Guest Food Blogger - Belinda Y. Hughes

There are thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of food bloggers who are posting their own recipes and techniques, making demonstration cooking vlogs, and basically wanting to get appreciated for their culinary skills.  Some are professionals who are coveting a spot on Food Network Channel or the Cooking Channel; maybe even that Top Chef position at a famous restaurant.  The majority are home cooks, like myself, and while many get that great opportunity to have a cookbook published, the rest depend on a following online.

Personally, I think we should all support each other, but then again, I'm naive and still believe in fairness.  So, I don't mind having another be a guest on my food blog.  I don't mind giving credits to a recipe I found on another food blog.  It certainly is wonderful to know that many feel the same as I do, and I've been a guest, or been credited by others.

So, I'm shutting up for now, and let me introduce you to Belinda Y. Hughes and one of her recipes from Cafe Belinda...Crispy Chickpeas.  It is a vegetarian recipe Belinda obtained from Tupperware, so they're credited with that.  Belinda enjoys vegetarian cuisine, and I know many of you will enjoy reading her blog for new recipe ideas.  With all that said...here's Belinda Y Hughes!

Belinda Y. Hughes proudly represents Avon and Tupperware and food blogs at Cafe Belinda. She is also the author of Confessions of a Red Hot Veggie Lover 2, a veggie cookbook, available on Amazon. When her nose isn’t buried in a gripping mystery or sizzling romance, you can find her hiking, watering her organic, companion-planted container garden or deep in a bubble bath with the dial set on public radio or classic rock.

Avon: https://www.avon.com/myavon/belindayhughes

Tupperware: http://belindayhughes.my.tupperware.com

Cafe Belinda: http://cafebelinda.blogspot.com/p/recipe-index.html

Confessions of a Red Hot Veggie Lover 2: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H4L35NM

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TupperwareLGBTVegan

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/belindayhughes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BelindaYHughes1

Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are like a really good yoga teacher - unbelievably flexible. No, these limber legumes won’t do your planks, but you can blend them into hummus (see Mary's yummy recipe here) sprinkle them into salads, soups and stews, or nosh on them as healthy low-carb keto snacks.

The quick and easy, keto vegan recipe I’m sharing today, Crispy Chickpeas, can spice up all of the above. Keep them on hand and you’ll always be ready for snacking, gifting and camping.

Important Note: Keep chickpeas away from non-human family members. For some, their bellies and reproductive systems are not chickpea-friendly. Resist “the look”.

Did You Know?

The great Italian orator Cicero’s family got their name because they raised chickpeas (cicer). No chickens were used in the naming of chickpeas. It’s a long crazy story across eons, lands and languages. As for garbanzo, that comes from the Basque word garbantzu, which means “dry seed”.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas

Chickpeas are powerhouse superfoods! Just a few things they do for you:

●       Balance blood sugar

●       Ease bowel movements & improve regularity

     ●       Reduce cholesterol & inflammation

●       Dial back cancer risk (fight cancer & help eliminate sick & dying cells)

If you’re not already scarfing down chickpeas, you need to be. These guys are your new bffs.

Per cup, chickpeas contain:

●       ~269 calories

●       ~4 g fat

●       34 (canned) to 45 (dried cooked) g carbohydrates

●       9 (canned) to 12 (dried cooked) g fiber

●       6-7 g sugar

●       10 (canned) to 15 (dried cooked) g protein

Of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals, they contain, per cup:

●       6-8% of calcium

●       40% of fiber (incl. pre-biotic fiber)

●       8 (canned) to 22 (dried cooked)% of iron

●       15 (canned) to 70 (dried cooked)% of folate/folic acid

●       17 (canned) to 39 (dried cooked)% of phosphorus

While this recipe calls for canned chickpeas, I recommend either getting cans marked BPA-Free or going for the dried beans. They’re more budget-friendly and far more beneficial nutrition-wise, as you can see. Plus, this addictive, versatile recipe gives you a reason to buy in bulk.

You may notice some links in the Crispy Chickpeas recipe. That’s because Mary graciously agreed to do a guest post swap with me, to help me introduce you to my Tupperware store. In exchange, she shared her recipe for Vegetable Lasagna Rustico (two words: Alfredo sauce!) on my veggie food blog, Cafe Belinda. Merci beaucoups, Mary!

Now, grab your favorite beverage and let’s whip up some superfood snacks!

Sources:

Did You Know:

https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/the-history-of-the-word-chickpea

Health Benefits: https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-chickpeas#1

Photo courtesy of Tupperware

Recipe: Crispy Chickpeas (courtesy of Tupperware)

Serves 4

Serving size ¾ cup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Two 15 oz./425 g cans chickpeas, drained

(reserve the liquid, aka aquafaba, to sub for egg white in other vegan recipes)

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. kosher salt

1. Place chickpeas in a medium bowl and add olive oil. Add remaining spices, seal and shake to evenly coat.
2. Place chickpea mixture into the base of the MicroPro® Grill and place the cover in grill position. Make sure the cover is touching the chickpeas.
3. Microwave on high power 10 minutes.
4. At the end of cooking time, uncover and stir chickpeas. Replace cover in grill position and return to microwave to cook on high power for an additional 5 minutes. Serve.

Thank you Belinda for sharing your information, about chickpeas, and this recipe from Tupperware.  Need more information on Vegetarian Cuisine, Tupperware or one of Belinda's other interest, contact her at one of the links listed above.

Mary Cokenour

Tahini, Hummus and Pita Pizza; Say What!?!

Since the pushing of healthy eating habits and finding alternatives for snacking, many items that used to be a "luxury" have now become an all consuming fad; such is the case with Hummus.  Hummus is a puree of garbanzo beans( a legume) also known as chickpeas in the United States and England, or Ceci beans in Italy.   Their origin can be traced back to the Middle East, and as far back as 3500 BCE; so they truly cannot be called a modern "fad" food item.  The other main ingredient needed to make hummus is Tahini; a sauce made from the puree of toasted sesame seeds and olive oil.  Now the other ingredients that go into the making of hummus; well that has now become a matter of taste.

Tahini has a very nutty scent and flavor to it and can be substituted for peanut butter which is great news to folks with a peanut allergy. If you can eat regular peanuts, then adding a dollop of Tahini to your PB&J brings out an awesome richness of peanutty taste and flavor. For baking, think about adding Tahini to a recipe calling for peanut butter; and don't forget its wonderful addition to Middle Eastern cuisine.   Tahini can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three months in an air tight container.  Since oil is used in the process, it will rise to the top and solidify under cold temperatures.  Simply let the Tahini come to room temperature and mix the oil back in until you have a smooth sauce; sort of how you would work with the all natural peanut butter spreads that are on the market now.  Tahini can also be frozen in air tight freezer containers or bags, but after six months it needs to be discarded.

How to Make Tahini

Ingredients:

3 cups sesame seeds
1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; spread the seeds onto a clean jelly roll pan (baking sheet with a 1/4 inch around it); place into oven for 5 minutes.  Stir the seeds around and toast for another 5 minutes, but do not allow them to get brown in color.

Put the seeds into a food processor or blender; add 1/4 cup of oil and begin blending on high.  A paste will form; switch off the appliance and scrap down the paste with a rubber spatula.  Turn the appliance back on and slowly add in the remaining oil until a smooth sauce begins to form; sort of like a smooth peanut butter consistency; not all the oil may be required.

Makes 2 cups.

 So now we have our Tahini and can continue on to making Hummus.  I'm going to give a basic recipe that can be used as a dip for toasted pita chips, or even a base sauce on a pita pizza (recipe will be given).  This basic hummus can be a simple canvas for making many types of dips by adding roasted red bell peppers, diced tomatoes, diced green onions, diced chile peppers, chopped herbs and the list goes on and on.  If entertaining and serving several varieties of hummus, don't just garnish each type with a teaspoon of an ingredient to identify its type.  Place a small bowl of the ingredient next to the bowl of hummus and let guests add to plate with their portion of dip.  A garnish will be gone by the third guest, and how will anyone be able to identify the flavors then?  Also think about having slices of toasted French baguette besides the traditional pita chips, so guests can make their own version of a bruschetta.  Now onto the making of Hummus...

How to Make Hummus

 

Ingredients:

 

1 (16 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup Tahini sauce (or 1/4 cup if using a Tahini paste)

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

 

Preparation:

 

Mash the beans slightly and place inside a food processor or blender; add the Tahini, garlic, oil, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.  Set speed on puree and blend until desired consistency is achieved (slightly firmer than a sour cream dip is best); add more oil if needed.  Use a rubber spatula to scrap down the sides of the appliance if necessary.

 

Makes 1 and 1/2 cups.

 

Note: During the puree process, a tablespoon of a flavoring ingredient can be added such as diced tomatoes, roasted red bell pepper, chopped herbs, etc. 

 

I gave you a tease before about making a Pita Pizza, and here's the information I promised to give you.  Normally a pizza dough is made with a leavened bread which rises because of yeast, but it can also be made from an unleavened bread such as a tortilla, Navajo Fry Bread or pita bread. As a base sauce, the traditional red tomato sauce can be used, pesto, and I've found that hummus makes an interesting take on a pizza.  By pureeing tomatoes, red bell peppers or basil into a hummus, you can turn the traditional brownish coloring into the illusion of a red or green sauce; and have the flavoring too.

 

How to Make a Pita Pizza

 

Ingredients:

1 Pita bread (standard size to be cut apart, or single serving size)
1/4 cup Hummus (traditional or flavored), 1/8 cup for smaller pita

Now here's the fun part; the rest of the ingredients depends on what you want on it. If using any meats or poultry, it must be precooked. Don't add too much of any one ingredient, you want just enough that each item will be tasted when biting into the pizza. In the photo above, I have diced tomatoes, diced goat cheese and spinach leaves; just a 1/4 cup of each spread around on a standard sized pita went a long way.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Spread hummus over pita; spread other ingredients over all, but not entirely to the edge.  Place the pizza directly onto the center rack of the oven and bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until edges of pita darken.

A standard pita can be cut into fourths; a small pita eaten as is.

There is my adventure into the Middle Eastern world of Tahini, Hummus and Pita Bread; don't be afraid to have your own adventure.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour