Hummus

Hummus is pretty much a staple for me. I make it at least once a week and I love to eat it as a snack with sliced carrots. Usually I just add ingredients to my food processor until I get the right combination of flavors, so the below measurements are estimates. Feel free to add more or less of an ingredient until you get the right flavor for yourself.

2 cups dry garbanzo beans
1/4 cup Tahini
4 cloves of garlic
Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
Salt to taste
Cold pressed olive oil

Soak dry garbanzos overnight and then drain off water in the morning. Place in slow cooker and cover garbanzos with plenty of water. Cook on low for six to seven hours or until tender.

When garbanzos are done cooking, place in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Drizzle in a little olive oil and/or water to thin out the hummus to desired consistency and blend until smooth.

Baked Curry Sweet Potato Fries

As my friends know, I have an affinity for gourmet fries. Here's a quick, easy recipe using sweet potatoes or yams.

4 sweet potatoes or yams sliced into thin strips
olive oil
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until sweet potatoes or yams are evenly covered with spices.

To prevent yams from stick to baking sheet, take wire cooling racks and place on baking sheet. Spread fries on the cooling rack and then place in oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until fries are tender.

Try these with Yum Sauce or another favorite dip.