Creamy Dill Hummus Pasta

I love hummus. I could eat it everyday. Frankly I'm not sure why I don't. One of my favorite ways to eat it is as a pasta sauce.

What's great is that hummus is easy and quick to make. You can whip up the hummus in less time than it takes to cook your pasta. It's delicious cold, room temperature, and warm, which means you can serve hummus pasta at any temp, too. That means hummus pasta can be warm and hearty in winter and light and cool in summer. How perfect is that?

And if your kids are anything like mine, this dish will be a huge hit at the dinner table. I made the hummus yesterday afternoon, while Clarissa and Veronica napped. V woke up just as I was scooping the hummus from the food processor to a bowl. She ate three spoonfuls and was asking for more. If she'd had her way, there would have been none left for supper!

This particular hummus recipe is a simple, dill version of the classic. Any hummus recipe will work as a pasta sauce, though. Try my two-bean dilled hummus (yes I love dill), sage hummus, or white bean hummus. They are all delish on your favorite noodles.   

Dill Hummus Pasta
1 pound of pasta
2 large cloves of garlic
1 can garbanzos, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp dill weed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup cold water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups reserved pasta water

Cook the pasta according to package directions. While the water is coming to a boil and the noodles are cooking, place the garlic in the bowl of your food processor. Chop the garlic in the processor, then add the beans, dill, and salt. Process until the beans are broken down. Add the  cold water, lemon juice, and olive oil, and puree until the hummus is smooth and creamy. When the pasta is cooked al dente, transfer 2 cups of the hot pasta water to a measuring cup, then drain the noodles and return them to the pot. Do not rinse! Add the hummus to the pasta, and use a tongs to coat. Add the reserved pasta water a bit at a time, until you have achieved a creamy sauce, to your liking. The amount of water you use will depend partly on the shape of pasta you use. Small pasta will require less water than long strands.

Meatless Monday: Mary Makes Dinner

I'm pleased to have the delightful Mary, from Mary Makes Dinner, here to share a great Meatless Monday meal. Check out these great ideas for yummy spring rolls:

One of my favorite things to do lately is to cook up a whole mess of food over the weekend, then enjoy lazy meals for the rest of the week. Depending on what I get in my weekly CSA box (a farm share of seasonal veggies) I'll roast up root veggies, pickle carrots and radishes, or rinse and chop greens. A weekly protein is also in order. I'll fry up a whole bunch of marinated tofu or make a pot of beans to beef up my meals all week long.

What do I make with all of my lovely components? Rice or noodles bowls, burritos, tacos, and salads are often on the menu. Sometimes spring rolls appear. I keep a pack of dried spring roll wrappers in my pantry for such moments of culinary inspiration. They rehydrate quickly in a dish of cold water, making them easier to prep than rice or noodles. They are light and tasty, perfect for a hot afternoon or a fresh food craving. You can stuff them with salad, tofu, veggies, or whatever else is on hand. For something that looks so impressive, spring rolls are stupid easy.
Start by soaking the dried spring roll wrapper in water. It should only take a few minutes (at most) for it to soften up. Spread the wrapper out on a flat surface, then blot it dry. Soaking up excess water will make the wrapper easier to handle, and will keep the flavors inside bold and bright.
Now pick a few delicious things to stuff inside your spring roll. Leftovers and simply prepped fresh ingredients are perfect for this.

Here are a few ideas:

- Start with something hearty, like roasted eggplant or sweet potato, marinated tofu, seitan, or tempeh. If you are a meat-eater, shrimp, chicken, or pork also work well
- Add some fresh, crunchy elements, like: bell peppers, cucumber, lettuce, sprouts, zuchinni, blanched broccoli
- Incorporate a few ingredients with really strong, bold flavors, like: fresh mango, pickled banh mi style veggies, sliced citrus, or green herbs (such as basil, cilantro, or dill)
- Include some condiments. Guacamole is surprisingly good, as is fresh, sliced avocado. Some other choices are: sriracha, spicy mayo, wasabi, sambal sauce, chutney, or plain greek yogurt.

Load up all of your goodies in a small pile toward the lower third of the wrapper. Make sure they are all facing the same direction (horizontally, for the win). Fold the sides in toward the center, then fold the botom up. Tuck the ingredients inside gently, keeping things snug, but being careful not to rip the wrapper. Roll that little baby up like a teeny-tiny burrito.
If you are packing the spring rolls up to eat later, leave them whole, and pack them between layers of wax paper. (Hint. Hint. Brilliant lunch idea. Am I right?) If you are serving them right away, slice them in half, then set them up with the insides showing, all pretty-like. Pair them with something yummy for dipping. Soy sauce or tamari(gluten-free) works well, but feel free to experiment with other things you like. Sweet and sour sauce, perhaps?

Here are some fun combinations to get you started:

• Lemongrass tofu and Vietnamese pickled veggies
• Ginger garlic tofu with avocado, cucumber, teriyaki sauce, and cold sesame noodles
• Tikka masala tofu with chutney, crispy rice noodles, and cilantro 
• Harissa marinated tofu with tabouli, cherry tomato, and roasted eggplant 
• Miso glazed tofu with avocado, grapefruit, and crispy kale chips

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Thanks for the great ideas Mary! Friends, what will you be enjoying on this Meatless Monday? 

Wordless Wednesday: The Mid-Week Confessions Edition

This post is a bit of a two birds, one stone situation. The photos are the wordless part. They show the delightful trip to the beach we took today. The wordy part is all the confessions I've been sitting on.

My new camera makes me feel kind of smug. All the photos here were edited only to round the corners. I didn't adjust anything else. Also, they were all shot on manual. I know I shouldn't be all proud of myself, and that they are nothing that great, I can't help it. After two crappy point-and-shoot cameras in a row, it is a thrill to take good photos.

The downside of my camera: I've become a digital photo hoarder. I took over 400 pictures during the hour we were at the beach. Who in their right mind needs 400 photographs of their kids walking on a beach? Sheesh.

I'm still really struggling to get into a proper blogging groove again. I wish I could pinpoint what is holding me back, but I can't seem to figure it out. My focus is gone.

And have I mentioned that aside from a handful of posts, I have barely read anybody else's blogs in over a month? I feel like I'm becoming some kind of internet hermit.

I made beer marinated, seared tofu a week or two ago. In my haste to feed the family, no pictures were taken. I made the same tofu again tonight. After taking 400+ pictures at the beach, I managed to take no photos of the tofu. There are some leftovers. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, that I'll remember to take pictures, before lunching on leftovers tomorrow.

Our lawn is embarrassingly long. The veggie garden isn't planted. The flower beds are in desperate need of weeding. The patio needs sweeping and the breezeway needs a good cleaning. I've had plenty of time to take care of these chores (except the garden, since Steve needs to till first). What's holding me back? My fear of spiders and the many spiders I encounter when I do things like going in the garage to get the lawn mower or a broom. 

Think I'm making up the arachnophobia-is-hindering-my-yard-work-productivity excuse? Last Friday I was about to take the garbage out, when I spotted a spider on the backdoor, a few inches from the doorknob. I set the garbage bag down, and waited several hours, until Steve got home and removed the spider, before taking the garbage outside. I also skipped playing outside with the girls all afternoon, because of the door spider. I have a problem, but I'm not sure if it fear of spiders, or the many spiders in our house. Hmm...

What do you need to confess? Share in the comments. Or better yet, share with the lovely Elizabeth at E, Myself, and I. She's the originator of mid-week confessions. 

Meatless Monday: Banana Crumb Cake

Do you see that picture up there? Know what that means? I actually have a new recipe for you! Wahoo! Before I get to the recipe, I have a few notes. First up, be sure to check out my story of going and being vegan on Mary's Kitchen. Mary is one of my ever delightful readers and she is a great blogger in her own right. I was so pleased to share my story with her readers. 

Second, you may have noticed the new blog header. Lisa is doing a bang up job with the blog redesign (and she's been uber patient with my tedious and annoying requests). It's not done yet, but the new header is a start. In the next couple weeks, please forgive any mess you might encounter 'round these parts. Things will be settled soon. Thanks! 

Third, this recipe calls for wheat germ. I used Kretschmer brand wheat germ, which was compliments of the company. I love wheat germ, in general, and Kretschmer was as good as any other I've used. Other than free product, I was not compensated for the post. 

Banana crumb cake, like any coffee cake, is perfection for breakfast, a snack, or dessert. I first made it, and baked it in a loaf pan, which did not work out so great. The topping was close to burned, and the center was still mushy. I assure you that baking it in an 8x8 inch cake pan was ideal. It turned out moist, but not under baked, and the topping was beautifully golden brown. It's sure to impress guests, but it's no more complicated than your average banana bread. How great is that?

Banana Crumb Cake
topping:
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp wheat germ
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 tbsp white flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegan butter
cake:
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 very ripe bananas)
1/4 cup plain or vanilla non-dairy yogurt
1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
2 cups white flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, stir the dry topping ingredients together. Cut in the butter, until you have achieved a fine meal. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the sugar and oil, then stir in the banana, yogurt, and vinegar. Add the dry ingredients, and gently stir with a fork, until just mixed. 

Spread the batter in a greased, 8x8 inch cake pan. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the cake, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the sides are just beginning to pull away from the sides. 

Cool in the pan, until room temperature, then cut and serve. Store leftovers in the fridge. 

Can I Call it "Currently" if it's a Day Late?

I am currently...

learning that regardless of how much I wish otherwise, Veronica and Clarissa will turn three next Friday.

gathering recipes, but not photographs. In the last week I've created new recipes for seared tofu (marinated in beer), pancakes, and banana bread. I let the girls eat all the pancakes, before I realized I hadn't taken pictures. I didn't bake the banana bread quite long enough, and the center sunk, so pictures were a no-go. As for the tofu? That was a combination of laziness and timing. If my family doesn't mind a few repeats next week, you can all look forward to some new recipes coming your way!

giving myself permission to be sad that the girls are growing up. This morning Veronica woke up and came out of her room in typical fashion: hair in her eyes, jammies on, a stuffed animal tucked under one arm, and dragging a blanket along with her. She shuffled out to the kitchen, looking for a mama or papa to hug. It feels like I blinked and my tiny babies were kids. Am I going to blink again and find them teenagers?

working on getting back into a normal routine. Being sick twice in six weeks has knocked me out of my normal daily schedule. I am determined to get back on track next week.

playing in the sandbox. Okay, the girls do the playing. I sweep up mountains of sand in my kitchen every evening. It's an arrangement I'm quite comfortable with.

Wordless Wednesday: Otumba Park Edition

Housekeeping

My voice is finally returning a little bit. Some sort of cold/flu monster knocked me out last week. I'm still coughing and stuffed up. Yesterday just doing the dishes tired me out enough to take a nap. I'm hopeful that I'll have more energy today.

So that's my sad excuse for not being around the blog. But I'm back today and I have some housekeeping to do. First up: the winner of our Canon Rebel giveaway was Tabetha from The Closet Intellectual. She got her camera last week and is thrilled. Check out her blog. It's really cute.

Next up: millions upon millions of thanks to my family. On Friday morning I woke up to my third day of illness and I felt like I'd been hit by a truck. I called my mom and she was totally cool about watching C and V for the day. No notice. No help from anyone else. Just Mom and the girls for the entire day. What would I do without my mom?

Saturday Steve put on his Super Dad cape. While I was watching Netflix and hacking up a lung, Steve did yard work, did the grocery shopping with the girls in tow, kept them fed and happy, and did laundry. These are typical activities for Steve, but he did it all while I was home and in bed. Yesterday he cleaned the (filthy) house and did a ton of laundry. He barely got a break this weekend, and now he's off to work for another long week.

Rounding out a weekend of kindness and generosity, My sisters Cathy and Sarah, and my niece Hannah, took the girls to Bay Beach yesterday. For much of the day, I didn't have to whisper to a pair of chatty toddlers, and Veronica and Clarissa had a great time. I'm wondering what kind of shenanigans really went on, though. Clarissa told me her favorite ride was the roller coaster. Hmm...

My friend Rebecca gave birth to her second son early Saturday morning. Nolan Kenneth is the cutest, pudgiest baby in the world. Of course she had to have the baby while I'm sick, so I haven't met him yet. Rebecca is a rockstar mom, and I can't wait to watch Nolan grow up and be just as cool as his brother Ethan. Congratulations Rebecca and welcome to the world Nolan!

Lastly, check this out: my friend Mary has gone from being meat-free on Mondays, to totally vegetarian! How great is that? Take a look at her post today, and be sure to check back. Later this week, I'll be sharing my "going veg" story on her blog, too!

How have you been? What do you have to be thankful for? Any good news to share? Tell us in the comments!