Parsnip Hummus

Once again the end of the month showed up and that meant another stitch-n-bitch get-together with friends. Regular Minxeats readers know that I like to make both something dippy and something sweet for the ladies. Dippy, because it keeps the hands relatively clean, and knitters need clean hands. Sweet, because we all seem to have a sweet tooth.

This month's dippy component was homemade hummus, as it often is. I wanted to try something really different this time and leave out the beans completely. I had a bag of parsnips without a purpose in the fridge, so decided to use them. They were already hummus-hued, so why not?

It's best to par-cook the parsnips until they are quite soft, so the food processor doesn't have a hard time breaking them down (especially if  you use a Cuisinart mini-prep, like me). Parnips are denser and dryer than beans, so you'll need to use a bit of water to help in the processing, as well.

The resulting texture is much smoother than a hummus made with beans, but the flavor was somehow quite hummus-y. I was too lazy to cut up vegetables so I served it with Wild California brand Twice Baked Apricot Ginger Crisps. I had picked up a bag at the fancy food show in July and was waiting for the perfect occasion to serve them. Parsnip hummus seemed to be it. The light sweetness of the crisps worked well with the light sweetness of the hummus. The chips are also quite nice on their own, or eaten with cheese. If you've tried the Trader Joe's brand of crackers with fruit bits in them, then you already have an idea of what the Wild California ones are like.

This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups of hummus. We put a dent in it, but we absolutely demolished the bag of crisps.

Parsnip Hummus

1 lb parsnips
Extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons almond butter
Lemon Juice
Garlic powder
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Harissa powder or cayenne

Peel the parsnips and cut into chunks. Put into a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until parsnips are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain parsnips, but reserve some of the cooking water.

Allow parsnips to cool to room temperature and put them into the bowl of a food processor with a few tablespoons of cooking water and a glug of olive oil. Process to a fairly smooth texture, adding a few more spoonsful of water or olive oil, if needed, to move things along. The consistency should be thick, not runny. Add the almond butter and process until completely incorporated. Season with a fair amount of lemon juice, plus garlic powder and cumin to taste (start with 1/2 teaspoon each). Salt and pepper, of course, also to taste, and if you want a bit of heat, add a bit of harissa powder or cayenne.

Scrape into a bowl and drizzle on some olive oil. Serve with crudite of your choice, crackers, pita, whatever.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Fancy Food Show - New Popcorn Products

Gourmet popcorn has been a trend for several years now and new companies continue to emerge with new and inventive ways to jazz up the humble popped kernel. The Minx picked up several samples of new gourmet popcorns at the latest Fancy Food Show in New York and tasked me with tasting them and reporting on these new flavors. I was more than happy to comply.

Pop Art Gourmet Popcorn takes its lead from the Pop Art movement of the 1960s where everyday objects were transformed into extraordinary works of art. In this case, they are elevating popcorn with sophisticated flavors like rosemary and Italian black summer truffles. When you open the bag, your nose is greeted with the savory scent of rosemary and truffles. Clearly, Pop Art does not skimp on the flavoring if just the aroma is that strong. The flavor is even more intoxicating with the luxurious taste of truffles in every bite and just enough sea salt to enhance the flavors without overpowering them. Texturally, the popcorn is also quite pleasing with plump popped kernels throughout the bag. Pop Art offers a variety of exotic flavors like Thai coconut curry, tandoori yogurt, and nori sesame.   

G.H. Cretors organic popcorn has a jump on the rest of the pack in that he invented the popcorn machine in 1885. The current generation is carrying on the tradition of small batch methods but adding the modern approach of all organic ingredients. There's something homey and familiar about the flavor of Cretors popcorn even though my mother never used extra virgin olive oil on our popcorn. Still, the light touch of oil and sea salt is just enough to bring out the toasty quality of the corn.

Pop! Gourmet Popcorn offers a walk on the wild side with Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce flavored popcorn. This is no half-hearted nod to the famous Huy Fong Foods brand of chili sauce either. After a half-dozen kernels, your mouth will go numb and the back of your throat will burn. When I eat spicy food, I find that after I get over the initial shock of the heat, I find the spice addictive. That's exactly what happened when I ate this Sriracha popcorn. I really had to force myself to stop eating it. Pop! offers over a dozen flavors of popcorn both sweet and savory including African peri peri, Chinese 12-spice, and Wakaya Perfection Organic pink Fijian ginger, sea salt, and caramel. 

I have to admit, I've never been one for buying popcorn snacks when I can easily make popcorn at home, but gourmet popcorn that shows this level of sophistication makes me rethink that opinion.

* Any products in this post that are mentioned by name may have been provided to Minxeats by the manufacturer. However, all opinions belong to Minxeats. Amazon links earn me $! Please buy!



Posted on Minxeats.com.