PICKLED ONIONS (Makes 1 large jar of pickled onions)
Ingredients
1medium red onion
3/4cup(180 mL) water
1/2cup(120 mL) cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar (or a mixture of both)
1tablespoonmaple syrup(or organic cane sugar)
1 ½teaspoonsfine sea salt
1/4-1/2teaspoonred pepper flakes(optional)
1/2teaspoonwhole peppercorns(optional)
CREAMY MEDITERRANEAN LENTILS (Makes about 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils)
Ingredients
1tablespoonolive oil
1teaspooncumin seeds*
6garlic cloves,minced
2 ⅔ - 2 ¾cups(640 - 660 mL) vegetable broth
1cup(180g) French green lentils
Kosher salt or sea salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
2tablespoonstahini
2-3teaspoonstamari(depends on how salty your vegetable broth is)
FARRO (Makes about 2 1/2 cups cooked farro)
Ingredients
1cup(180g) farro, pearled or semi-pearled (can sub any gluten-free grain, such as quinoa, millet or brown rice)
2 ½cups(600 mL) water
Kosher salt or sea salt
2bay leaves(optional, for seasoning)
Freshly cracked black pepper(optional, for seasoning)
2garlic cloves,sliced in half (optional, for seasoning)
CLASSIC HUMMUS (Makes about 1 1/2 cups hummus)
Ingredients
1(15-ounce / 440g) can chickpeas, or 1 ¾ cups (260-280g) cooked chickpeas
1/3cup(75g) tahini
1medium lemon,juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
2garlic cloves,chopped
1/2 - 1teaspoonground cumin
1teaspoonkosher salt,plus more to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
4 - 6tablespoonsice water
For serving: extra virgin olive oil,chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley, paprika.
Instructions
Pickled Onions Directions
Bring the water to a gentle boil, using a kettle or on the stove. Slice the onion very thinly. Place the onion slices in a large mason jar.
Mix together the hot water, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, red pepper flakes, and peppercorns. Stir to combine until the syrup or sugar is dissolved. Pour the pickling liquid over the sliced onions in the jar.
Allow to cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes. You can serve now, but I prefer to refrigerate them for a more developed flavor.
Creamy Mediterranean Lentils Directions
Heat a large, deep nonstick frying pan or a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the garlic and cumin seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable broth to deglaze the pan, then add the lentils. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils are tender but still al dente.
Turn the heat to low and add the tahini and tamari, and stir well into the lentils. Taste for seasonings, and season with salt (as needed) and freshly cracked black pepper.
Farro Directions
Add the water to a medium saucepan, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Add the farro and seasonings, then reduce to a simmer and cook until al dente-- tender yet chewy. For pearled farro, it should take 15-20 minutes; for semi-pearled farro, 20-30 minutes.
Once al dente, drain the farro through a sieve and discard the aromatics. If you have the time, spread the farro out on a sheet tray to cool and dry out--this helps prevent it from getting mushy.
Classic Hummus Directions
Add the chickpeas to a food processor and blend for 2 minutes until you have a thick paste-like puree, scraping down the sides with a silicone spatula as needed.
Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt. With the motor running, stream in the ice water, a little at a time, until the hummus is thick yet smooth and creamy. Taste for seasonings and add more salt, lemon juice, garlic, or cumin as needed. If the hummus is still too thick for your liking, add a tablespoon or two more of ice water.
Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Ideally, let it rest for 30 minutes before serving.
When ready to serve, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, parsley, and paprika.
Video
Notes
* If you don’t have cumin seeds, use 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin along with the lentils.