Stuff It.

Today I experimented a lot in the kitchen. First I attempted to make homemade hummus. It was half disastrous, and half a success, depending on how you look at it…

I used a simple Ellie Krieger recipe sent to me by Michelle ages ago. Does this mix look DRY to you by any chance?

Chickpeas…check…tahini…check…lemon juice…check…seasonings…check. I had to take it out of the blender and hand-mash it because the blender started to smell like it was burning, it was so dry.

Here is the finished product…kinda lumpy, eh?

So, I actually made my wrap, ate it, and then started calculating the calories in the hummus before I realized that I forgot OLIVE OIL!

It still tasted pretty good, though. I’ll add some EVOO to the rest of it when I eat it tomorrow.

Today I topped mine with sautéed spinach, carrots, and bell peppers.

I’m not sure if I will attempt to make homemade hummus again before I get a food processor. The blender just didn’t seem right for it. While it tasted good, I’m not sure I enjoyed it anymore than the good store-bought stuff.

Dinner tonight was a joint-effort with Matthew. Actually, I already had the idea in my head, but I knew if I incorporated him in the preparation, he would be more likely to eat it (since it involved chickpeas and tofu).

The task: use up as much of this beast as possible. (I am sacrificing my vanity here because I think this photo is funny. Note the knife in my right hand.)

I was inspired by Miss Being Healthier to stuff it with a marinara mix. To start I cut off a good chunk of the lower portion off and wrapped the rest up for another day. (We’re going to be stuffed zucchinis ourselves by the end of the week!)

Wash, cut length-wise in half, and scrape out the middle. Pre-bake to soften up the “boats” while you work on the filling. (This was Matthew’s idea. I would have just baked it all together and we would have been waiting forever.)

For the filling, sauté onion, chickpeas (leftover from the hummus) and tofu. Once browned, add 1/2 jar of marinara sauce.

Once the “boats” have softened a bit, fill with stuffing and bake for about 20 minutes.

I had mine topped with some parmesan cheese, served with some roasted brussel sprouts and extra stuffing on the side.

It was more food than we thought! I finished all the stuffing but left some of the zucchini. Verdict? It was a filling, tasty, and cheap dinner (we calculated that it cost us less than £3). Next time I will use less zucchini and bake it for longer.

Have you tried any new kitchen experiments lately?

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