Fabulous Aquafaba

I was happy to acquire Cooking Scrappy by Joel Gamoran a while back - the whole premise is to use up parts of food that we traditionally think of as waste. Using these parts allows us to get more bang for our buck and also prevent some of the 30%+ of food that is wasted each year in the US. 

Today, I wanted to play with aquafaba. Aqua-what? Aquafaba is the liquid from cooked chickpeas (or leftover juice from a can of chickpeas), and is often used as an alternative to egg whites in vegan baking. I think I've most often seen it used in vegan meringues.

In Cooking Scrappy, Joel has a recipe for aquafaba ranch, and as a ranch-loving household, I decided to give it a whirl!

First, drain your chickpeas, and keep all that delicious aquafaba. Use the beans in a recipe of your choosing. Don't usually cook with chickpeas? I have a recipe for an easy hummus down below.

Next, gather your additional ingredients: salt, apple cider vinegar, sugar, garlic, mustard seed...

... and blend with a stick (immersion) blender until thickened. You'll then slowly blend in some vegetable oil too. I was honestly shocked as how thick and creamy this got. This ranch has no dairy, where our favorite ranch has buttermilk as an ingredient. It is now no longer a mystery to me how aquafaba can be used as an egg white alternative.

Next, gather and stir in your final ingredients. Juice and zest from a lemon, chives, oregano, onion powder, and black pepper. While I *love* lemon, don't over-do it, as it will thin down your dressing and make it more vinaigrette than creamy.

Finally, dress your favorite salad or dip a veggie. I love me some mini bell peppers for their natural scoop shape.

Verdict: I will definitely make this again. If you are a Hidden Valley Ranch groupie, it isn't 1:1 for flavor, but I quite enjoyed this, and it's dinner guest-worthy. 

Now, if you need a recipe for chickpeas, here is my quick and easy hummus. While it calls for some aquafaba itself, there will be plenty leftover for your ranch recipe. This recipe also saves you $, costing about $1.50 for the recipe vs $4 for the competing size of prepared hummus.

Hummus

• 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
• 3 to 5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can.

Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. (Add small amounts of chickpea liquid as needed.)

Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus. Add a small amount of olive oil in the well.

Garnish with parsley, sumac or a dash of cayenne.

 

Not only are these recipes good for reducing food waste and saving money, but chickpeas are also a great source of fiber and protein, so... get on with your happy snacking! :)