arrival.

This is my hometown, I have to make sure she can see as much as she can while she's still around.

Her hands gripped the throttles of her bike as the Persian hopped on behind her, having made sure back in her room that she put shorts on, knowing the kaftan would completely blast away in the wind.

"Good," she heard Gigi call out as her hands slid past her back and wrapped around her waist, head laying comfortingly on her back side. Jackie hummed gently against her outfit as her gloved hands kick-started the engine.

She couldn't see it but Gigi was profusely blushing under her matching helmet.

The ignition turned on as she quickly made sure everything was in proper position before letting her fingertips press the start button. Jackie jumped up at the firing and sputtering of the engine fires. Gigi's hands clutched at the throttles as she gently began to move pressing the gas.

"Hold on tight, it's only about a ten minute ride," she yelled as the motorcycle began to pick up speed extremely quickly.

Gigi grinned hearing Jackie cursing and instantaneously gripping her waist even tighter, seeing everything quickly disappear behind their view.

Has she never been on a motorcycle before?

Jackie was horrified, completely shook up to say the least, but she admitted in the back of her mind that there was something so euphoric about the fact she was up against this extremely fascinating and beautiful biker.

The scenery of Los Angeles was quite lovely, humidity aside.

It reminded her of Tehran in a way with the picturesque mountain backdrop, though Jackie was completely new to all of the palm trees that clouded every square inch of this city.  

Gigi picked up speed as they were still alone on the one lane road, explaining to Jackie that the grocery store wasn't too far from here. They slowed to a halt at the traffic lights above them, the Persian glancing around constantly to take in any new building or bush or tree that she saw.

Pretty city. Maybe it was meant to be, staying here instead of Canada.

They finally entered traffic as Gigi turned left straight into one of the larger city centers, keeping in her lane as she impatiently waited to turn into the grocery store parking lot.

"Hurry up," she screamed muffled through her helmet as a Mercedes-Benz finally backed out of the parking spot closest to the entrance of the store.

"Very big…" Jackie was almost impressed and also distraught. Iran, as well as most of the Middle East and Balkan countries she had lived in or traveled to, had been simply made up of small businesses that each did one thing.

One cheese shop, one local butcher, one man you always got your bread or spices from— this was a complete cultural reset.

Gigi parked as she took the key out of the ignition, throwing it up in the air as she laughed, dropping it on the pavement. Jackie snickered as she adjusted her flowing kaftan, hoping it wasn't completely wrinkled as they stepped inside the store.

"You okay?"

"Yes!" Jackie exclaimed nervously, terrified purely by the size and scope of the store. It didn't help that there were many people crowding in the store and she hadn't even brought a list with her.

A lightbulb popped into her head as Gigi came back to the Persian girl, rolling along a green shopping cart.

"I want to cook for you tonight!"

The blonde blushed, completely honoured but a bit confused by the sudden plan. "That's not necessary, I just wanted to make sure you had food," she replied before Jackie interjected, saying that she needed some way to pay Gigi back for the sweet favour.

"Well if you really want to, I won't be stopping you," the blonde admitted, staring at the bright smile painted across her lips. Jackie clasped her hands together in excitement as she skipped down to the produce section.

She was in awe of how every vegetable and fruit seemed to be in season in America.

Do they not have the changing of seasons?

The Persian decided it was only right for her to make Tahdig, the most loved soul food of her home country, for Gigi who was simply staring at the fruits as Jackie picked up a good amount of veggies and potatoes, seeing as they were quite cheap compared to the packaged alternatives.

Maybe some Kanafeh as well.

Dozens of herbs and spices filled her cart as she crouched down and gasped, smiling seeing actual Middle Eastern products taking up a tiny section of what Gigi described as the "International Section" with most of the imported foods.

"How comforting," she whispered before grabbing two entire bags of chickpeas, a standard necessity for any Middle Eastern citizen as she frowned, unable to find proper tahini, though she knew she could just make it with the sesame seeds and oil already in the cart.

Gigi was in awe of how healthy and natural Jackie was, half of her items were green and the other half were just spices or beans. She embarrassingly tossed an entire bag of German chocolate in the cart as she kept a close eye on the Persian girl who seemed to be in her own world.

"It's not Iran but it's very nice," she heard Jackie mutter, loud enough for some xenophobic man nearby to step closer and yell about how refugees from Iran were flooding every University and town in California.

"I'm sorry?"

"Go back to your fucking country already!"

Jackie's face showed genuine confusion and lack of understanding by the statement as Gigi immediately walked over, stopping a moment to remember she always had a switchblade in her back pocket if needed.

"She's not doing anything you fucking prick," she muttered loud enough for the man to hear her but not talking loud enough to start any kind of rally in the grocery store. "People are in danger where she's from you know. What's it like to have no concept of basic human decency?"

Gigi firmly stepped in front of Jackie, who gently stood up and took a few steps back, trying not to make eye contact or respond.

"Fucking hippy."

The blonde flipping him off as Jackie gently rubbed her shoulders, whispering at her to stop trying to cause a commotion just for her.

"You don't care at all what he's saying?"

The Persian sighed, not knowing how to properly put into words how she felt.

"My religion has always taught me violence isn't the way, that's what my entire country's revolution has now succumbed to. I have bigger issues concerning me, like if my mother is safe, if my best friend was shot by police during a rally; not some stupid comment."

Gigi swallowed hard, apologizing weakly and quietly as Jackie's radiant smile returned. She appreciated the gesture, even if it wasn't something she would've ever done.

"You want anything else?"

"Just honey and then I need your help finding something sweet. What do American's like for sweets or chocolate?" The question pondered in Jackie's head as Gigi grinned ear to ear immediately running down the aisle as if she was a track superstar.

"These," Gigi held up three separate bags of Pop Rocks, Jackie laughing curiously as she took one in her fingertips, staring at the bright coloured packaging and giant typography.

"We'll try them at your room, they're huge with kids and teenagers mostly but I definitely enjoy them on a mindless level."  

They waited in line before walking out with three paper bags, Gigi groaning as she realized there was absolutely no way either of them could hold it with the motorcycle. Jackie ran inside, the blonde left awkwardly standing around before she came back with a few plastic bags.

Gigi watched as she stacked the weight evenly between the two large plastic bags, the Persian tied them to each throttle of the motorcycle making sure that they weren't going blocking any buttons.

"You're truly the smartest person I've ever met."

Jackie flushed, giggling as she waited for Gigi to put her helmet back on as the stars were gently painted across the night sky. She hopped on before the American put her key into the ignition, waiting for the car beside her to park before they began riding once again.

As the Persian's head fell against Gigi's back, the blonde couldn't help but smile the entire ride home.

— *.✧

They hauled the groceries back to Jackie's complex as she kicked the door open, turning on one of the lights as she set the bags down near her small kitchen counter.

"Very nice," Jackie whispered as she stared at Gigi's bright blonde hair in a complete trance. The American looking up confused as the woman beside her laughed it off, lying and saying she was impressed by all the food she got.

"Oh yeah, a lot of this stuff like the spices you shouldn't have to buy again," Gigi smiled as she attempted neatly to organize her fridge.

Something was pulling at Jackie's heart, she couldn't tell what but she felt like every moment they had spent together thus far was completely made up of not-so-secret glances and sweet smiles.

"Thank you for everything," she said as she grabbed Gigi's wrist and pulled her near, the American chuckling nervously as she partook in whatever romantic connotation she could get.

"It's no problem, you deserve to have an easy start," she was silent as Jackie pressed a gentle kiss to her left cheek, not thinking much of the gesture, though Gigi took it as nothing but utter affection.

"Will you stay and eat with me?"

"Absolutely."

— *.✧

Gigi could not cook.

She had always known about this fact, considering her parents always made the food. However, trying to keep up with and help Jackie while she made her traditional Middle Eastern dishes had shown her how messy and clumsy she could be.

"Jesus, I got it everywhere," the blonde yelled as she was still cleaning fresh garlic peels and stray strands of rice off the floor.

"It is okay, when you eat it you should taste all the effort that you went through!"

It was easy for Jackie to say when she was still spotless, despite wearing only a completely light white fabric across her body.

"I'm sure it will taste great."

They stood around the kitchen plating before Gigi jumped on the counter, sitting comfortably as she watched Jackie pour an extremely fragrant syrup across the crispy plates that had just been cooking in the oven. She was in awe truly of the woman's resourcefulness and talents.

Americans really are at the bottom of the totem pole…

"What is that, if I can ask? I'm sorry if it's a stupid question," Gigi bluffed before Jackie shook her head.

"No question is stupid from you, you asked and I will answer," the Persian replied with a focused smile as she explained it was a very traditional and loved desert in the Middle East and Balkan region that had been around for centuries.

"It is basically crunchy pastry with cheese layered in the middle, and at the end when it's melted you pour your sugar syrup and place some nuts at the top."

Gigi nodded, completely thrilled she had the great job and honour of taste testing an entire plate of it.

The other dish they made together was essentially a very popular crunchy rice dish, almost always served as a side dish, though everyone loved it enough to make dozens of plates of it.

"It's very plain, that's why we made some spinach to go with it. I'm very excited to see how you did."

They managed to get everything clean and on plates that Gigi stole from her own house as they sat on the couch, per request of Jackie, and dug into the desert first.

"Holy shit," Gigi moaned as she devoured the entire plate in a solid five minutes, taking in every luxurious cheese pull and making sure all the syrup was sticking to the dough.

"This is so good…"

Jackie, who had not even finished half of it, slowly ate, though she was over the moon that Gigi enjoyed her cooking and was partaking in something that reminded her of home so much.

The blonde jumped up, turning on the radio as they ate, grooving to The Runaways as she sat back down next to the taller woman.

"Did the phone work?"

Jackie gasped, cursing in Farsi as she put her head in her hands hopelessly. Gigi immediately kneeled near the Persian girl who groaned feeling nothing but utter stupidity.

I forgot to ask Gigi about taking me to a payphone…

"I was gonna ask you to take me to a payphone, this one won't make calls to Iran."

Gigi held her hand tight as Jackie began to cry harder and harder thinking about her mother and how worried sick she must be between the uprising and her eldest daughter all alone in America.

"Sorry," she whispered as Gigi frowned, immediately opening her arms as the two of them silently hugged on the couch.

The blonde felt a pit in her stomach even thinking about the thought of leaving her mom in a completely different country that was also having an entire revolution as they spoke.

"She's okay I promise, tomorrow morning I wanna take you to Hollywood so you can get the full tourist experience and you will see a payphone every block," Gigi promised as Jackie looked up, pushing her curls away from her face as she nodded at the sentiment and idea.

"Thank you Gigi."

"Anytime," she said as they went back to enjoying the food, exhausted but still managing to share all the stupid stories they had with each other.

Jackie couldn't have expected a better first day after touching down in a completely foreign country, though Gigi seemed to make the transition as seamless and enjoyable as possible.

Their hands toying with each other as they would talk about their experiences at college or Jackie's extremely well traveled background.

Gigi even managed to sneak in the Pop Rocks as the refugee confusedly followed along with the antics, finally giving in and trying the candy as she yelled the minute they hit her tongue.

"Are they—"

"Supposed to spark up? Absolutely, it's the fun part of the candy!"

Jackie didn’t know what to think, but she went along with it, though she could taste every chemical and food dye put into the candy. It was very cute and fun, the flavour subpar but the experience worth the extra two dollars.

They cleaned the dishes and the Persian slipped her another piece of the Middle Eastern sweet for her to take home as she handed Gigi the plate, the woman still in her motorcyclist outfit as she leaned against the door frame.

"See you tomorrow," the blonde mumbled under her breath as Jackie waved, gently closing the door as she clutched her heart with a heavy sigh.

Her footsteps lighter than air as she thought about the entire night and cooking with Gigi, she had so many previous close female friends but her heart never had so vigorously wanted a woman.

It's only been a day, it's only been a single day.

She bit her lip, trying not to think about it.

All the homophobia she had seen first hand at University wasn't to be taken lightly. Seeing all the cases of men suddenly disappearing, or seeing the small towns in Turkey or Croatia with the few but loud protesters who would be thrown tear gas by the police.

It wasn't worth the risk and targets if it was a hopeless crush.

If. If it is.

It couldn’t be, it was just simply a strong friendship forming.

That was it, a friendship Jackie decided as she cleared her headspace, sneaking a final piece of the food as if her mother was around the corner ready to scold her for eating so late.

Just friends, Jackie. Just friends.

[thefoodarchivist]

Have you got a recipe for that hummus or do you just go for it? I hate salad but I reckon I’d be down to eat raw vegetables with hummus if I could be sure that it was healthy so I don’t want to go down the shop bought hummus route!

Hello 👋 Yes, sorry I didn’t specify how I made it when I posted that, I did mean to actually!

About 500g cooked chickpeas

(I buy dried ones, soak the whole bagful overnight, rinse and drain the next morning, then simmer for about 1.5 hours the next day or until tender. I drain, cool and then keep a few portions in the fridge and the rest in the freezer, where I can retrieve them for recipes in the future, as needed). Of course you can also use canned, if you prefer, but they are a little less good nutritionally (google it if you’re interested) and are also more expensive per portion.

2 tbsp tahini (sesame is so good for you!) 2 garlic clovesThe juice of half a lemon Extra virgin olive oil- about 2 tbsp, plus more to drizzle if you wishSmoked (or normal) paprika Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

You just put all of the above in a jug and use a stick blender to blitz it altogether-very simple! When blended, season to taste and see if you need more lemon, more paprika etc. I like mine really lemony, yum! You can serve sprinkled with parsley or coriander and drizzled with olive oil, if you like.

You can also choose to add sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, caramelised onions or ground coriander and cumin seeds to the mix, for flavour variations.

Enjoy your salad days, friend! 😬

[foodiefrens]

Luscious Lamb

It’s Easter this weekend and I know I’m a very late with this post. A few days ago when I starting writing this post, “Mary had a little lamb...” kept popping into my head and I just felt just a little bit guilty about extolling the virtues of the meat of such a cute animal. However, since lamb symbolises sacrifice and has traditionally been enjoyed at Easter, I thought it would be in keeping with the spirit of Easter to share with you some of my favourite lamb recipes.

A lamb is a young sheep less than a year old. The meat of a young sheep is also called lamb. Meat of sheeps older than two years is called mutton. That’s why mutton has a more intensive smell and taste than lamb.I did not use to like lamb (or what I thought was lamb). Actually what I had tried was mutton as mutton soup is a favourite of many from where I grew up. So it was not until I had my first taste of lamb almost 20 years ago that I began to appreciate this meat.

Lamb chops are easy to prepare. It’s quick on the BBQ and also on a girdle pan or oven in the kitchen. I cut my chops two ribs wide as I like my meat pink and juicy. Here are two of my favourite lamb seasonings:

Xinjiang Spice Mix (makes about 120g)

5 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp chili flakes

3 tbsp white sesame seeds

1 tbsp roasted Sichuan peppercorns, grounded

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 and 1/2 tbsp curry powder

1 and 1/2 tbsp salt

Ground with a grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Keep in airtight container

Method

How much seasoning you need depends in how many lamb chops you are making. In any case, before you season the lamb chops, you’ll need to mix some white rice vinegar with the Xinjiang spice mix in the ratio of 1:2 (e.g. 50ml of vinegar to 100g of Xinjiang spice mix) .Rub the vinegar-spice mix paste into each chop and season also for at least 2 hours. Brush the chops with a bit of vegetable oil before you grill in BBQ or oven.

Mustard Seasoning

2 cloves of garlic

1 level tbsp of grainy mustard (I use Pommery)

2 lemons

2 tbsp olive oil

Lamb chops, total 600g

Mash the garlic to a pulp in a mortar and pestle with some sea salt. Stir in mustard and juice of one lemon, then olive oil. Add black pepper mixing everything into a slush. Smear the chops with the seasoning and set it aside covered for as long as you can (at least 2 hours).

The Xinjiang spice mix recipe is from  A.Wong and the mustard chops recipe is from Nigel Slater.

SIDE DISHES

Tzatziki works with any type of lamb dish. Take Greek yogurt, squeeze in some lemon juice, add some finely chopped fresh or dried mint, salt and pepper, drizzle some olive oil over it and it’s ready. I normally add some small cubes of de-seeded cucumber for extra crunch and freshness.

Roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes are always good side options. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper and you can’t go wrong (yes, also with sweet potatoes).  Xinjiang spice mix or any element of the Xinjiang spice mix e.g. cumin seeds, ground Sichuan peppercorns or curry powder works just as well. Just remember to salt generously and also use generous amounts of oil for crispy potatoes (vegetable oil for Asian style, olive oil or Mediterranean style lamb chops). If you are roasting potatoes for Mediterannean style lamb chops, you could season with oregona and/or rosemary or with cayenne (red) pepper.

The photo above shows lamb chops Xinjiang-style with tzatziki and roasted sweet potatoes. If you are preparing the lamb in the oven, you could roast the lamb chops and the potatoes or sweet potatoes on the same roasting tray. Strictly speaking, you should sear the lamb chops on both sides in a hot frying or girdle pan for crusty chops. And then add the chops to potatoes or sweet potatoes in the roasting tray in the last 5-10 minutes (depending on how thick the chops are) so that all will be ready at the same time.

Peas or French beans are also accompany lamb well. There’s no need to fuss with fresh produce. Frozen peas or French beans work just as well. The trick is to blanch them in their frozen state in boiling water. 3 minutes for peas and 5 for French beans. When they’ve been blanched plunge them into a bowl of iced water. That way your peas or French beans will retain their fresh green colour. Dice some onions and sautee till soft in olive oil and stir in boiled peas. Add any seasoning or spices you like (I used cayenne pepper). Some stock will make it tastier but if you don’t have liquid stock, add the powdered ones and some water. Frying a few cubes of bacon with the onions will give the peas a much richer taste. And again if you have Xinjiang spice mix, it make a good seasoning too.

KOFTAS

Koftas are not strictly speaking an Easter classic. I just chose to include it because it is made of lamb mince and can be prepared in advance.

I enjoy koftas very much especially in summer. The combination of a sunny balcony, koftas on a bed of creamy hummus eaten with warm pitas accompanied by a glass of rosé that is so truly enjoyable. My recipe in the photo above came from Ottolenghi’s “Jeruseleum” cookbook but you can find in this recpie served with tahini online. In winter, I just make a spicy tomato sauce seasoned with a pinch of cumin and then simmer the meatballs in them. It’s satisfying comfort food

Last but not lease, nothing beats a leg of lamb served at Easter Sunday lunch. Jamie Oliver’s Stuffed Leg of Lamb is a delicious succulent dish that will make everyone happy. It involves more work than lamb chops or koftas but it is truly festive especially when you carve it at the table. And for that reason, I have served this dish a couple of times at Christmas.

Enjoy your Easter meals!

[functionalfood]

A Mindful Food Shopping List.

Kyle, the head coach at Crossfit City Limits (the gym that I go to) suggested that I should put out a shopping list for those who are in his MOMENTUM program..  I didn’t know where to start just because there is so much information that I had to go back to and gather data from.  

Luckily, the universe listens and are willing to share.  I woke up to a message from Lauren (not including her last name for privacy purposes)  saying that she made this spreadsheet of items that have been in her rotation while keeping a healthy lifestyle and asked if I was interested.  Of course I said yes, and I was interested.  She gave me her blessing to share this information with you and hopefully it can go to good use for a better future. I stuck some notes on the bottom, whether they are short stories or fun facts about ingredients.  I’ll be posting some more recipes and recommendations soon!

Protein Sources:  Where to find them in the grocery store:  Meat Aisle, Dry Goods, Canned Goods Chicken Breasts Pork Ribeye Ground Beef Ground Turkey Cheaper Beef Cuts (Skirt, Round, Shoulder) Salmon Canned Tuna Lentils Beans Chickpeas Edamame Cottage Cheese Greek Yogurt Plant Based Protein Powder Eggs  Turkey Breast Vegetables: Where:  Produce Section Rainbow Chard Spinach Kale Collard Greens Arugula Asparagus Broccoli Cauliflower Brussels Sprouts Red Cabbage Bokchoy Celery Avocadoes Carrot Bell Pepper Beets Green Peas (a quick note on peas, frozen is better since they are frozen once they are frozen right after they are shucked out of the shell, preserving their flavor better.) Mushrooms

Fruits Where:  Produce Section Blueberries Strawberries Raspberries Banana Apples Mango Pineapple Cherries Watermelon Nuts and Seeds: Where:  Healthy food section, or Baking and Pastry (because people like nuts in their pastries.  Logic, right?) Flaxseeds Chia Seeds Pumpkin Seeds Sunflower Seeds Cashews Walnuts Hazelnuts Almonds Macadamia Nuts

Carbohydrate Sources (NOT GRAINS!) Potatoes Butternut Squash Spaghetti Squash Zucchini Lentils Beans (Lentils and Beans are used as protein sources by vegetarians or vegans, but sometimes can be seen in a meal accompanied by protein - think pork and beans - which would either make it a supplemental protein or a carbohydrate.  Honestly asking if lentils or beans is a protein or a carbohydrate it’s almost like asking if a hotdog is a sandwich... I just love setting the world on fire sometimes.) Flavor Makers: Lemons Limes Oranges Graperfruit (For the citrus mentioned above, you can always use the zest!  Either grab a microplane or a peeler and take the colored part off without getting too much of the pith, which is the white part of the citrus and use it in your cooking/flavoring.)

Avocado Oil Sesame Oil Balsamic Vinegar Apple Cider Vinegar Almond Milk (I stopped drinking real milk at some point during my life.  Not that I’m lactose intolerant because I love cheese and the occasional ice cream pint.  But when I was cooking for Adam, I saw Almond Milk in his fridge and looked at the nutritional facts - it has a third of the calories that regular milk has, and when I tried to make pastry cream with it with the recipe that I got from my apprenticeship, it was totally fine.)

Coconut Milk Coconut Cream Tahini (Sesame Seed Paste)

[theforkedspoon]

Homemade White Bean Hummus with Za'atar and Sweet Paprika

I am a huge fan of hummus. But, for some reason, I often forget how much I love this popular Mediterranean dip and will go weeks (even months!!) before eating it again. You guys, this makes no sense. So, last weekend as I contemplated what to make for dinner, I decided I wanted hummus. Since I would also be feeding two hungry boys (one big and one small) I decided to call it a theme night with marinated Greek lamb kebabs, fresh veggies and some other delicious surprises coming later this week.

For today we have hummus.

One reason I love hummus so much is its options. Of course, there is classic hummus- chickpeas, olive oil, lemon, garlic and tahini. Delicious, amazing and my absolute favorite forever and ever. BUT, sometimes the classics beg to go a little (or lot) crazy! The overall formula stays the same (in theory you could leave out the tahini, but if you do I promise it WILL NOT taste like hummus), but in the end you've created something brand new! 

Like, basil hummus, beet hummus, kalamata olive hummus, chipotle hummus...

You see where i'm going here.

Hummus is what I call a "have fun with it" recipe (unless you want CLASSIC hummus, then don't). Yes, you'll need the essentials (a bean, tahini, olive oil) but the rest is up to you!

So, last weekend I decided to have a little fun (not crazy out there fun, but fun) and made this oh so creamy White Bean Hummus with Za'atar and Paprika. You'll notice that I used one can of white beans and one can of chickpeas- honestly, you guys, I did this only because I had one of each. I would have used two cans of white beans if I had been better prepared. If white beans make you nervous, garbanzo beans will work just fine. The rest of the recipe is fairly basic and classic, only I added some ground cumin because I think it gives it a little extra depth and flavor.

The fun part? Za'atar

To be honest, I'm new to the Za'atar spice club, but the blend sounded pretty legit- sesame seeds, sumac, dried herbs, salt, and perhaps some other spices depending on the blend. The most popular form of use is to dip fresh pita in oil and then in za'atar; however, sprinkled over dips and spreads, like hummus, is also common.

I am a big fan of this newly discovered (by me) spice blend, but I'm not at all surprised because I love salt, sumac and sesame seeds.

I added some sweet paprika and chopped parsley as a final touch and, omg, you guys, it was perfect! Nothing tops sitting down to a large bowl of this dreamy, creamy goodness with pillowy soft pita bread and fresh crunchy vegetables :)

Homemade White Bean Hummus with Za'atar and Sweet Paprika

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes Yield: n/a Category: Appetizers, Entertaining, Gluten-free, Healthy, Kid Approved!, Sauce + Dip, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 can (15 oz.) white beans, drained 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas, drained with 1/2 cup chickpeas set aside for garnish 1/2 - 1 cup tahini (I used this full 8 oz package from tjs) 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving 1 teaspoon ground cumin 3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped Juice 2 lemons salt, to taste 1-2 teaspoons Za'atar 1 teaspoon sweet paprika Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

Place the drained white beans, chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, ground cumin, garlic, lemon juice and salt in the bowl of a high speed blender or food processor. Blend the ingredients until completely puréed and silky smooth.

Taste and season to your preference- more salt, tahini, olive oil, etc.

Transfer hummus to a serving bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with reserved chickpeas, Za'atar, sweet paprika, and fresh chopped parsley.

Serve with soft pita bread and fresh vegetables.

Enjoy!  

**this makes enough hummus to entertain a small group of 6-8 friends and keeps well in the refrigerator for approximately 5-7 days.