Appetiser – AMCARMEN'S KITCHEN

Hello Everyone! Tonight, I will be sharing the recipe for the last and third component of my lunchbox series from the National Pack Your Lunch Day (March 10) collaboration that I organised with my foodie friends over on IG. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for Hummus, without the tahini.

The debate over the origin of hummus dates back to the 13th century. The Greeks like to claim it as their own, but based on historical information, hummus likely originated from ancient Egypt. Regardless of where it’s originally from, hummus is enjoyed by all cultures, not just Greek and Middle Eastern. In the Middle East, hummus is usually eaten as a dip, with pita bread. In the West, it is now produced industrially, and is often served as a snack or an appetiser with crackers.

But before we dive into the recipe, what exactly is tahini?

Tahini is a Middle Eastern paste or sauce made from toasted ground hulled sesame seeds, oil, and sometimes salt. The ground sesame seeds are emulsified with oil to create a smooth and creamy seed butter with a pourable consistency. It can be served by itself, as a dip or used as a major ingredient in hummus.

If tahini is a key ingredient in hummus, can we make hummus without tahini?

The answer is, yes!

Unlike all the other ingredients that go into making hummus, tahini is one where you’re likely to not always have on hand. It’s not cheap either if you manage to find them at your local supermarket, but it’s not commonly found here in the Philippines. You can also make your own at home, but if you’re on the same boat as me and want homemade hummus without the fuss of making your own tahini at home, then this recipe is just as good without it!

Because of the other ingredients that are mixed in the making of hummus, it tastes nothing like chickpeas. Instead, it tastes a little garlicky, smoky, and also tangy because of lemon juice. It’s a smooth, creamy paste that melts in your mouth, and the taste of cumin will linger on your tongue.

PREP TIME 5 MINS | COOKING TIME — MINS | SERVES 6-8

INGREDIENTS

1 can (425g) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and blanched
1 garlic clove, minced
2 to 4 tbsp water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp toasted ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/4 tsp salt

METHOD

Add all the ingredients into a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy; if needed, you may add additional water to get your desired consistency. You may also add additional spices, and/or seasoning to suit your taste preference.
Transfer to a serving dish and top with more olive oil, toasted cumin seed, and ground paprika.
Serve with your veggies and crackers of choice. I went with carrots and celery, and multi-seed rice crackers. Enjoy!

@amcarmenskitchen

Easy Hummus (without Tahini) #amcarmenskitchen #foodieph #MARCHarap #tiktokeatsph #foodtiktok #foodtokph #vegan #healthy

♬ Misirlou (Chica egipcia) – Kalahary

BON APPÉTIT

– Ally xx

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Hello Everyone! Finally I am (sort of) back on track with things on here and I apologise for falling behind. Things have been starting to build up at work and my quieter days are starting to become a little hectic, but still not full on crazy at least. That’s bound to happen somewhere in October and I am so not looking forward to late nights in the office and puffing up the eye bags then.

So! As always when I say this (but never happens), I’m going to keep tonight’s post short because it’s late and I need sleep. The theme for the month of July on Amcarmen’s Kitchen is BEETROOT! If you remember from my post earlier this year in January, beetroot is one of the 20 foods I listed out that can help lower your blood pressure. People with High Blood Pressure saw significant improvements from drinking beetroot juice. The nitrates found in the juice brought down one’s high blood pressure within just 24 hours. If you’re not too keen on drinking beetroot juice, you can easily roast or steam the whole root and add it to a green-packed salad, stir-fry, or stews.

If I’m being honest, I never really took a liking to the taste of beetroot. For me it always had this aftertaste of eating soil – probably because of it’s earthy flavour to begin with. Anyway, even if I’m not too fond of it, who know, maybe by the end of the month beetroot might be my new favourite vegetable. Tonight’s recipe is a classic with a modern twist to it:

For the beetroot & white wine cure

For the tartare

PREP TIME 20 MINS* | COOKING TIME — | SERVES 2-3

*Please allow 24-36 hours for the curing of the ocean trout before proceeding with the tartare recipe.

INGREDIENTS

For the beetroot & white wine cure

800g smoked ocean trout fillet (skin removed)
100ml white wine
100g salt
100g sugar
1 large beetroot, grated
Juice of 1 lemon

For the tartare

800g smoked ocean trout fillet, cured in beetroot and white wine
1 medium-sized free range egg, yolk only
1 small shallot, minced
2 tsp baby capers
1 & 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salmon roe (optional)
Cooked beetroot cubes
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
Sweet marjoram leaves
Ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Thin wafer, to serve

METHOD

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the white wine, salt, sugar, lemon juice, and grated beetroot.
If needed, cut your smoked ocean trout fillet into two pieces to fit into a zip lock bag. The bigger the piece, the longer that the flavours will take to infuse into the trout.
Place the trout inside the ziplock bag and pour the beetroot cure mixture into the bag with the trout. Ensure that all edges of the trout are well coated. Seal the bags and place in the fridge. Turn every 12 hours, and then remove from the fridge after 24-36 hours.
Remove from bag, rinsing off cure mixture, and pat dry with paper towel.
Dice finely and place into a medium-sized bowl together with the minced shallots, olive oil, ground sea salt and black pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sweet marjoram leaves. Toss to combine.
Plate up accordingly, and top the tartare with baby capers, beetroot cubes, sweet marjoram leaves, egg yolk, and salmon roe (optional). Serve with a thin wafer, in my case we served with a spicy wafer for an added kick to the dish. Enjoy!