Ask Amma

Posts Tagged ‘garlic’

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What do I do for cough and cold?

In Recipes, What on 17 October 2012 at 8:05 pm
So many people ask about cough and cold, so here we go.
As a student I used to observe that I would typically come under the weather right after exams were over.  It was as if my body was saying, “now it is my turn.”    So be fair and give yourself some TLC (Tender Love and Care NOT Tomato Lettuce and Cheese but you can have some of that too. Minus the Cheese. Signed, Humor Consultant*) rather than insisting on business as usual.  My three point plan for recovery was:
1.  aggressive sleeping:  sleep until you can’t sleep any more
2. More gentle readers may wish to call the second point “continuous water sipping.”   For those young enough to breastfeed, they can nurse and sleep at the same time.  I nursed my daughter through several fevers this way.   Read the rest of this entry »

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Basic Hummous

In Recipes on 25 December 2010 at 1:42 pm

“What do you eat hummous with?”
“With my fingers!”
(overheard)

Blend boiled chickpeas, garlic, salt, lemon juice and olive oil.
Bread quarters with hummous and sliced tomato
Veggie sticks are great to dip in hummus.
Bread, Hummous, Tomatos, Onions and Avocado all ready for assembly.

 

Be the star of the potluck with this Basic Hummous

Soak and cook 1 cup garbanzo beans.  Drain, reserving cooking water.
Add & blend:
juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
1-2 cloves raw garlic  (3-4 if the cloves are small)
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/4 cup tahini, if you have it (I rarely do)
2-3 ounces of the cooking water (just enough so that it blends smoothly

Optional:  Garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced tomato or grated carrots.

Dip veggies,  spread on bread or rice cakes, stuff into pita, or roll into rotis.

Note: if you use canned garbanzo beans and wish to avoid residue of preservatives or additives (which may be there even if unlisted), drain the liquid and use fresh water when blending.  In case you use the liquid in the can, check if it includes salt and adjust the salt accordingly.

One cup dry beans becomes 2-3 cups after cooking. According to Serious Eats, if using canned beans, you would use 2 15-ounce cans in lieu of one cup dry beans.