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.

wasabi-edamame dip

Ever since making the choice to leave peanut butter sandwiches off my personal lunch menu that meal has been a bit problematic. For most of my life, lunch = sandwiches  (peanut butter or other). Sandwiches are portable, fast, easy, brainless. The default choice. I don't believe that gluten is the enemy for most people. It isn't for me. The problem with a  daily sandwich is not so much what it is but more what it is not. When one eats a lot of one thing there isn't as much desire for another. In other words, when I fill up on a peanut butter and honey sandwich I really don't much care to eat three servings of vegetables and another one or two of fruit. And the fruit and vegetables should be the foundation not the flourish of any meal. So I am always looking for simple, interesting options to make and have on hand to help me make better lunch-time choices - since simply skipping the meal because I have decided not to go for the pb&j is an even unhealthier choice but one I used to make too often.


This dip falls into the 'interesting and easy' category very nicely and has the added benefits of healthy and yummy. We loved the dip with raw asparagus or celery sticks; rated it good with the carrots. Unless you plan on eating the whole recipe solo, you might want to add a smoothie or - for a fun tagalong to the Japanese tastes - some simple onigiri (rice balls) would be perfect.


Of course it would make an awesome appetizer .... but that's just obvious :)


wasabi-edamame dip
(from Chatelaine)


1 1/4 cups shelled edamame
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tsp Japanese soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp wasabi paste (or to taste)


Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add edamame and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Rinse the edamame with cold water to cool.


Puree the edamame, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and wasabi in a blender or food processor. Add reserved liquid while processing until mixture is smooth and creamy.