Well, big news since my last entry. I have found out that I will be traveling to the Summer Olympics in China this summer with USA Triathlon to assist the athletes in their performance nutrition as well as functioning as a chef for them. You may be thinking, “huh, Bob is a chef?” Well, I certainly do not admit in having culinary school formal training; however, I am Italian and growing up in an Italian family has, well, let’s just say that I know my way around the kitchen! Cooking is a favorite past-time of mine and I love experimenting with new foods, methods and spices. Anyway, this is a true honor to be selected to assist our triathletes at the Olympics and I hope my presence will help the US come home with some medals!
Along those lines, I thought I would provide a favorite recipe of mine that I whipped up one weekend. You will truly enjoy it whether you are a vegetarian or not! One thing I should tell you is that I’m not a big fan of following amounts in recipes. I mean, Italians are known for our ability to taste and inherently know if something is missing or not! A pinch here, a dash there. That's how I operate! That said, the quantities in my recipe are approximates as you must tailor it to your taste buds. Enjoy!
Cilantro Lime Hummus
2 cans garbanzo beans
1 can black olives
2 spoonfuls tahini
2 spoonfuls hemp oil (yes hemp oil, it's tasty!)
3 cloves garlic
A few dashes of black pepper
A sprinkle of sea salt
A few squirts of lime juice
A bit of water (maybe 1/2 cup) depending on what consistency you want it to be
Enough dried cilantro to make a fine layer on the top of the mixture
Place in a food processor and let it do its thing for about a minute or two!
This is one of my favorite hummus recipes, hands down. To truly enjoy this hummus experience, cut up a package of whole wheat pita bread into slices (like tortilla chips). Place them on a cookie sheet with a fine spray of canola oil on top and bake at about 400 degrees for about 8 minutes or so. The key is to get the bread just hot enough to make it a bit stiff but not crunchy.
Mmmm! I am definitely hankering for some hummus now! Gotta go warm up the food processor!
Bob
coachbob@fuel4mance.com
