I don’t know about you but I love hummus.  The first time I was introduced to hummus, it was store bought and not really good enough to write home about.  However, one day I was craving hummus and didn’t want to spend $5 for a tub.  So I decided I could make it myself.  Shouldn’t be that hard, right?  Right!  It isn’t hard at all and the beautiful part is you can make it however you want.   The way I look at it,  garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are my canvas and all my herbs, spices and other ingredients are my paints.  Voilà, Van Gogh hummus!

Lucky for us all, hummus isn’t just a painting using food.  It is also very healthy…and these days that is what I am all about.  Trying to find healthy and nutritious foods that my whole family likes is often times difficult – but not with hummus.  It can be used as a dip with crackers or vegetables, as a spread on flatbread, as a filling in a sandwich and so on.  I wouldn’t go as far as adding it in my smoothie or dipping my cookies in it but yes, I will smoother my finger in it and lick it off.  Yum!

You might be asking yourself, “What are some of the health benefits of hummus?”  Well, I’ve been reading a lot about health lately and here’s some good stuff I recently discovered.

1. Health Benefits of Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)

The nutritional benefits of hummus can be rooted down from each of its ingredients. For one, Garbanzo Beans are very healthy because they do not contain any cholesterol or saturated fats. They are also rich in protein. This makes hummus a favorite among vegetarians. Garbanzo Beans are also known to be effective in preventing build up of cholesterol in the blood vessels. Apart from that, it can maintain correct blood sugar levels.

2. Nutritional Value of Tahini

Tahini, meanwhile, is full of fat and calories. However, the fact that it is used sparingly in most hummus recipes and that it mostly contains unsaturated fat means there is not much to worry about. Like chickpeas, tahini is also high in protein. Apart from that, it is a great source of calcium.

3. Healthy Ingredients in Olive Oil

Another healthy ingredient found in hummus is olive oil. As most people know, olive oil is a healthy fat. It has high monounsaturated fat content but low in saturated fat. This oil can thus help regulate cholesterol and protect the heart from various diseases.

4. Health Benefits of Garlic and Lemon Juice

Garlic and lemon juice, meanwhile, are filled with antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress in the body. They also work to improve immune functions and fight of bacteria and viruses.

5. General Health Benefits of Hummus

Hummus as a whole contains plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are great for improving intelligence and maintaining a healthy heart. On top of it all, this dish also has iron, vitamin B6, manganese, copper, folic acid, and amino acids. Tryptophan, phenylalanine, and tyrosine are the amino acids found in hummus that can promote good quality sleep and uplift one’s mood.

Good to know?

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Van Gogh Hummus

Makes 6 to 8 servings

3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 – 15 ounce cans garbanzo beans, drain & reserve liquid
2 tbls lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
¼ tsp paprika
salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

Options:
Roasted red peppers
Tahini (very little, it gooooes a long way)
Sun dried tomatoes
Kalamata olives
Parsley
substitute 1 can of garbanzo bean for 1 can of white beans
….the sky is the limit!

Directions

Place the garlic into the bowl of a food processor or blender, and pulse a few times to chop the garlic slightly. Add the chickpeas and process until well mashed.  Add the olive oil and lemon juice.  If the mixture is to thick add some of the reserved liquid from the garbanzo beans a little at a time until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.

Add the cumin, paprika, pepper and salt. Taste the hummus for flavor, adjust any ingredient for your personal taste.  Let chill for at least an hour before serving to allow the flavors to fully develop.

I know this isn’t my normal kind of post but for the simple sake that I AM a pastry chef you might believe that I love to bake.  I do!  …even when I can’t eat it.   Today is no exception and I have made a winner, so I wanted to share with you all.   This isn’t my recipe, I found it while crawling the food blogs of the Internet, but my, oh my, oh my… they truly are more than a treat (see recipe here).

From personal experience, I cannot tell you what they taste like.  I can tell you though that they are tender, big, aromatic balls of heaven down here on earth.  And I can tell you the responses I heard when the kids got home from school.   The following is a brief description of what took place the moment they walked in the door.

So, I didn’t tell the kids what kind of cookie they were.  I just watched as their eyes popped out of their heads and their mouths Oooo and Ahhh over the size of them.  Then they begged to have one, because I normally make things to give away.  As I was saying the word “Yes” their hands darted for the pan and then…wait for it…. wait for it……OH MY GOSH MOM, THERE’S AN OREO’S INSIDE MY COOKIE!  As Madison’s eye’s roll into the back of her head – one a little farther than the other – she exclaims, ” these cookies are the only cookies I EVER want you to make again.”  This coming from a little girl who refuses to put chocolate chips into the cookie dough when she makes them because she “hates” chocolate!  One might wonder if she could be my child.  Well, there are times when even I wonder if she was switched at birth because I can’t imagine any of my kids saying those blasphemous words.

Anyway, all the kids were delighted and thrilled as they dined on the oversized chocolate chip oreo cookies.  Yum Yum!

What a day, a busy day, running here, running there, trying to meet everyone’s needs – seems like everyone needs something all at the same time – and I still haven’t thought about dinner.  This is the part of the day that makes me a little crazy, so I need to have a plan.  My plan, as I posted earlier, is to evaluate my level of stress “High”,  “Medium” or “Low” and find a meal works with my level.  Today I am not really stressed, but I am busy.

I think today is a Chili day.  Chili is one of those meals that can cook for a long time (which enhances all the flavor) or a short time depending on your schedule.  It comes together rather quickly and has plenty of protein and fiber that a family can love.

My Favorite Chili

Serves 6

2 pounds ground beef
2 onions, chopped
1 (4 oz) can diced chiles
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
1 tablespoon cocoa powder or 15 chocolate chips

Directions:

Combine ground beef, onion, chiles and garlic in large stockpot. Cook and stir over medium heat until beef is brown. Drain.

Stir in chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin, black pepper, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to simmer, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Stir in beans. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes; stir occasionally

Optional additions: sour cream, corn chips, cheese and/or rice.

Serve with your favorite cornbread and you’re done!  According to my family though, it isn’t chili unless there are noodle of some kind.  So I always cook up elbow macaroni and serve it on the side.  I am not a fan of pasta in my chili but whatever works.

Hint: If you don’t like the overpowering acid taste of the tomatoes, just add a tablespoon of sugar, Agave or honey and it will cut that acidic taste.

Bonus Hint: This is a great recipe to have the kids help you put it together.  Someone can open the cans, grate the cheese and even count out the chocolate chips (which is usually my job for obvious reasons!).  Try to find little ways to have your kids help you in the kitchen and they will begin learning how to cook themselves.  I have found that kids will do just about any task when they feel it’s important to the meal (unless, they are 14 going on “to old to be bothered”, duh!).