Beet Hummus with Za'atar & Avocado Tahini Mousse

ON COOKING & HEALING

There are times in my life when I close my eyes and make a promise to myself to never forget the gravitational power of that present moment. This weekend had many such moments- pockets of time that felt like history in the making. The weekend started with various attempts to stave off a looming cloud of anxiety in the wake of Trump's inauguration. Such attempts included activities like cooking, writing, photo editing, reading, distracting myself with work, and dinner-ing with friends. None of it really worked, but at least I put my best foot forward!

But Saturday was a new day. That morning I shook off the dust, and experienced one of the most empowering events of my adult life thus far. Alongside hundreds of thousands of people, I marched to defend the rights of women, immigrants, people of color, the environment, the LGBT community. I marched to defend all of the values that I hold dear, and protect the many rights that are currently at risk of being stripped away. The march itself felt like a meditation on healing- almost like a recovery group that consisted of a sea of people, all of whom extended their open hearts towards the broken and downtrodden. It was inspiring to be around so many people that were as outraged as me, and channeled their passion by taking action to have their voice heard. It gave me hope. 

Later that evening, I hopped in an Uber to head to a dinner. While en route, my driver asked me- "What was the goal of the march?" I initially balked- taken aback by the sheer enormity of the question. But after contemplating my response for a few seconds, I felt that answer was simple. The goal was to cultivate hope, and to connect with the huge community of people that [like me] feel offended by the rhetoric, victimized and marginalized by those in charge, embarrassed by leaders who make a mockery of the positions they hold, and wholly scared for the road ahead. The goal was to band together, and prove that we are powerful. That we have a voice. That we have a huge stake in the welfare of our country, and huge role to play actualizing the future that we envision. I explained that there are so many threats to my belief system, that I actually had trouble making a sign for the march- that I felt like I had to pick only one issue to broadcast despite the fact that so many concern me. 
 

One of the best moments after the march was discovering the sheer magnitude of the impact. While grabbing a bite to eat that afternoon I noticed that Democracy Now! was playing on a screen by the bar, and was live streaming marches around the country. My jaw dropped to the floor of the restaurant when I learned that like DC, marches in LA, Austin, Chicago, Atlanta, Boston etc. etc. all had marchers that came out in droves. That moment confirmed it- we were officially a part of something much (much!) larger than ourselves.

To serve as the perfect bookend, the weekend concluded with our 5th Wandering event- a healing yoga class at Flow Yoga, followed by light bites around a long communal table. The mood was optimistic, hopeful as guests trickled in, many still riding the high from the march from the day before. We set out to host a gathering that allowed for our guests to step away from the chaos, and find respite around community and wellness on a weekend that demanded so much of energy and focus. The gathering lived up to the goal, and gave each of us an opportunity to breathe, pause and connect. 

Throughout this whole rollercoaster weekend, I was really grateful that I had The Wandering to look forward to. Cooking is incredibly healing for me (so much so that immediately after the march I randomly made homemade gnudi, despite overwhelming exhaustion...), it was the perfect outlet during a time that was so replete with emotion. Here are my two favorite recipes from the gathering- Avocado Tahini Hummus, and Beet Hummus with Za'atar. These dishes that you can whip up in a flash and that will provide instant comfort in times of chaos and unrest. After all, you can't be stressed when you're eating hummus ;) 

BEET & ZA'ATAR HUMMUS

• 6 beets, peeled and chopped, and boiled until soft
• 1/4 cup of tahini
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbs. of salt
• 1 whole lemon, squeezed
• 1 tbs. of za'atar 
• 1/4 cup of pistachios
• 1/4 cup of olive oil

AVOCADO MOUSSE

• 4 avocados
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4 cup of tahini 
• 1 whole lemon, squeezed
• 1 tbs. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 cup of dill
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of scallions, chopped

DIRECTIONS

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor. Top avocado mousse with scallions and dill, and top beet hummus with za'atar, pistachios and olive oil. 

Sundried Tomato and Rosemary Pesto, The Wandering 03

SUNDRIED TOMOTO AND ROSEMARY PESTO, The Wandering 03

I'm writing this post while smiling and still riding the high from The Wandering 03. It was our first brunch, and certainly will not be our last. Let me first describe the setting. We gathered at Ceremony Coffee's workshop in Georgetown. The space is a small- an intimate room- peppered with shiny coffee equipment throughout, perfumed with the smell of toasty ground coffee, and illuminated with natural light pouring into every corner. Aley and I feel incredibly grateful to have had a space donated to us, as opposed the default plan that we've grown accustomed to- hosting the dinners at my apartment. This goes without saying but this was definitely an upgrade. 

The Wandering has truly been a labor of love for me. One word that I should emphasize is labor. The gatherings take time, collaboration, energy, patience, and lots and lots of planning. This gathering however, came together more organically than the others and was a little less demanding. I spent Saturday cooking leisurely, putting together my mise en place, and creating table cards. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, all I had to do was pop my dishes in the oven, "set it and forget it", if you will. I met up with Aley and Ceremony 3 hours before guests arrived which offered us plenty of time to catch up, set up, take photos, sip on locally roasted coffee, and design an enchanting space for our guests. 

And now the coffee. Where to even start...? Ceremony Coffee is just so comforting and tasty, and their love and appreciation for the craft is inspiring to be around. We were joined at the table by two coffee experts from Ceremony, who made sure that our cups were bottomless and taught us about the unbelievable amount of work and attention at each step of the chain to develop a well balanced cup of joe. The coffee endlessly flowed into our mugs. In fact, before the wanderers arrived I was already 3 cups deep and so by the event's end I felt so jacked up on caffeine that my hands were twitching and my heart thumped along to the subtle sounds of Tycho that emanated out of the speaker in the background. 

As usual, when our guest leave, and we're left to clean up the dishes and pack away the leftover food, I reflect on how very lucky I am to be able to do what I love- cook for others, and bond over a common food experience. 

One of my favorite dishes that we served was my unconventional take on pesto. Unlike traditional pesto, this dip had a deep autumnal red hue. The color came from juicy sun tried tomatoes and the oil they were packed in. The pesto was the perfectly balanced- sweet, savory, herbaceous, and garlicky. I served the pesto on toast was a generous dollop of mashed avocado and lemon, olive oil, chili flakes and smokey salt. Make this for you friends and family! They'll be smitten. And, keep an eye out for our November gathering announcement, coming soon. We hope to see you at our table.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 jar of sundried tomatoes packed in oil 
• 1/2 cup of pistachios
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tbs of smoked salt 
• 1 tsp of aleppo pepper
• 1 tbs of rosemary, minced
• 1/4 cup of olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor, including the oil from the sundried tomatoes, until the mixture is smooth. If needed, add more olive oil. Serve on top of toast with mashed avocado and lemon, olive oil, chili flakes, smoked salt and pumpkin seeds. 

Smokey Carrot Hummus

BECAUSE HUMMUS GOES WITH EVERYTHING

And I mean everything. I made this hummus for our first Wandering event, and the bowl was licked clean. Two secrets in this recipe. 1. when you take the skins off the chickpeas, you get a smoother consistency 2. after you boil the carrots, save the water. It can be used to flavor and thin out the dip. Enjoy! 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 carrots, peeled and quartered
• 1 can of chickpeas, skins removed
• 1/4 cup of tahini
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of carrot water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp smoked salt
• 1 tsp chipotle powder 
• 1 tsp smokey paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 lemon, squeezed
• 1 clove of garlic 

DIRECTIONS

Boil carrots until they are tender. In a blender blend all ingredients together. Serve in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and paprika on top. 

Pictured below with quinoa, soft boiled egg, spinach and caramelized mushrooms.

Minty pesto with pistachio and scallion

SOME THINGS ARE JUST MINT TO BE

Some things are meant to be. Me discovering mint, scallion, and pistachio as core ingredients for pesto is one of those things. I love this pesto because the mint provides a bright flavor which cuts through the richness of the sauce. Pesto can be heavy, but this recipe is lighter and easier to digest. This pesto is also versatile. I use it as a condiment for pretty much everything including but not limited to, eggs, pasta, grain bowls, fish, roasted veggies etc. etc. I'm actually enjoying this pesto as I write this post, in fact. It's topping my delicious grain bowl with farro, white wine braised tomatoes, and garlic.

Enjoy! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of mint
• 1/2 cup of scallions
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of pistachios
• 2 tbs salt
• 1 tsp pepper 
• 1 large clove of garlic

DIRECTIONS

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until the mixture resembles a liquidy paste. If the mixture is too dry, add olive oil to loosen it up.