Hummus with warm pita bread

Hummus is a lovely dish to serve up for a snack, or by itself can make for a light lunch, or it can even be used as a spread on sandwiches. Its versatility is upped only by its ease of production; you can make a batch in 15 to 20 minutes, or even less if you buy some Tahini sauce (explained later).

But what is this "hummus" thing? Well, "hummus" is actually the root for the arabic word for chickpeas (or garbanzo beans if you prefer). The real name of what we call hummus is ḥummuṣ bi ṭaḥīna which basically means "Chickpeas with tahini". As you have correctly deduced, hummus is a spread consisting of chickpeas and tahini. You can buy tahini if you can find it in a store near you, but I'll show you how to make it in case you can't find it. And even if you can find Tahini; it is ridiculously easy to make, so why not just make your own?

You will need:

Tahini:

• 1 cup of sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Hummus:

• 2 small cans, or 1 large can, chickpeas
• The juice of one lemon
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• Paprika
• Olive Oil

Lets start with the Tahini.

Add your sesame seeds to a skillet (without oil) and roast them for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.

As soon as the sesame seeds start turning brown, take them off the heat.

And add them to your food processor with a tablespoon of olive oil.

Now start the machine. We are going to be working this for about five minutes, don't worry if it seems clumpy at first, the sesame will take a few minutes to release its oils.

Just keep it working until you end up with a smooth paste.

Congratulations! You just made Tahini! I know, it tastes a little bland, but there is no salt or other seasoning in this. It makes for a great base for other things, like baba ganoush, and of course, hummus!

Now set this aside in another container and lets get ready to make hummus.

See that thing in the bowl? That is the liquid from the cans of chickpeas. We are going to use this liquid, so don't drain your cans into the sink.

Add the chickpeas, half the liquid, about 2 tablespoons of tahini, the garlic, the juice from the lemon, and about a teaspoon each of salt and pepper into the food processor.

And blend for 4-5 minutes. Once it has become a paste, feel free to taste and adjust as you need to. You can add more pepper and salt for taste, and you can add more of the reserved liquid if it is too thick. I like to add a tablespoon of smoked paprika, but that is up to you. I also added more salt and pepper. After making your adjustments, just re-blend until it is homogeneous. 

And, we're done! I like to serve my hummus in a shallow bowl, and dress it with fresh parsley, more paprika, and freshly ground black pepper. Also, drizzle just a bit of olive oil on top of the hummus. Finally, serve with warm pita bread.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki.

Portobello Avocado Burgers

Here is something new and exciting to try out during your summer bbq, not only is it a refreshing change from the usual beef burger with ketchup, it is healthier and lighter so it won't give you that bloated uncomfortable feeling.
(Note: If you still want that bloated, uncomfortable feeling, try eating two.)

Oh yeah, and I don't have a grill, so I have used a grill-pan. If you would like to buy me a grill, I will dedicate a new summer grill recipe in your name. Promise. 

For each burger, you will need:

• One Portobello Mushroom*
• Half an avocado
• Two strips of bacon (totally optional)
• A slice of your favorite cheese
• Pickles/Gherkins to taste
• Oh yeah, buns.

I start off by grilling the bacon. I like bacon, you don't have to. I personally think it adds a nice, salty and crisp texture to the burger. But, if you don't want to use bacon, you can substitute it with a grilled onion or fried onion rings. If my bacon looks strange, it is because it is British bacon, if you can get your hands on some good American bacon, I highly recommend that.

While that bacon crisps up, slice up your avocado. I left the skin on just for easy handling, I will naturally be removing it later.

In the same grill-pan, I'm going to now grill my portobellos (I'm making two burgers). Grill each side for about five minutes, and if you previously grilled your bacon in this pan, add some of the bacon grease and leftover bits on the 'shroom.

About five minutes, then flip.

If you want cheese on your burger, add it just at the end, so it starts to melt but doesn't become a sticky, slimy mess. 

We are now ready to assemble the burgers.

About assembling and layering a burger or sandwich:

Now, I think the specific layering is important as it can affect the taste and messiness that ensues from biting into a burger. In fact, I often notice that the different between a good burger place and a great burger place is the attention they pay to layering burgers, especially when they have a lot of various ingredients. 

For instance, I place the bacon on the bottom, rather than the more common approach of putting it on top. The reason is that the bacon is generally the crispiest or firmest thing on a burger. And if it is at the top of a burger, then when you bite down on that bacon you will be putting a lot of pressure on the softer elements below the bacon. This creates a squishy mess. However, the bacon at the bottom means it is the last thing your teeth sink into, your top teeth have already gone through the softer stuff on top, and your bottom teeth have separated the bottom half of the bun. 

The next bit is the portobello. Whether you had cheese on it or not, you can add another layer now.

Next, some pickles!

And the sliced avocado.

Finally, topped with the other half of the bun, its ready! You'll notice I didn't even use any type of sauce; I think there are enough flavours here that you don't need an additional sauce.

I served it with some healthy, sun-cooked chips (or crisps if you like).

*Tip: Don't throw away your portobello mushrooms, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use your portobello mushrooms.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki

Cucumber and Mint Verrines

This Cucumber and Mint Verrine is a lovely summer appetizer, it is cool and refreshing, and helps to cleanse one's palette before the main meal. One great thing about serving these verrines is that they are meant to be served cold, which means you can make them few hours in advance of your meal and put them away in the fridge.

Verrines are meant to be small-sized servings. You don't want to get bored of eating one, it is just a little refresher. If you are unsure on how many servings to make or what serving size to use, always make more, smaller servings. That way, nobody thinks its too much, and you have a few more servings if someone wants seconds!

For three to four servings, you will need:

1. One large cucumber
2. Three tablespoons of Philadelphia® Cream Cheese
3. One tablespoon of crème fraîche
4. A handfull of mint leaves
5. Two teaspoons of salt


First, we start by peeling the cucumber.

Next, cut it in half, and then slice it into quarters, like this:

With a small knife, now cut out the fleshy insides. While these taste good, they will make the verrine too watery and sloppy, which we don't want.

Finally, dice the cucumber up into small pieces.

We need to try and get as much water out as possible, so place your chopped cucumber in a strainer and toss them around with the salt. Then place the strainer in the fridge, with a plate underneath to catch the water, for about an hour.

After the cucumber has been sitting in the fridge for an hour, we can get back to preparing the verrines. Chop up a handfull of mint leaves and set them aside. Save a few full leaves for decoration.

To prepare the top layer of the verrine, whisk together the cream cheese and the crème fraîche until they form a creamy consistency.

And finally, it is time to arrange the verrines. You'll need a glass and all the ingredients you have prepared so far. You can use a martini glass, shot class, a cocktail glass, or a verrine glass. 

First Layer: Divide the cucumber pieces into the glasses. Try to level them as much as possible.

Next, divide and sprinkle the chopped mint on top of the cucumber.

Top Layer: Carefully spread the cream cheese and crème fraîche on the top. Use the back of a teaspoon to level out the top.

And finally, garnish with a mint leaf.

Now cover your verrine with film and store them in the fridge for a few hours ...

... and remove them just before serving. Enjoy!

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki

Salmon with Sesame and Ginger

Salmon, salmon, salmon. Its not only good for you, but also easy and quick to put together for dinner. I have previously tried out Orange and Ginger Salmon; but for a bit of an Asian flair here is Sesame and Ginger Salmon. Served with a bit of rice, it makes for a lovely light and easy dinner.

Yes, you can have dinner ready in 20 minutes.

For two servings, you will need:

• One tablespoon of sesame seeds
• One half-palm size of ginger* (or slightly less if you use ginger powder, minced ginger, etc)
• About two or three tablespoons of soy sauce
• One teaspoon of sugar
• One tablespoon of oil

Of course, it would help of you had some salmon filets. I have served my salmon with rice, but I shall leave you to pick whatever side you would like to use.

Depending how much rice you are making, you might want to start the rice first. Check the package for instructions on how to cook your rice.

While the rice is cooking, start with your ginger. I used about a half-palm sized piece.

To retain some nice texture of ginger in the final dish, slice it into toothpick-long sticks. Don't fret about how thin or how thick to make them; it won't matter much at the end. I made three horizontal slices into the piece above before slicing it. You will also need one tablespoon of sesame seeds.

Lets start with the sesame seeds, roast them in a pan at medium-high heat with a bit of oil. You don't need too much oil as the sesame will ooze some of its own. Let your oil heat up well before adding the seeds.

You want to roast the sesame until it becomes nicely browned.

Now add your ginger slices.

Let the ginger become well browned, continuously stirring on high heat.

Now reduce the heat to a bit below medium and add your soy sauce.

Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar and stir it in to the sauce, now we will let it simmer and reduce for a few minutes.

It is now time to cook the salmon, but if you are making rice on the side you might want to check the progress. There is no point in having your salmon ready if your rice is still cooking. Assuming the rice is ready, or whatever side you are using, you can add your salmon to the grill.

For the salmon, a bit of oil in a frying pan and just leave the salmon a few minutes on each side ... you can check the progress as it cooks up the side of the salmon filet.

By the time your salmon is done, the sauce will have reduced enough and is ready to serve.

Plate your rice, add a salmon filet, and spoon the ginger and sesame on top of the fish. If you like, you can spoon some of the infused soy sauce on the rice.

There! Less than 20 minutes and such an easy way to prepare a healthy dinner.

*Tip: Don't throw away your ginger, refer to our "Let's not waste anything!" page, and check out few ideas on how to use your ginger.

As with all the other recipes we put on this site, this is meant to be easy to follow. We are hobby chefs who love to cook, and we are always up for learning new techniques. If you know of anything in this recipe which can be done a different way, whether for increased ease of preparation or better taste, please add a comment below!

Whipped up by Shyamal Addanki