Hummus

This is the recipe I've come up with after tweaking the original for months.  Although this recipe calls for canned garbanzo beans, I have found soaking the dry beans overnight and cooking them the next day provides a deeper flavor and for much less money if you are serving a large family (or a crowd coming over for snacks).

Any cooked beans you do not use can be frozen.

If you use an entire package of dry beans, you will need to increase the other ingredients "to taste".

My favorite Hummus
2- 15.5 cans garbanzo beans (reserve about 1/4th cup liquid from can)
juice from 2 lemons
zest of 1 lemon
1 Tbs. vinegar (optional but I have found it a great addition)
1 or 2 garlic cloves
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil*
4 or 5 Tbs. tahini
salt to taste (taste first, that much lemon may not require salt)
pepper (to taste)
cumin (optional... if I use it, I only put in 1/4th teaspoon)

Optional:  Sprinkle with sumac to taste (I like a lot)

Drain beans, reserving some of the liquid.  If using garbanzo beans you have cooked, reserve some of the cooking liquid.  (Water can be used if you forget.)  Place garbanzo beans in food processor along with the garlic clove(s), lemon zest, juice of the lemons, vinegar, tahini, and 1 tbs. of the olive oil.

Pulse food processor and then let it run about a minute or two, until the hummus is almost fluffy... you know what I mean.  Add remaining olve oil, salt, pepper, and any spices... pulse food processor.

If hummus is too pasty, add reserved liquid or water a few tablespoons at a time until you get a smooth consistency.  Let the processor run another minute or two.

This is definitely one of those recipes you tweak to make your own.  I like hummus very lemony but you may want only one lemon.  I have left out the garlic when I didn't have any at home and I have even left out the tahini when I was out of it but then it becomes a bean dip.  ;)

You can add roasted red pepper to make a red pepper hummus and any web search will offer all kinds of options.

* Hummus is traditionally served with a little extra virgin olive oil poured over the top.

 Note:  I prefer the Joyva brand of tahini, sold in a can.  I store it in the frig once it has been opened in hot and humid weather.  Otherwise, I use it so quickly that I keep it on the pantry shelf.

Cheese Shrimp Ball

I've had this recipe since the 1980's. It is very good and if you have a food processor, extremely easy! If you don't, chop the shrimp as fine as possible and mix everything into the cream cheese.

Cheese Shrimp Ball

• 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temp
• 2 cans small shrimp - or - 1 8 oz. pkg. frozen salad shrimp, defrosted
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon chili sauce (I use Heinz)
• 1 Tablespoon horse radish (I never have it on hand so I don't use it)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped onion (or a little more)

Blend above ingredients. Form into a ball. Chill.

Can be rolled in nuts if desired.

Hamburger Dip

We've served this for so long, I can't remember when I found the recipe... when we lived in Iowa I think.

Hamburger Dip

1 pound ground beef
2 large jars salsa
1 pound Velveeta

Brown the ground beef, pour off excess grease.

Place ground beef, salsa, and Velveeta in Crock Pot and set to "high". Switch to "low" when Velveeta has melted.

-- or --

After pouring off excess grease, add salsa and Velveeta to the ground beef and stir (on low temp) until cheese has melted. Then pour into Crock Pot and keep on "low" until ready to serve (this is much faster than letting the cheese melt in the Crock Pot as above).

I serve it in the Crock Pot and have people ladle it into bowls and serve it with big corn chips.