Hummus and Perqs

Did the word "perqs" confuse you?

How about "perks"?

Same thing. Perks is a friendlier spelling of perqs which is short for perquisite, which I think is an interesting word. It rhymes with requisite, but it's not something that's required. It's (according to Google's definition) "a thing regarded as a special right or privilege enjoyed as a result of one's position."

I also like the short version, perq, because it has a q that isn't followed by a u. So that makes it unique. I also like it because absolutely no one uses perq any more, and I'm quirky like that.

One of the perqs of being a blogger is getting free stuff. This is in addition to the work of being a blogger, which sometimes includes being paid to write stuff. The pay is not a perq, since it's earned. The free stuff thrown in, though, is very perqy.

Another perq is getting invited to events. Recently, the folks at Sprouts (a local grocery store chain, if they're not in your area) invited a bunch of bloggers to an event at Hope Foods, a local maker of hummus. And now guacamole. But mostly hummus.

(Note: Of course people who provide the perqs ((I love that spelling!)) hope that it will result in bloggers writing about their products. They're not being charitable; they're savvy marketers. But there's no contract. No one is obligated to write. So ... it's up to the blogger to decide whether something is of interest to their readers or whether it's worth a post on social media, or whether it's just another meh that goes in the pile of stuff that's donated to charity. I only write about stuff that amuses me and/or that I think my readers will be interested in.)

So, at the event we bloggers mingled, chatted, and sampled. Hope has a chocolate hummus that I'm still trying to wrap my head around. When I think of it as hummus, my brain says, no, hummus is tan colored and has lemon and garlic or herbs and spices and you eat it with pita chips or vegetables. But it's not chocolate.

But when I don't think of it as hummus, it reminds me of brownie batter. It has that sort of texture ... not smooth like Nutella. It tastes good. I licked the spoon. And then I wondered what I could do with it.

I could eat it with a Ritz cracker or graham cracker. But something about that chocolate hummus makes me want to cook with it. It has potential to be the secret ingredient in something.

I'm just not sure what, yet.

Another interesting sample was their guacamole. Let's be honest here. I don't buy guacamole, I buy avocados. That are never ripe enough, so I have to let them sit a while. It's always this balancing act between when I buy them and when I want to eat them, and I don't always win. Sigh.

I've tried a few store-bought guacamoles, and some are just plain horrible. They don't even resemble guacamole. They're weird and slimy and even if the flavor is acceptable the texture is all all alllll wrong.

But the Hope guacamole was pretty close to home made. Not exactly how I make mine, because we all have our special recipes. But the texture was right, and that's really important. The secret is how they sterilize all their foods. Instead of heat-processing, which changes the texture and flavor of foods (I mean, seriously, you're cooking it!) they use a cold water method that subjects the packaged food to super-high pressure so that the nasties are killed without cooking the food. Cooked guacamole is no bueno. Pressurized guacamole tastes like guacamole.

I'm not going to stop buying avocados, because they have so many uses beyond guac. And I'll still make my own guacamole. But if I'm ever in a guacamole emergency where I don't have a ripe avocado nearby, I'd be more than happy to pick up a container of the Hope guacamole. Or to keep one in the fridge for potential guacamole emergencies, since it lasts quite a while before it's opened.

We also took a tour of the facility, where we saw the mixing, packaging, and preserving process and learned a little about the company. They make everything they can on-site, including their own sriracha. They get dried chickpeas (grown in the US) and they cook them on-site. They don't use a co-packer to do any of their work. They started out making hummus by hand and selling it at the local farmer's market, and they want to stick as close to those roots as possible, even though they now have a factory instead of a blender in someone's kitchen. It's a young company, and they're all very hands-on and enthusiastic.

So anyway, besides mingling and tasting and taking a tour of the facility, we were also given two different guacamole bases for us to make our own hummus flavors.

I wasn't all that fond of the sweet base as-is, but I added almond butter, cherry preserves, ginger, lemon, a hint of cinnamon, and some red pepper flakes. And, hey! It was pretty good! Still a tad on the sweet side, but the ginger and red pepper added heat and the almond butter mellowed it out, so it wasn't all sweet. I might actually get on this sweet hummus bandwagon.

The savory one got lime, sesame seeds, roasted red peppers, and chili powder. Maybe something else. Oh! Garlic. I didn't write it down, I just added a bit here and there and mixed it all up. The roasted red peppers could have used a blender to break them up, but I was happy with the combo. And then we put our hummuseseses (hummi? Hummipotamuses?) into cute little jars that they had labeled just for us. Awwwwww. And we stole the spatulas. Yup, right into the goodie bags they went.

Okay, fine. They said we could take them.

It was an interesting couple hours, I saw some local bloggers I haven't seen in a while, and met some new friends. And I came home with a bag full of hummus, guacamole, and other goodies supplied by Hope Foods and Sprouts, who sponsored the event.

I don't know how far Hope Hummus is being distributed yet, but if you see it in your area and you're a hummus fan, give it a try. They have lot of creative flavors, and they're working on creating more. And be sure to check out the guacamole!

As for the chocolate hummus... look for that to appear here in a recipe. As soon as I figure out what the heck I'm going to do with it.

Thanks to Hope Foods and Sprouts for sponsoring a fun event! And stuff! I got stuff! 

A fresh, healthy, tasty green dip - that isn't guacamole: Fake-amole for St. Patrick's Day!

With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, you'll be seeing a lot of green. Maybe you should add this one to your list. A pretty green dip that tastes fresh, earthy, and rich all at the same time. It looks like it might be guacamole, but it's not.

The funny thing is that it tastes just a little like guacamole - the slightly nutty flavor is similar, and the color is almost perfect. If you wanted to switch it up a bit with chopped cilantro, a bit of lime, and a few chopped jalapenos or some salsa, you might actually convince a few people, even though the texture is a more like hummus.

For St. Patrick's Day, guacamole might not fit the menu - but this is endlessly versatile.

This can be used as a spread (omit the water to keep it thicker) or as a dip (add water as needed to get the consistency you're looking for. It's great with crackers, raw vegetables, as a spread on sandwiches, or with pita or tortilla chips.

Meanwhile, this is loaded with vegetables, herbs and fiber. And it can be made well in advance, since the bright green won't fade or go brown - so you can make it well in advance for parties. Just keep it refrigerated until needed.

The Mazola® Corn Oil in this particular recipe provides the tiny bit of fat needed to help carry the flavor and add richness, and it doesn't add any assertive flavors - the rest of the ingredients really shine. While I like flavorful oils for some applications, sometimes the oil needs to step back a few paces and just be ... well, oil.

While preparing this recipe, I also learned that a recent research study found that corn oil helps lower cholesterol more than extra virgin olive oil. You can learn more about the study at Mazola.com.

Pea and Chickpea Dip, AKA Fake-amole

1 cup frozen peas
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
A few leaves fresh thyme (optional)
2 tablespoons Mazola Corn Oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1-2 tablespoons water (optional; as needed)

Combine all the ingredients in your food processor or blender. To be honest, I started with my blender, then moved to my food processor, since I wasn't getting quite the smooth result I was looking for - but blenders differ. Yours might do just fine.

Blend until the mixture is as smooth as possible, scraping down the sides of the container as needed. If you start with completely frozen peas, it might take a little longer to blend, but it's fine to use them frozen or thawed. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

If the mixture is too thick for your purposes, add water, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the consistency you're looking for.

Serve with crackers, chips, or vegetables. Or use as a sandwich spread.

Visit Mazola.com for more information about the benefits of corn oil and for more recipe ideas. This post is sponsored by Mazola.

Whole Foods Feasting: Israeli Cousous Salad

Have you ever looked at Israeli couscous and wondered what to do with it? It's an interesting product - little balls of toasted pasta, and the one I bought was a tri-color version. The colors weren't vivid, but that's fine. The subtle color variations were nice.

The directions for cooking the couscous suggested cooking it like rice, in a small amount of water, but I'd suggest cooking it like pasta, in a larger quantity of boiling salted water, and draining ti when it's done.

The problem with cooking it like rice, particularly at high altitude, is that you need to have exactly the right amount of water or you'll have to add more water, or you risk having it stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

I used capers because I like them, but the bonus is that capers are about the same size as the couscous, so they look like another color of the couscous.

Just like other types of pasta, Israeli couscous is good warm or cold. I made a hearty cold couscous salad with garbanzo beans (chickpeas) that makes a nice salad with an entree, or it can be a light lunch, I also made a warm version, like a pilaf, with cooked vegetables. It's perfect as a hot side dish, but it also works at room temperature or cold,

The couscous I bought came in a package of about 11 1/2 ounces, but a little more or less isn't critical.

This makes a lot of salad - about 2 quarts - which would be great for a party or potluck. Halve it if it's for a small family dinner. This keeps well, and I think it's even better the next day, after the flavors have melded.

Israeli Couscous Salad

About 12 ounces Israeli couscous, cooked
2 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans
2 tomatoes, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 tablespoons capers
1 onion, very small dice
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon dry marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dry rosemary
1/4 cup lemon olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1/2 ounce chevre
1 can (6 ounces. drained) pitted black olives, sliced
Salt, as needed

When you're prepping the vegetables, cut the onions very small, and the rest of the vegetables in a slightly larger dice.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir. I like to add the pasta while it's still a little warm, which helps it absorb the flavors. Taste for seasoning and add salt, as needed. Since the olives, capers, and cheese are salty, and the pasta is cooked in salted water, you might not need more salt.

Refrigerate until needed, and serve chilled.

This post is sponsored by Whole Foods.

Whole Foods Friday: Cheesy Crunchy Garbanzo Snacks

Garbanzo beans, chickpeas, whatever you call them - what's the first thing you think of?

I'm betting most people would think of hummus - silky smooth, with a hint of garlic, and olive oil, and a little bit nutty.

This recipe is exactly the opposite. It's crunchy. Very crunchy. And sort of addictive. One 16-ounce can of garbanzo beans doesn't make a whole lot, but it's a good amount to start with, so you can figure out just how long to roast them - every oven is different, so you may need to adjust the time to suit your oven.

Like the previous recipe today, I added cheese and spice, but not quite the same spice. This time I used a chile-lime seasoning. If you can't find it, you can use a hot paprika, a pinch of cayenne or chili powder. It won't be quite the same, but it will still be quite tasty.

These make a GREAT nut substitute in a snack mix.

Crunchy Garbanzo Snacks
Recipe © by www.cookistry.com. Do not republish without permission.

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon popcorn cheese powder
Pinch chile-lime seasoning
Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the garbanzo beans and rinse well. Drain to remove as much moisture as possible.

Spread the garbanzo beans on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Bake at 400 degrees until they're crisp and toasted, about 45 minutes, checking them every 15 minutes and moving them around on the pan so they cook evenly.

When they're done, transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with the cheese powder, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine.

These are nice while they're still warm, and are just as good when they've cooled.

Whole Foods Friday: Spicy Garbanzo Salad

Hatch chiles are getting famous, but the season is short. However, you can buy Hatch products in cans. I love the little 4-ounce cans of chopped Hatch chiles. They're a nice amount and you can find them in mild or hot, to suit your taste.

I'm calling this a salad, but I loved it on a soft flour tortilla with some melted cheese. A perfect cheesy, melty, filling vegetarian taco.

Or, you could use it like a chunky salsa.

This was actually inspired by a salad that was served at the rehab hospital where my husband is recovering. That salad was a little less spicy and also included avocado as the "dressing." I liked the flavor of the avocado, but a salad like that wouldn't have much of a shelf life, since the avocado would go brown and unpleasant pretty quickly.

A few chunks or slices added to the salad at the table would be fine, though.

Spicy Garbanzo Salad

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 4-ounce can hot chopped Hatch chiles
12 cherry or other small tomatoes, halved
1/2 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of salt.

Combine all ingredients and stir. I think this is best after it has rested long enough for the flavors to meld and the harshness of of the onions to soften a bit. Serve chilled or at room temperature.