Many cultures have their own special version of puréed beans or legumes: Israel (and many other countries) claim hummus, India has dal, Morocco has Bissara, etc., etc. So how to describe this Greek version? Well, It’s sort of similar to hummus, the bean purée most Americans are most used to, but it actually uses yellow split peas, not garbanzo beans. Just to make things seem more complicated than they really are, this dip is known as fava in Greece. But no, there aren’t any fava beans in there.
Rather than being served as a dip, this puree is generally served as a side to meat, fish or vegetable dishes. I particularly liked it as a side to chicken souvlaki (recipe to come later this week). Healthy, creamy, comfort food at its best.
Greek Yellow Split Pea Purée- Fava
Ingredients:
* 1-1/4 cups dried yellow split peas
* 3 shallots, diced
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
* 2 Tablespoons chopped green onions
* 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
* salt and pepper
* chopped fresh oregano, to serve
Directions:
Rinse the split peas and put in a large saucepan and over with several inches of cold water. Bring to a boil on the stove top, and then reduce heat and simmer, skimming if necessary, until the peas are very soft.
While the peas are cooking, heat one Tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the shallots and garlic until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
Drain the cooked peas, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer the peas to a food processor or high speed blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec. Add the shallots, garlic and any of the cooking oil. Also add the remaining olive oil. and lemon juice and process until smooth. Add a little of the reserved bean liquid if you’d like a thinner consistency.
Add the green onions, thyme and stir by hand. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove to a bowl and top with oregano and an extra drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Just as other folks are calling it quits from the blogging game, I’ve decided to stage my triumphant return! (sarcasm hopefully noted)
Pineapple with Chile Salt
Dear hard boiled eggs. We’ve come a long way, you and I. A couple years ago I wouldn’t even consider allowing you to pass through my lips. And now you’re one of my go-to spinach salad toppings. I also like to cut you lengthwise and 
Because I missed out on so many good years of eating hard boiled eggs, I’m doing my best to make up for lost time. I tend to make a large batch every week to store in the fridge for salads, which means that if I plan ahead and make a few extra, this egg curry becomes a very quick and easy weeknight meal.
Is it just me, or does it seem like a lot of folks are eating Paleo these days? I’m not sure whether it’s because of the popularity of Crossfit or whether people just find that they feel better cutting out grains, sugar and whatever else it is that Paleo people don’t eat. Probably a combination of both.
Now I have nothing against butter or cream, but plain mashed potatoes aren’t something I often make (or crave) outside of Thanksgiving dinner. But when I came across an Indian recipe for spiced mashed potatoes from my favorite Indian cookbook author, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to try the cauliflower for potato substitution.
In this vegan and gluten-free dish cooked cauliflower (I boiled mine, but steaming or roasting would also work) is pureed, topped with a spicy mustard seed and turmeric onion topping, and garnished with plenty of chopped cilantro. No bland cauliflower here- this stuff is like a party for your mouth.