It is so easy and so much cheaper to prepare hummus from scratch. My kids love hummus now that we've started making it at home. They especially love the idea of making their own hummus faces. To create hummus faces, we simply cut up a variety of vegetables into different shapes and use any bread that we have to spread the hummus on. Bagels and Pita bread works especially well!

A few tips and tricks that I have found make homemade hummus tastier.

• Use good tahini. When tahini has separated and the oil is swimming on top and it is hard to mix the oil back into the solid part, it is likely that the tahini is too old. Also make sure to taste your tahini! It should have a pleasant bitter taste. I buy my tahini at a local Mediterranean grocery store and really love the brand al wadi.
• Always use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice is typically dull tasting!
• Use ice cold water when adding it to your tahini mixture. I like adding a few ice cubes to my water before adding it to the food processor. Ice cold water contributes to a fluffier hummus!

Ingredients: 

• 1 (15oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons or more)
• 1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped or minced
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 2 - 4 tablespoons ice water, more as needed
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• paprika or Sumac and more olive oil for optional decoration

Instructions: 

1. In a food processor, combine garlic, lemon juice and salt and process
2. Add the tahini to the food processor and puree until the mixture is combined and thickens. 
3. While food processor is running, add the iced water in a slow stream. 
4. Now add the chickpeas, cumin, and olive oil and blend for about two minutes or until mixture is creamy.
   
5. Stop and scrape down the sides as need and taste. You may need to add a tiny bit more water, lemon juice.
6. Transfer to a bowl and create a swirling pattern with a big spoon or spatula. Then drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and sprinkle with paprika or Sumac. 

This is a family favorite and always a hit for feeding a big crowd. As I teach cooking lessons to a lot of students with various dietary restrictions, I wanted to create a vegan version of my favorite Bolognese sauce. In my humble opinion, the vegan version is just as delicious and has been a big hit in one of my recent vegan cooking classes. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb ground meat (beef or pork)
• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (or more for a little spice)
• 2 tablespoons basil
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 onion, diced
• 3-4 oz tomato paste
• about 46 oz of diced tomatoes (or pureed)
• finely chopped vegetables, optional but recommended: 1 cup mushrooms, 1-2 zucchini, 1 bell pepper
• optional: broth or red wine for deglazing

Ingredients for Vegan Bolognese: 
All of the ingredients above, except ground meat. Substitute with: 

• 1/2 cup walnuts chopped finely in food processor
• add an additional cup of mushrooms --> total of 2 cups mushrooms
• 1-2 cups cooked lentils (I prefer brown lentils but any type works)

Instructions:

1. Heat large pot and then add oil.
2. Once oil is hot, saute onions until translucent. Then add spices, salt and garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes but make sure not to burn the garlic!
3. Add any other vegetables that you want to add and saute together until softened.
4. Now add honey and tomato paste and "brown" it with the vegetables for about 3-4 minutes. This will also improve the flavor of the dish instead of adding it later on with the liquids. Don't worry if some of it sticks to the bottom!
5. Deglaze any brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a few splashes of red wine or broth. Just add liquid to pot and scrape up any brown bits. This will add richness and more flavor to your dish. 
6. Depending on how big your pot is, you could try to add the meat and brown it or transfer your vegetables to another dish and then brown your ground meat. (if you are making a vegan version, add your lentils and walnuts instead of the ground meat)
7. Once meat is browned well, add vegetables back to pot and add diced tomatoes. 
8. Cook for at least 1-2 hours on low heat. The longer it cooks, the better it will taste. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Cashew "Parmesan" Cheese:

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Instructions: 

1. Place everything in a food processor or blender and process until powdery. If using a blender, make sure not to process too long, otherwise it will become clumpy. 
2. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.