I had decided to cook a pound of chickpeas with the intent of making hummus. It took about 2.5 to 3 hours to cook them. It seems it shouldn't have taken that long for them to get soft after being soaked overnight, but maybe they were older than they should have been. Who knows? Eventually they did get soft, and I made hummus with all but a cup of them.
To Make Hummus with freshly cooked Chickpeas
Hummus (click for my original recipe)! Yum! With a whole pound of cooked chickpeas, it takes more of the other hummus ingredients than what is stated in my recipe, which uses just one can of chickpeas. While a whole pound of dried chickpeas cooks up to a lot more than two cans worth (double the original recipe), I have gotten by with using double the amount of the tahini, lime/lemon juice, garlic and olive oil from my recipe. I do not cook my chickpeas with any salt at all, as salt is said to toughen the beans, making them harder to get cooked through properly. More salt will be needed, but as an individual preference, it's best to add a teaspoon, taste and adjust as needed.
Hummus from Scratch
Freshly Made Hummus
Makes a large amount, possibly 8 cups!
1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
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drained cooked chickpeas, cooking water reserved
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons tahini
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/2 to 2/3 cup good quality olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, more if needed
To cook the chickpeas: Drain off the soaking water, place the chickpeas in a large pot, cover with water by about 1 inch and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook them until soft, anywhere from 2 to 3 hours, depending. This time they took a full three hours, possibly the chickpeas were old Once cooked through, pour the chickpeas into a colander set over a bowl to catch the cooking water. Keep this water aside.
Pour the cooked, drained, cooled chickpeas into a food processor. Add in the tahini, lime juice, garlic and a cup of the cooking water and process until very smooth. Add in the olive oil in a thin stream, while processor is running, to incorporate. If the mixture seems soft, you may not need all the olive oil. If you've used all the olive oil and the mixture is too stiff, add more of the cooking water, until you have a good consistency. Check for salt, adding more if needed. Will keep in the fridge, well-covered, for a couple of weeks.
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Okay, I had the hummus made, and it was delicious! Then I started thinking about dinner, and had absolutely nothing planned. Nothing was coming to mind. I started thinking about chicken, mainly as it cooks quickly. And that was as far as I got. So I wondered if there was anything to do for dinner that would incorporate hummus and chicken? I went online.
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| Veggies to Roast |
Okay, so how to get around that issue? I thought I would oven roast some veggies that I did still have: yellow beet, shallots, green pepper, parsnip and carrot. Hubby's not keen on parsnips or carrots, and "hates" beets. This beet was yellow, so he didn't realize it was in there, and he does seem to eat mixtures like this if they are well flavored. Okay. Check.
That recipe idea in No Spoon Necessary called for cooked chicken and then a dressing is poured onto it for flavor. I was more of a mind to either pan saute or roast the chicken breasts I had gotten out. So, I went on searching to see what else was out there, so the next place I came to was called Plays Well with Butter, and her recipe is called Grilled Chicken Shawarma Hummus Bowls. I loved the idea of all the spices on the chicken marinade, and the chicken is grilled in that recipe. It was still in the high 90s outside and I just had no desire to stand out in that heat over the grill. I opted to roast the chicken and the veggies.
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| Shawarma Chicken and Vegetables with Hummus |
All I can say is, tail end of groceries notwithstanding, this dinner was just fabulous! I did add olives to my bowl. My husband ate his without. But it was a dinner full of sighs and moans of pleasure. So, thanks to those out there with great ideas.
Shawarma Chicken & Vegetables with Hummus
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| Shawarma Chicken & Vegetables with Hummus |
MARINADE:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 - 4 cloves fresh garlic, minces
2 teaspoons honey, optional
1+ tablespoons lime juice
1/2 teaspoon crushed cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sumac, optional
1 teaspoon zah'tar, optional
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
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VEGETABLES: (or substitute others - root vegetables are great)
1 medium yellow beet (or red if preferred), peeled, 1/2" cubes
2 large shallots, in 1/2" chunks
1 green pepper, cut in 1/2" pieces
1 large parsnip, peeled, cut in small cubes
1 large carrot, peeled, cut in small chunks
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For SERVING:
- hummus, whatever kind preferred
- Feta cheese
- olives of choice, optional
- Fresh tomato and cucumber, if desired
- Shawarma Chicken and Vegetables
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Make the marinade by whisking together all the marinade ingredients. Set aside. Slice the chicken breasts in half across the width, so you have two, much thinner, filets. Slice across the thin pieces, making 1/2-inch-wide strips. Place the chicken strips in a bowl and pour on half the marinade mixture and mix well. Cover and let stand.
Set the prepared vegetables into the remaining marinade and toss well. Pour the vegetables into the prepared baking dish and bake the vegetables for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through. At the end of 30 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven, pour on the chicken pieces with the marinade, arranging the pieces into a single layer over top. Return to oven and bake for about 20 minutes more, until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through.
To serve - per bowl: Place a good-sized dollop of hummus into a bowl, smearing to one side. Spoon on 1/4 of the chicken and vegetables per bowl. Sprinkle on Feta cheese, crumbled. Optionally, add in olives, fresh chopped tomatoes, cucumber slices, to taste.
My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.
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