Edamame Hummus

I discovered edamame hummus at Trader Joe's. It is so good, I can eat it with a spoon. And there is something so appealing about its bright green color. It is sort of like spring in food form - bright, flavorful, and you cannot get enough of it after a long, cold winter. Since I have made hummus before, I decided to apply the same techniques to the edamame. I am happy with the results, but if you do not like a slightly strong garlic and onion flavor, I would reduce the garlic and shallot in this. Enjoy!

Edamame Hummus
(makes about 3 cups)

1 1lb package frozen shelled edamame
hot water
1 large clove garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 a large shallot, peeled and chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp tahini
about 3 oz cool water

Place edamame in a bowl and cover with hot water.
Once thawed, drain and then transfer to a food processor.
Add the remaining ingredients, except the water.
Start processing, slowly adding the water until you have a smooth paste. You may need to stop occasionally to clean the sides of the bowl.
Once smooth, transfer to a container to either serve or store.

Lemon and Capers Hummus

Here is another recipe that I posted on my social networking profile, a Lemon and Caper Hummus that I put together when I had a craving for all three items. :)

2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp capers
5 caperberries
Juice of 1 meyer lemon
1/2 clove garlic
salt to taste
3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp olive oil
water

Put all ingredients, except water, in a food processor and start blending. Once it's partially blended, start adding cool water, 1 tbsp at a time, until it forms a cohesive paste and is your desired consistency (allow it to blend a little while between additions of water).