Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1,000 Jewish Recipes (154 page)
Today hummus is made in a variety of flavors. I especially love this one, with the rich taste and light salmon color it gains from roasted red bell peppers. Either roast your own peppers or, to save time, use roasted peppers from a jar.
2 large red bell peppers
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 to 4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste), stirred before measuring
4 to 6 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
4 to 6 tablespoons water
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1.
Broil or grill peppers, turning them often, until their skins blister all over, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly; or put in a plastic bag and close bag. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel peppers using paring knife and remove seeds.
2.
Mince garlic in food processor. Add red peppers and chickpeas and process to chop.
3.
Add 2 tablespoons tahini to food processor. Add 4 tablespoons lemon juice and 4 tablespoons water and puree until finely blended. Add more tahini and lemon juice if you like. Add more water if necessary so that mixture has consistency of a smooth spread. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Make this hummus as hot as you like. Roasted jalapeño peppers give it a terrific flavor, but if you want a quicker option, flavor it to taste with
Zehug
or
Harissa
if you have some, or simply add your favorite hot sauce. Another option is to season the hummus with dried chili flakes or cayenne pepper. Try to use a tomato sauce that doesn't contain sugar.
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
Two 15- to 16-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1
1
â
2
teaspoons ground cumin
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1
â
4
cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice, or to taste
About
1
â
4
cup water
2 or 3
jalapeño peppers
, roasted and peeled, see Note, or about 2 teaspoons hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Mince garlic in food processor. Add chickpeas and process to chop. Add cumin, oil, tomato sauce, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and
1
â
4
cup water and puree until finely blended. Add more water if necessary so that mixture has consistency of a smooth spread.
2.
Mince jalapeño peppers. Stir jalapeño peppers or hot sauce into chickpea mixture. Add salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice, hot sauce, salt, or pepper if needed.
Note:
Wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers.
This is a take-off on hummus and, in some American delis and natural food stores, this type of dip would be labeled "black bean hummus." To Israelis, this label does not make sense because the word "hummus" in Hebrew does not mean dip, but means chickpeas. So you cannot make hummus with any other bean. Whatever you call it, this dip is tasty and easy to make. It's also useful to keep on hand as an alternative to butter for spreading on bread or on tortillas.
If you don't have fresh basil, substitute cilantro or parsley.
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
1
â
3
cup fresh basil leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon or lime juice, or to taste
About
1
â
2
cup water
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pure chili powder (not the spice blend) or cayenne pepper, to taste
Shredded fresh basil or basil sprigs
Combine garlic, basil, and olive oil in food processor. Process until garlic and basil are minced. Add beans and process to chop. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and
1
â
4
cup water and puree until finely blended. Add more water if necessary so that mixture has consistency of a smooth spread. Season with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Stir in a little more lemon juice if you like. Serve garnished with basil.
Tahini, or sesame paste, is a popular ingredient for making sauces and dips in the Sephardic kitchen as it gives them lots of flavor and a creamy texture. It's very thick and is always diluted with water before being used, and usually with lemon juice as well. It can be made into a sauce or a dip.
Serve this dip with fresh pita bread. It's usually served at parties alongside hummus (chickpea dip). People often spoon a little of each into their pita, so the tahini dip acts like a sauce for the thicker hummus. I also like serving tahini dip with raw vegetables such as carrot, cucumber, and jicama sticks.
For this recipe buy tahini paste and not the prepared, ready-to-eat tahini sauce. Stir the tahini gently before measuring it.
1 cup tahini (sesame paste), stirred before measuring
About 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1
â
2
teaspoon salt, or to taste
4 to 5 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1
â
2
teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
Cayenne pepper or paprika, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1.
Stir tahini to blend in its oil in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup water. Add salt, 4 tablespoons lemon juice, garlic, cumin if using, and cayenne. If sauce is too thick, gradually stir in more water. Taste, and add more salt or lemon juice if desired. Refrigerate in a covered container until ready to serve.
2.
Before serving, gradually stir in a little more water if tahini has become too thick. (It thickens on standing.) Spread tahini on a deep serving plate or in shallow bowl. If desired, make a small hollow in center and spoon in a little olive oil. Sprinkle tahini lightly with paprika or cayenne and with chopped parsley.
Serve this tasty dip with grilled falafel or with other dishes in which you would like a quicker, lighter alternative to tahini. I also like it for dunking vegetables. It is based on yogurt and therefore is not kosher with meat dishes.
3
â
4
cup low-fat or nonfat yogurt
1
â
4
cup fat-free sour cream or additional yogurt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced cilantro mixture, reserved from making
Rachel's Falafel
, or minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Mix yogurt, sour cream, garlic, cilantro mixture, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Serve cool.
A favorite among Jews from Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, this delicious salad is also sold in jars as a spread called
ajvar
. Traditionally the eggplant and peppers should be chopped very finely with a knife so they keep their texture, then stirred together very well so the peppers impart a reddish color to the whole mixture. To save time you can use a food processor.
I like to use a generous proportion of red peppers. They give the salad such a wonderful sweet flavor that it's even good without oil. This version is mildly spiced. If you like, follow the custom of some cooks and make it hot by adding 2 or 3 grilled peeled jalapeño peppers or cayenne pepper to taste.
2 long, fairly slender eggplants (about 2 pounds total)
1
1
â
2
to 2 pounds red bell peppers
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional), see Note
1 tablespoon vinegar (optional), any kind
1.
Prick eggplants a few times with fork. Grill eggplants on barbecue at medium-high heat about 1 hour, or broil about 40 minutes; in either case, turn eggplants from time to time, until skin blackens. When done, flesh should be tender and eggplants should look collapsed.
2.
Broil or grill or peppers, turning them often, until their skins blister all over, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly; or put in a plastic bag and close bag. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel peppers using paring knife and remove seeds. Dice peppers.
3.
Leave eggplants until cool enough to handle. Cut off eggplant caps. Cut eggplants in half and drain off any liquid from inside eggplant. With a spoon, scoop flesh from peel; discard peel. Chop eggplant and peppers very finely, either with a knife or in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and add garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix very well. Add oil and vinegar, if using. Adjust seasoning. Serve cold or at room temperature.