sweet miscellany

Cake: because sometimes both the body and soul need a little something sweet when the rest of the world seems topsy turvy. There’s a reason our bodies crave comfort foods in times of sickness and stress. They provide a sort of mental healing you can’t get from a bowl of raw kale (unless of course that’s your comfort food…). Perhaps they even evoke fond memories of childhood or other times in your life. With one bite you can be transported to a place in time where you felt joy or love or contentment. It’s sort of magical how something as simple as a piece of cake (or bowl of kale) can elicit such a response in both mind and body.

To celebrate mine and my sister’s January birthdays a couple of weeks ago, I made a chocolate bundt (that nearly wouldn’t come out of the pan) and topped it with a cashew butter glaze. I loved the combo so I decided to take one of my old cake recipes from my farmers market days, spice it with freshly ground cardamom, bake it up into adorable mini bundts, and then smother it in a cashew butter glaze. It’s my version of a hug for each of you since these are trying times.

Go out there and be warriors, but first, CAKE 🙂

…

Navy Bean Hummus with Preserved Lemon (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

Velvety soft navy beans are blended into a satisfying hummus flavored with tangy preserved lemon peel. Enjoy this vegan and gluten free hummus as a dip or spread it on a sandwich or some sweet potato toast!

I have a confession to make…I don’t like chickpeas. There I said it! I know it seems a little sacrilegious to make such a bold statement being that I’m a plant based food blogger, but I had to come clean. Though I’ve eaten my fair share of hummus in days past, chickpeas have never been my favorite. I think it’s the combination of their taste/texture and what they do to my digestive system. I haven’t sworn them off for good (I’ll still eat them in small amounts if I’m dining out or if they are served to me) but I much prefer other beans in their place.

Lately I’ve really been digging navy beans. They have a mild taste that soaks up flavors well and they have the most amazing velvety texture. Last week I experimented with marinating the whole cooked beans in a bit of olive oil, sea salt, and preserved lemon peel as part of my weekly meal prep. Though simple with regards to ingredients, they ended up being really delicious and satisfying. So, I decided to go a step farther this week and make a hummus of sorts.

Though short on ingredients this hummus is velvety smooth and bursting with the bright, salty tang of preserved meyer lemons. I was gifted several homegrown meyer lemons by a dear friend back in November so I made a quart-sized jar of preserved lemons. BEST DECISION EVER. I’ve been adding them to chopped salads lately for a bit of brightness during the winter months. Having a big batch of this hummus around has made snacking this past week really delicious and filling. And, if you feel like elevating this humble dip, you can try it on some sweet potato toast like I did! The instructions are included in the recipe notes.

Navy Bean Hummus with Preserved Lemon

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Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Ingredients

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1 can navy beans, rinsed & drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
3–4 wedges of preserved lemon
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 to 1/2 cups water as needed to thin
optional garnishes: olive oil, microgreens, and hemp seeds

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Instructions

Remove the flesh of the lemon from the peels and discard it, then rinse the peels. Add these to your blender or food processor along with the beans, garlic powder, salt, tahini, and 1/4 cup of water. Blend until smooth. If the hummus seems too thick, add a bit more water and blend again.

Garnish with olive oil, microgreens, and hemp seeds before serving if you like.

Store your hummus in an airtight container in your fridge and enjoy within a week.

Notes

Serving suggestion: Serve the hummus on pieces of sweet potato toast topped them with local micro greens & hemp seeds. To make sweet potato toast, slice sweet potatoes lengthwise no thicker than a quarter of an inch, then toast them in your toaster for 2-3 toast cycles.
You can make your own preserved lemons (check out this post from the archives) or you can buy it at well stocked grocery stores or Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you can’t make or source any preserved lemons, feel free to use the zest and juice of a lemon instead and increase the salt to about 1/2 tsp.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Category: dip