Listeria Concern Prompts National Hummus RecallHere's A Recipe To Make Your Own

Potentially deadly listeria found in samples of Sabra.

Sabra Hummus Recalled
Hummus is a staple for many, especially vegans and vegetarians, and Sabra is a very popular brand. The FDA posted a notice that Sabra Dipping Co. is voluntarily recalling about 30,000 cases of its Classic Hummus due to possible Listeria contamination.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause symptoms such as high fever, stiffness, severe headache, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea in healthy individuals. For people with compromised immune systems, children, and the elderly, these infections can be fatal. Listeria infections are very dangerous for women who are pregnant and can cause miscarriages and stillbirths. It is critical that you check your refrigerator for the following five SKU's. Thankfully, to date, there have not been any reports showing that these products have caused anyone to become ill. Only the US is affected.

* Sabra Classic Hummus in 10-oz sizes - UPC/SKU 040822011143/300067 

* Sabra Classic Hummus in 30-oz sizes - UPC/SKU 040822014687/300074

* Sabra Classic Hummus without garnish in 32-oz sizes - UPC/SKU 040822342049/301216

* Sabra Classic Hummus in 17-oz six pack - UPC/SKU 040822017497/301290

* Hummus Dual Pack Classic/Garlic 23.5 oz - UPC/SKU 040822342209/301283

In the meantime, make your own hummus. Here's an easy recipe which is taken from my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen: Delicious and Easy Vegan Recipes and Seasonal Food Plan available on Amazon and iTunes. Hummus is so easy to make, you may never buy prepackaged hummus again!


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Classic Garbanzo Bean Hummus
Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

Requires a Food Processor, such as a Cuisinart.

Ingredients
1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
1 tablespoon cold pressed hemp oil or extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch cayenne (optional)
2 packed tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Directions
Combine all of the ingredients, except the parsley or cilantro, in a food processor with an S blade and process until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides. If the mixture is too dry, add a small amount of the reserved bean liquid.

Add parsley or cilantro and pulse several times to combine.

Serve as a dip, a sandwich filling, or as a topping for your veggie burger.

Hummus-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes, Quick Vegan Hummus Caprese - Two Easy Recipes For Your Garden Tomatoes!

Stuff cherry tomatoes with store-bought hummus
for a quick and easy appetizer!

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Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Hummus

If you have a cherry tomato plant in your garden you are probably buried in these little fruits. Besides popping them in your mouth or tossing them in a salad, here's a quick and easy way to turn them into a tasty appetizer.

Start with large cherry tomatoes - the real tiny ones are not good candidates for this.

Use large cherry tomatoes for stuffing

If you are in a hurry, buy some ready-made hummus in the grocery store. Hummus is very easy to make but it's even easier to buy. So if you have some last minute guests and a bunch of cherry tomatoes, pick up a tub. I've seen some very interesting flavors too. Whole foods has their own brand that's very well priced (less than $3.00) and comes in several flavors including lemon, garlic, red pepper, olive, and traditional. Get a brand that is firm so it holds up in the pastry bag.

Cut the tops off of the cherry tomatoes and hollow them out. I gently dislodge the seed cluster with a tomato knife and then scoop the seeds out with a tiny spoon. Remove all the moisture. 

Cherry tomatoes ready for filling

Place the hummus in a pastry bag with a pretty large tip so that the hummus will flow through it easily. Fill each cherry tomato.

Fill the cherry tomatoes with hummus using a pastry bag.

If you really want to get fancy, you can serve them on their tops!  Warning: It's a bit tricky to get them to stay on.

Served on their tops

Vegan Tomato Caprese with Hummus

If you're lactose intolerant like me you have to avoid mozzarella, the main ingredient of Tomato Caprese salad. But there are several ways to still enjoy this wonderful Italian dish.

You can substitute a spoonful of firm hummus for each slice of mozzarella. Just slice the top and bottom from a nice heirloom tomato and cut the rest of the tomato into 3 thick slices. Use one tomato, 3 heaping tablespoons of hummus, some chopped fresh basil, 1 teaspoon of hemp or olive oil, and some  freshly ground black pepper for each serving.

Build the Caprese salad by placing one slice of tomato on a small plate. Place a heaping tablespoon of hummus over the tomato slice, then another tomato slice, another layer of hummus, a final tomato slice, and a final layer of hummus.

Sprinkle some chopped fresh basil and freshly ground black pepper over the tomatoes and drizzle a teaspoon of cold-pressed hemp oil or extra virgin olive oil over each salad. Serve immediately. 

Hummus Caprese Salad

To make a vegan caprese that tastes more like cheese, see my recipe for Raw Vegan Caprese Salad that uses a simple cashew "cheese" to replace the mozzarella. 

If you enjoyed these ideas, check out my eBook, Health Begins in the Kitchen!

Vegan Roasted Garlic And Kalamata Olive Hummus

Roasted garlic and kalamata olives make a great tasting addition to hummus!

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Hummus - So Versatile!
There are so many ways to make hummus. You can try different beans and add all kinds of ingredients for different flavors. (See my GuacaHummus with avocado or Spicy Red Pepper Hummus that I use as a topping for Portobello mushroom burgers. Or check out one of my most popular posts, Raw Hummus with Sprouted Garbanzo Beans). 
A few weeks ago I picked up some olive hummus at the store. It sounded interesting and I wanted to give it a try. It was really good but I was wondering how to make it even better. Of course what could be better than garlic? So I tried adding an entire head of roasted garlic to some hummus along with a respectable amount of chopped kalamatas (my favorite olive). I think you're going to really like this!


Roasted Garlic
A entire large head of garlic may sound like a lot, but once garlic is roasted, it gets a sweet and mellow taste. In fact, I recommend throwing in a clove or two of raw garlic when making the hummus for an added kick. I will probably even add a second roasted head the next time I make it. Can you ever get enough garlic?

To roast the garlic, just cut the top, drizzle a tiny bit of oil and water over the cloves, wrap in foil and bake!

The roasted cloves pop out easily!

I find it easier to chop the olives in the food processor.

Roasted Garlic and Kalamata Olive Hummus
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 (1/2 cup) servings]
For the roasted garlic
1 large head garlic (3.5 ounces)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon water
For the hummus
1 large head roasted garlic (above)
15 kalamata olives
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained (1 1/2 cups)*
1 clove raw garlic, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* reserve some of the juice in case mixture needs more liquid.


To roast the garlic, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut a square of aluminum foil.
Slice top off garlic head deep enough to expose the tips of the cloves.
Place garlic, root side down, in middle of aluminum foil. Drizzle oil and water over exposed cloves.
Wrap foil around garlic and close tightly. Place in a small ovenproof dish and bake 1 hour, until tender.
To remove cloves, break off individual pieces and press from bottom, squeezing the cooked garlic clove out of the trimmed top. Remove all cloves and set them aside.
To make the hummus, place kalamata olives in a food processor with an S blade and pulse until chopped (do not over process). Remove chopped olives and set aside. Wipe out the food processor to remove the olive residue (or you'll end up with a yucky colored hummus).
Add garbanzo beans, clove of raw garlic (if desired), tahini, salt and lemon juice to the food processor and process until smooth and creamy. If too dry, add a tablespoon or more of reserved garbanzo liquid.
Add roasted garlic cloves and pulse a few times until just blended.
Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in the chopped olives.
Serve with baked chips or use as a filling for a vegetarian sandwich.


Per (1/2 cup)serving: 163.5 calories, 7.3 g fat, 0.7 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 7.8 g protein, 21.6 g carbohydrates, 4.3 g dietary fiber and 560 mg sodium.

GuacaHummus - The Ultimate Party Dip!

When avocados meet up with garbanzos, great things happen!

When 2 Great Foods Meet!
Doug brought home 5 avocados yesterday. But I already had 2 1/2 in the refrigerator! It must be time for his famous Guacamole. But wait, I had my heart set on hummus. I see a compromise coming - yes, it's time to make GuacaHummus! With some Hearty Vegan Bean Chili with Wheat Berries already on the stove, I'm thinking it's going to be a pretty good day!


GuacaHummus
[makes 8 servings]
One 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained, (reserve liquid)
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice, or a mixture of both
1/2 t chili powder, or to taste
a few dashes of cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1 avocado, pitted 
1/2 avocado, pitted and fined chopped
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped


In a food processor with an S blade, blend garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, lime (or lemon) juice, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Process until smooth adding several tablespoons of the reserved liquid if needed. Add one avocado and blend again. 
Pour mixture into a bowl. Stir in the finely diced 1/2 avocado, fresh parsley or cilantro and red onion. 
Adjust salt and cayenne pepper. 
Place in a small serving bowl and serve with healthy chips or cut up raw veggies like cucumbers, peppers or jicama.
If you are not serving immediately, place the avocado pit in the dip, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.


Per serving: 109 calories, 6.4 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 4.0 g protein, 10.5 g carbohydrates and 3.9 g dietary fiber.


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Vegan Grilled Rosemary Portobello Mushroom Burgers With Spicy Red Pepper Hummus And Watercress On Sprouted Whole Grain Buns

Place on large dish and brush rosemary marinade on both sides.

Portobell0s on the grill - you can also broil them in the oven.

Portobello Mushrooms, a Great Meat Alternative

Eating less meat or giving it up completely doesn't mean you can't enjoy a good burger! I can write about how much riboflavin, selenium and other key nutrients these wonderful mushrooms contain or what a good source of protein and fiber they are but one of their most important attributes is simply this: THEY TASTE LIKE MEAT! So if you are looking for a natural meat alternative that is free of highly processed wheat gluten or soy protein isolate, look no further.

This delicious portobello burger recipe also includes spicy garbanzo hummus, a complete protein. It's pretty easy to make but feel free to use a ready-made hummus from your local grocery if you are in a pinch for time. Throw this on a sprouted whole grain bun with your favorite sprouts or watercress and you may have the tastiest and healthiest burger in the world! And, it by-passed the factory farms and its production didn't generate any greenhouse gas. Life is good.

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Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burger with Spicy Red Pepper Hummus

[makes 4 burgers and 2 cups of hummus]

For the marinade and burger

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems carefully removed

For the hummus

One 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained (1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup roasted red peppers (8 ounce jar)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

The rest

4 sprouted whole grain buns

1 cup watercress or sprouts

To make the marinade, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, black pepper, garlic powder and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Carefully remove the stems from the portobello mushrooms and clean with a damp paper towel. Place the mushrooms in a large casserole dish or plate and slowly brush the marinade on both sides. Set aside.

To make the hummus, rinse the roasted red peppers well, removing any seeds or blackened skin. Combine garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, roasted red peppers, cayenne and salt in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides. This will make more than you need for the burgers.

Cook the marinated portobellos on a hot grill for about 10 minutes turning a few times. You can also broil in the oven or cook on an electric panini maker or George Foreman grill. If you'd like, brush a little olive oil on the buns and throw on the grill until lightly toasted.

To assemble the burger, place 1/4 cup of spicy hummus on the top half of the bun and 1/4 cup of watercress or sprouts on the bottom half of the bun. For additional flavor, you could put additional dijon on the bottom side of the bun under the watercress. Place the cooked portobello mushroom on the watercress and serve immediately.

Per burger with bun, watercress and 1/4 cup hummus: 351.5 calories, 15.5 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 15.7 g protein, 44.2 g carbohydrates and 8.3 g fiber.

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Black-Eyed Pea New Years Day Recipes: Black-Eyed Pea Curry with Sweet Potatoes, Mushrooms and Spinach and Black-Eyed Pea and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Vegan black-eyed pea curry with "light" coconut milk.

Vegan black-eyed pea and roasted red pepper hummus .

Black-Eyed Pea Recipes for New Years Day

I started the Foods For Long LIfe blog a year ago on New Years day. And, of course, I started it with a black-eyed pea recipe. In the south it's traditional to eat black-eyed peas on New Years day for a year of good luck. OK, why is an Italian from Brooklyn telling you this? Because I picked up this tradition as a student at the University of Texas and I've been doing this ever since. I've passed it on to my children and they will undoubtedly pass it on to theirs. Traditions are fun, especially those involving food. It's also fun to take this one ingredient and come up with a new recipe every year. It's kind of like "the Iron Chef". So this year I made a hearty curry and a dip - both perfect for a nice New Years day lunch or for watching football. And don't forget to leave 3 peas on your plate - that guarantees the good luck. For the dip, leave out 3 peas before you throw the rest of them in the blender.

My Last Post for the Year

This will be my last post for the year. My husband is taking me on a romantic cruise through the Panama Canal to celebrate our 20th anniversary. That's why I'm posting these New Years recipes so early. I have really enjoyed writing this blog and I hope you've enjoyed the articles and the recipes. I've appreciated your positive comments and I'm thrilled when I hear of people improving their eating habits. My parting wish to you is to enjoy the holidays but don't over do. Eat and drink in moderation and try to get in as much exercise as you can in between social events. (Let's see how well I take my own advice on a 16 day cruise!). Think about the good things you did for your body in 2009 (lost weight, lowered your cholesterol, got off of a medication) and develop and write down your health goals for 2010. Have a wonderful holiday and I'll see you next year!

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Vegan Black-Eyed Pea Curry [serves 4]

2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red bell pepper, cut in strips (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 yellow or red onion, diced (about 2 cups)

2 cups sliced button or crimini mushrooms

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 to 3 teaspoons curry powder (to taste, depending if it's sweet or hot)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, divided

One 15 ounce can black-eyed peas (about 2 cups cooked)

1 cup veggie broth

1 cup unsweetened, "light" coconut milk

5 ounces pre-washed fresh baby spinach

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

About 2 cups of cooked brown rice, polenta or noodles

Steam sweet potatoes until cooked (not too soft) and set aside. Heat oil and saute red pepper, onions and mushrooms until soft and the mushrooms release their liquid (about 5 to 7 minutes). Add garlic, half the cilantro and curry (to taste) and saute another minute or two until curry is blended in. Add black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, broth and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Throw in the spinach and lower the heat. Cook 2 minutes or until the spinach wilts, gently stirring. Stir in the lime juice and top with the rest of the cilantro and serve over cooked rice, polenta or noodles.

Per serving (curry only): 264.3 calories, 8 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 8.1 g protein, 39.6 g carbohydrates and 8.5 g of fiber.

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Vegan Black-Eyed Pea and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

[makes about eight 1/4 cup servings]

One 15 ounce can black-eyed peas

One 8 ounce jar roasted red peppers

2 tablespoons tahini

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish (optional)

Rinse the roasted red peppers well, removing any seeds or blackened skin. Combine all ingredients (except parsley or cilantro) in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides. Top with fresh cilantro or parsley and serve with raw veggies or baked chips.

Per serving: 70.5 calories, 2.6 g fat, 0.4 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.6 g protein, 9.9 g carbohydrates and 1.9 g of fiber.

Raw Hummus with Sprouted Garbanzo Beans

Garbanzo beans in a large sprouting jar.

Sprouted Garbanzo beans.

Sprouting Garbanzo Beans

With a good glass sprouting jar, making your own sprouts is fun, nutritious and quite convenient. In the past I’ve had mixed results with garbanzo beans. The first time I tried to sprout them, I got beautiful little sprouts after 3 days but the next two times, I couldn’t get them to sprout at all. Perhaps the seeds weren’t raw to begin with or were not of good quality. They just seemed to “rot” before they would sprout. I asked my daughter, Linda, what her experience was with sprouting garbanzos and she gave me her secret. She sprouts them in the refrigerator! Since my house is generally cooler than hers, I kept the sprouting jar in the refrigerator during the heat of the day and took it out at night. As you can see, it worked beautifully. I wouldn’t do this with most other sprouts as they generally require a more steady environment of about 70 degrees.

For nutritional information on garbanzo beans, see my July 13^th and August 14^th posts . Flax seed oil is added to balance out the high omega 6 content of the tahini, garbanzos and olive oil giving it an optimal 4:1 ratio.

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Raw Hummus with Sprouted Garbanzo Beans [serves 4]

1/2 cup dried raw organic garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons raw tahini

1 cup peeled zucchini, chopped

1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon sea salt

pinch cayenne (or to taste)

1 teaspoon flaxseed oil

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil for drizzle

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Four days in advance, place the dry garbanzo beans in a large sprouting jar. Cover with cool, filtered water (about three times their volume) and gently swirl the jar to remove air pockets. Soak for 12 hours. With the sprouting lid on, drain the water, rinse, and drain again. Place the jar upside down and store out of the sun. Rinse and drain every 8 to 10 hours and keep jar inverted. To prevent rotting, you may store the inverted jar in the refrigerator during the day and leave out of the refrigerator at night. In about 3 days, you will see a little "tail" about 1/4 inch long. Rinse well. They are now ready to use. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of sprouted garbanzo beans.

Place the sprouted garbanzo beans, tahini, zucchini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper, flaxseed oil and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides. Put the mixture in a serving bowl and stir in the parsley. Taste for salt and cayenne pepper and adjust if needed. Drizzle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil, garnish with another pinch of chopped parsley and serve with raw vegetables or crackers (see my raw cracker recipe).

Per serving: 182.1 calories, 9.7 g fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 6.9 g protein, 19.0 g carbohydrates, 5.1 g fiber, 0.7 g omega 3 and 2.7 g omega 6 fatty acid.