Food

Made some awesome hummus this morning. 🦹

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The key is really to boil – simmer the heck out of chickpeas so they’re quite mushy, and to blend the tahini and lemon well before adding the chickpeas and a reasonable amount of aquafaba (chickpea’s water used for boiling – just enough to avoid straining the food processor motor). And then ample olive oil, sea salt and garlic. And run the food processor a lot!

I will bring the hummus up to camp for dipping, along with the cooked chickpeas I didn’t use in the hummus and save them for mixing with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and walnuts for a good treat up at camp. Probably get carrots for dipping in the hummus on my way up to camp, as I did celery for a workday snack this week.

Here’s what I’m thinking about for dinner tomorrow 🍕🍅

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I have a lot of tomatoes I got from my parents yesterday, and I want to use up a lot before they go bad. I was thinking I could run the tomatoes through the food processor with oregano, basil and thyme — or that Italian spices mix I have at home — plus lots of chopped garlic, spinach, mushrooms and tofu — and then make the following crust that was suggested to me by ChatGPT.

I would cook this up tonight but I’d rather limit carbs after a carbs-heavy weekend, fueled by too much alcohol, bread and that spinach-mackerel-protein pasta salad I had on Saturday. But I’m thinking this would be a good treat for a Tuesday.

Whole Wheat Garlic Herb Pizza Crust:

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried herbs (such as oregano, basil, or thyme)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2/3 cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt, dried herbs, and garlic powder.
  3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the warm water and olive oil.
  4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until a dough forms. You can use your hands or a spoon for this.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for a couple of minutes until it’s smooth.
  6. Roll out the dough to your desired pizza crust thickness.
  7. Transfer the rolled-out dough onto a baking sheet or pizza stone.
  8. Optionally, you can brush the crust with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle additional dried herbs and garlic powder on top.
  9. Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until it’s slightly golden and cooked through.
  10. Remove the crust from the oven and add your desired pizza toppings. Return the pizza to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the toppings are cooked and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  11. Once the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a minute before slicing and serving.

Enjoy your homemade whole wheat garlic herb pizza!

Ethnic supermarkets 🛒

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Lately, I’ve developed a keen interest in ethnic stores. Unlike supermarkets, which tend to inflate prices significantly on essential items like rice, beans, and spices – particularly those that cater to healthier, basic diets, ethnic stores offer a refreshing alternative. Supermarkets often capitalize on the fact that these wholesome foods aren’t in high demand among their typical shoppers, allowing them to raise the prices with the understanding that they won’t move as quickly – much like how convenience stores tend to overprice everyday items such as bread and milk.

Interestingly, Walmart has emerged as a surprising contender, boasting a more extensive selection and more affordable prices on many nutritious staples like dried beans, rice, and specific spices compared to the majority of supermarkets. Moreover, Walmart consistently stocks Greek yogurt, whereas local supermarkets often struggle to keep this section adequately supplied. An amusing anecdote: it seems Hannaford, for instance, barely manages to keep one container of plain Greek yogurt hidden away, only to have it vanish by nine o’clock every morning.

For those seeking even more diverse options, India Market comes to the forefront. Here, you can find ghee, a healthier dairy fat option for cooking and spreading, boasting a nutty flavor. Additionally, they offer kefir, a nutrient-rich fermented dairy product packed with protein and probiotics. Kefir is often regarded as an even more wholesome alternative to Greek yogurt, further enhancing the appeal of these ethnic stores.