Edamame Hummus

I've been trying to keep myself moving lately - I feel kind of like I'm in a dream where you can't get your legs and arms to move - kind of sluggish and lazy. It's hard to be motivated to do anything sometimes, but right now I don't know why I'm feeling that way. I'm not depressed, the sun is shining, and I've got lots of interesting things to do. Maybe it's just that the mountain of interesting things to do is a little intimidating. At the top of my list is making pottery; I'm going to be selling work at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts this holiday season. I just dropped off a bunch of work there this morning. Their Holiday Shop opens on Nov. 19th, so if any of you want to come to the opening, please do. I'm very excited to be transitioning into a professional potter and not just a hobbyist, but at the same time I'm a little nervous. Why should I be afraid to go work in the studio? It often takes me until mid afternoon before I can drag myself up there, and then it's hard to leave.

Perhaps as an avoidance technique, I checked out a bunch of books by Ellie Krieger. This delicious recipe comes from her book, The Food You Crave. This one is destined to become a new lunchtime staple in our home! I made it as the recipe instructed (I usually try to do that when I'm first trying a new recipe), but I found the amount of lemon a little too harsh, so I added more of the tofu and edamame to tone it down a bit. So I'd recommend starting with 1/2 the lemon juice and adding more to taste. It packs well in a lunch; we all liked it with baby carrots and rye crispbread crackers. I packed it in individual serving sized containers and popped a couple in the freezer. I think it ought to freeze well, but I'll let you know if it doesn't!

Edamame Hummus

2 cups frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions
1 cup silken tofu, drained
1/2 tsp salt, to taste
pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, to taste

Set 1 tablespoon of the edamame aside for garnish. Place the rest of the ingredients in the food processor and process until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice, if desired. Refrigerate up to 3 days.