2-minute Hummus and Purple Asparagus
Prep: 1 minute Process: 1 minute Eat 2 minutes
Look at this stunning purple asparagus from Frieda’s Produce that I got to play with. Best eaten raw to preserve the beautiful purple color, I paired it with my 2-minute hummus when I invited a guest to dinner on short notice. A beautiful plated dish to present in less than 5 minutes including rinsing the asparagus and plating. Gotta love that!
Purple asparagus is not a purple version of the green asparagus we know and love. It is completely different. Its fat spears are crisp and tender. When you bite into it, you will notice a crunch, like an apple rather than stringy like its green cousin. It has a sweet flavor, different from white asparagus, which has a bitter taste. I like to serve it raw, because when heated, the beautiful purple color turns green, just like purple string beans. Disappointing, I know!
Purple Asparagus and Fuyu Persimmons from Frieda’s Produce.
I picked up my bag of purple asparagus along with some Fuyu persimmons from Frieda Caplan herself, star of the the new documentary, “Fear no Fruit” when I was invited to view the film at the Newport Beach Film Festival. This produce is beyond beautiful; it is food art at it’s best. If you have an opportunity to see the “Fear no Fruit” film, DO IT! It’s a history of how our produce aisles have gone from 60 items, such as lettuce, tomatoes, oranges and apples to well over 300 items, including the 200 fruits and vegetables Frieda introduced. It’s an impressive documentary of how Frieda was the lone woman, an entrepreneur in a 1960s produce industry. With a lot of hard work and long hours, she carved her niche with specialty produce and mentored a lot of women along the way including her two children, Karen and Jackie who now run Frieda’s Produce. After watching this film, I have a new respect for all that Frieda has done to make our menus a lot more delicious and interesting.
Hummus tops brown rice and arugula.
The 2-minute hummus is a great dip for the purple asparagus, but there is a lot more that you can do with hummus. Here’s some ideas:
1. A sandwich spread.
2. Stir into a salad with some olive oil and vinegar.
3. A dip for mini carrots, celery sticks, jicama spears, cucumber spears or pita chips.
4. Top some rice or wheat berries with sautéed spinach or arugula for added flavor.
5. Pipe it onto cucumber slices, cherry tomato halves or into the center of mini peppers.
6. Use it to make a pasta sauce with some greek yogurt.
7. Top a baked potato.
8. Spread on a baguette slice and top with sliced tomatoes and cheese, if you must.
9. Add it to your tacos.
10. Mix in basil pesto or a roasted red pepper when you make the hummus.
Ingredients for the 2-minute hummus.
Let’s get to work making the 2-minute hummus. Here’s what you need. Garbanzo beans or chickpeas (they are the same thing.), tahini (sesame paste), garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, which is optional.
2-minute hummus underway in the food processor.
Drain the garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid (very important). Using the food processor, first process the garlic until minced, then add the drained garbanzo beans, the lemon juice and tahini. Turn on the food processor. Once everything is pureed, add some reserved liquid from the garbanzo beans to reach the desired consistency of the hummus you wish. Keep in mind that it will thicken when refrigerated.
Make the hummus thick or thin, depending on the amount of reserved liquid from the garbanzo beans that you add.
In one minute, you will have a smooth paste. That’s it! Now you can enjoy your hummus in a variety of ways.
Not only can you make the 2-minute hummus in a flash, but the ingredients are easy to keep on hand. I recently taught my 20-year old niece to make hummus at college after I bought her a food processor for her birthday. At a moment’s notice, she can whip up some hummus to munch on while studying. I love that she’ll be eating Fresh Food in a Flash!
2-Minute Hummus
2 cloves garlic (or more)
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans
1/2 lemon, juiced
4 Tablespoons tahini (4 spoonfuls or 1/4 cup)
1 Tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1. Drain garbanzo beans, saving the liquid in a bowl.
2. Place garlic in food processor and mince
3. Add garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil and process until smooth.
4. Add some of garbanzo bean liquid until desired consistency is reached.
5. Serve with carrot sticks or pita chips. Can be piped onto cucumber slices.
6. If desired, serve on a platter, with olive oil swirled over it and a shake of paprika.
Servings: 8 123 calories per serving
Yield: 2 cups
2-Minute Hummus
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic or more
- 1 can 15 oz garbanzo beans
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 4 Tablespoons tahini 4 spoonfuls or 1/4 cup
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil optional
Instructions
- Drain garbanzo beans, saving the liquid in a bowl.
- Place garlic in food processor and mince
- Add garbanzo beans, lemon juice, tahini, olive oil and process until smooth.
- Add some of garbanzo bean liquid until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve with carrot sticks or pita chips. Can be piped onto cucumber slices.
- Servings: 8 123 calories per serving
- ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com
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