Hummus Kawarma

So much for 60 fucking degrees. This DC June heatwave has been killing me. Fortunately I am about to go on vacation to Norway where the highs will be in the mid 60s and I can cool off and eat an insane amount of fish, potatoes, and brown cheese. Expect some Scandinavian inspired recipes when I return. 

In the meantime, here is Ottolenghi and Tamimi's hummus kawarma aka hummus with lamb. This dish is not only one of my favorite things to eat, it's also one of my favorite things to make. The recipe flows so well. You put the chickpeas on to cook, then prepare the marinade for the meat, as the meat marinades, you make the hummus, once the hummus is done, you put the meat on to cook, as the meat cooks, you prepare the lemon sauce, and then you put the plate together. It sounds like a lot, but each step is short and simple. You're busy in the kitchen but never rushed or forced to multi-task. 

Jerusalem is one of my favorite cookbooks. I have cooked my way through almost every recipe and aside from some burnt couscous and a bit of bitter eggplant (my own errors), everything I've made has blown me away. Tahini and pomegranate molasses are now stables in my kitchen and many of the recipes are on my regular rota. 

As you may know, I'm fussy about my hummus. I've been making it for years now and I've picked up certain tips along the way; cook the chickpeas with baking soda (it speeds up the process and helps remove the starch), remove the loose skins from the chickpeas (it makes the hummus smoother), use the water you cook the chickpeas in to make the hummus (it adds more flavor). But the specific recipe itself is something you just have to feel out. Everyone has certain preference (less garlic, more lemon etc.), once you start making it you'll learn how much of everything you like. It's also helpful to think of hummus a bit like gazpacho, the flavors combine and mellow overnight, so don't worry too much... I've made plenty of batches I thought we're too much 'something' but tasted great after 24 hours in the fridge!  

Stuff for Hummus

1 cup dried chickpeas

pinch baking soda

1/2 cup tanhini

juice from 2 lemons

2 big garlic cloves 

pinch cumin

1/4 olive oil

salt & pepper

Steps for Hummus

Soak the chickpeas over night (they drink a lot, so make sure they have plenty of water). Put chickpeas on to boil and add a pinch of salt and baking soda. Boil for about 40 mins or until they're done and their skins begin to loosen.

Drain chickpeas but keep the cooking water. Put chickpeas in the food processor with the garlic and blitz for about 30 seconds - 1 minute. Add tahini, most of the lemon juice, cumin, most of the olive oil, salt & pepper. Blitz again and slowly pour in a little of the chickpea water until the mixture turns smooth.

Taste and add in extra lemon, olive oil, salt, or whatever else it needs. Blitz again. Repeat this process until desired taste and consistency are reached. Once done, store hummus in a airtight container in the fridge. 

Ottolenghi specifies neck meat for the kawarma, but I find that to fatty and removing the neck bones is a hassle. For this recipe I used a leg steak from Whiffletree Farm and it was delicious. The full recipe as it appears in the book can be found here. I usually don't measure the spices, I often use extra herbs, I swap dried oregano for fresh, and I skip the white pepper.  

Stuff for the Kawarma

Lamb leg steak

good pinch of black pepper

good pinch of allspice

good pinch of cinnamon

good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

small handful of oregano

small handful of parsley

small handful of mint

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil 

handful of pine nuts

Steps for the Kawarma

Chop the lamb into bite size chunks and place in bowl to marinate. Chop the herbs and add them to the bowl with the spices and the vinegar. Mix everything together and let it marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

Once marinated, heat butter and olive oil in pan over a medium heat. Add the lamb and cook for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. 

Toast the pine nuts in a small pan over a medium heat until they begin to turn golden brown.  

To plate, spread hummus in a bowl and top with the lamb, pine nuts, lemon sauce (see below), and lightly season with salt & pepper. 

Steps for Lemon Sauce

Finely chop the parsley, chili, and garlic. Mix in a small bowl or container with the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and salt. 

Stuff for Lemon Sauce 

good handful of parsley

1/2 green chili

juice from 1 lemon 

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves

pinch of salt

Lazy Girl Hummus

There are many subtle differences between the UK and the US (such as the definition of "biscuit" or the pronunciation of "h" in herbs) but perhaps a less commonly known discrepancy is the the taste of store bought hummus. For whatever reason, hummus from US stores tastes completely different to hummus from UK stores and I just can't stomach it. Sorry, but US hummus is disgusting and no one should be eating it. Really, stop eating it. 

Anyway, since I can't live without hummus, I quickly learnt to make my own and now do so pretty much every weekend. However, sometimes I go out on Saturday and I forget to soak my chickpeas and I can't be bothered to wait two hours for them to cook and I just want to sit on the couch watching Gilmore Girls for 6 hours.... So I needed a way to satisfy my hummus craving even when I'm feeling supremely lazy. 

So this is my lazy girl hummus for lazy weekends and week nights. It's super quick and super delicious. I use sheep yogurt because I find it has the right flavor (very tart) and consistency (lighter than greek yogurt, thicker than plain yogurt). If you have access to a Whole Foods or a ewe, you're all set for sheep yogurt. Otherwise, just use whatever you have on hand. 

Stuff for "Hummus"

1/2 cup plain sheep yogurt

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 a lemon

handful of parsley 

pinch of cumin

pepper

olive oil

Steps for "Hummus"

Chop the parsley and juice the lemon. In a bowl mix together yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, parsley, cumin, and pepper. Taste and adjust flavors to your taste. Drizzle with olive oil to serve. 

Stuff for Pita Chips

2 pitas

olive oil 

sumac

salt and pepper

Steps for Pita Chips

Pre-heat oven to 400F. Cut pita into triangles. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac, salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. 

Roasted Acorn Squash and Goat Cheese Dip

Thought my first post should be about my favorite time of day. It’s when I get home from work, take off my bra, and pour myself a BIG ASS glass of wine. As I drink my wine, I begin prepping the ingredients for dinner and obviously I get hungry. So, with my wine, I have a pre-dinner nibble. I’ll eat some cheese, crackers, pita, olives, hummus, chips, or smoked salmon (when I want to get real fancy on a Wednesday). I take my snacking seriously, so I’m always on the lookout for a good new snack. This is how I discovered pureed squash and goat cheese goes down a treat with some carrot sticks and pita chips. I made a batch this weekend, which I’m gonna enjoy all week with my wine.

I tend to eat this as a dip but, like hummus, it can also be used as a spread. Usually, I use 1 good sized squash, but last week my CSA gave me two adorably tiny acorn squash so I used 2 small ones instead. 

Stuff  

1 medium (or 2 little) acorn squash

dash of apple cider vinegar

pinch of chili flakes

few sprigs of thyme

¼ log of goat cheese

½ lemon

dash of maple syrup

olive oil 

salt and pepper

Steps

Preheat the oven to 425F. Half the squash and scoop out the seeds. Place on a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar, sprinkle with chili flakes, thyme, and salt & pepper. Roast for 40 mins. 

Remove from the oven and let cool. Scoop squash flesh into a food processor. Add goat cheese, lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt & pepper. Blitz together. Drizzle in some extra olive oil if you want. Try it. Add extra lemon or salt to taste.