black bean hummus

When I had a houseful of little kids I thought I was pretty busy but I was content with 24 hours in a day. Recently I find myself wishing for a few more hours per day. There simply isn't time for all the sewing, gardening, helping, playing, sharing, reading, walking, cooking, consulting, decorating, designing, and travelling on my want-to-do. And that list doesn't even touch the cleaning and laundry that are necessary on the to-do list. I have been flat out busy for the last few weeks. Actually for the last month. Good busy, fun busy - hello a week in Vancouver among other great stuff - but not a minute not full. I have a (long) list of things planned to share but no time to sit down and share. It was causing me a tiny bit of anxiety but really, the important part of life is the doing not the telling about it. I reminded myself of that and presto! the little anxiety wrinkle smoothed out. I may be sharing the full-week's worth of rhubarb delights that I had planned (in my ever ambitious mind planner) for the middle of June in mid-summer when all the rhubarb is over and done, or the iced tea when hot chocolate would be more welcome, but this is only a forum for sharing stuff  not a formula for world peace. I just wish I could figure out exactly what it is that I do!


Anywho... having a minute I want to introduce my latest obsession. I know it is homely but, my word! this stuff is super-fantastic-good. I Love this - with a capital 'L'. The pepper and lime add a nice zip of heat that is nicely balanced by the warmth of the cumin and the freshness of the cilantro. Good with veggies, some yummy sprouted mixed grain chips, or baked pita wedges. Healthy and whole. Pretty perfect, I'd say. 


If you don't like cilantro (hard for me to understand but I believe it's true that some don't) you can either entirely forego the herb or better, replace it with parsley. The jalapeno pepper can be nicely replaced with 1/2 tsp of dried chipotle pepper.


black bean hummus
(from Cooking Light)


1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp grey sea salt*
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, seeded


Put all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth. 


*Grey (or red) sea salt has important trace minerals - I believe it is worth using.