This week I am participating in the second round of Eating Down the Fridge. The challenge was created by Kim O’Donnel of The Washington Post blog A Mighty Appetite. The goal is to completely avoid food shopping (including eating out) for a full week, and instead concentrate on using what is already stored in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. Because I have been out of town, I started the challenge a couple of days late. But as of Monday, I have done no food shopping or eating out (with one exception) and I plan on continuing at least through Monday, but perhaps even longer if I can.
Perhaps a week doesn’t sound like a very long time to go without shopping, and for those of us without kids it’s not that long at all. But my goal for this challenge is to use up things in my freezer and pantry that have long been neglected. And although I don’t do major grocery shopping more than a few times a month, I am used to popping up to my local market a few times a week for various ingredients, fresh fruits and vegetables. And quite frankly, I’ve been eating out a lot lately, so eating 21 meals in a row at home will be a bit of a challenge for me!
Yesterday at lunchtime I was starving. But as I rummaged around my kitchen, I realized that I had no quick snacks to grab. I had no bread to make a sandwich, no crackers or bananas to smear with peanut butter, and no leftover dinner to reheat in the microwave. It shouldn’t have been a big deal since I have a fridge and pantry stocked with ingredients, but I had let myself get too hungry and I really needed something fast. Yes, I could have eaten a bowl of cereal, but I decided to step up to the EDF challenge, and start eating down my fridge. I drank a tall glass of water to quell my hunger pangs while I started searching for something to prepare.
I found a half-empty jar of marinated artichokes hiding in the back of my refrigerator and decided it was time to use them up. My first thought was pasta. So I pulled a box of penne out of the pantry, found a container of kalamata olives and some feta cheese (score!) in the fridge, and was about to get to work. And then I had a change of heart. I remembered the jar of tahini and cans of garbanzo beans in the pantry and decided to throw the leftover artichoke hearts in a batch of hummus instead of tossing them with pasta. And as I was lamenting my lack of pita chips or crackers to go with the hummus, I remembered the package of frozen naan I had picked up at Trader Joe’s on my last visit. Perfect! Since hummus only takes minutes to put together, I had lunch in front of me even faster than if I had made the pasta.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Save RecipeIngredients
15-ounce can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped or pressed
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
juice of half a lemon (or more, to taste)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
small squirt of Sriracha (optional)
Instructions
In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, artichoke hearts, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil. Process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary. Add salt and Sriracha (if using) to taste. Extra lemon juice or tahini may also be added to taste.
Spoon hummus onto a plate, creating a bit of a well in the center. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with your favorite flat bread, crackers, chips, or fresh vegetables.
Notes
Ingredient amounts, including garlic can be adjusted to suit your own taste. Be careful with the hot sauce, a little bit adds a nice boost, but too much will overpower the flavors of the hummus. If you cook your own garbanzo beans rather than using canned, reserve a bit of the cooking liquid to thin the hummus in place of plain water.
Related Recipes:
- Whole Wheat Pita Chips
- Sun Dried Tomato Hummus
- Mediterranean Olive Hummus
- Chickpea Soup with Ginger and Coriander
Around the Web:
- Jalapeño & Lime Hummus from Karina’s Kitchen
- Parsley Hummus from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Hummus from Closet Cooking
- Slow Roasted Tomato Hummus from Andrea’s Recipes
- Cilantro Lime Hummus from Two Peas and Their Pod
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