Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

I absolutely love hummus!  It's one of my go-to snacks and will even it is as a meal when hubby's out of town.  In case you have no clue what hummus is, bless your heart, it's a smooth and savory Middle Eastern dip that's healthy and filling.  It took me A LOT of tries to find a hummus recipe that I liked and could make multiple times and it taste the same each time...the only thing I play around with is the tomatoes - sometimes I use roasted red peppers, roasted garlic, or just toss in some fresh herbs like parsley and dill.  There are tons of varieties on the market, and I'll admit, it's easier to just grab a container of it at the grocery store, but it won't taste as good as home made and it's not as good for you because of the preservatives they have to include.  Try this simple recipe...

Ingredients:
6-8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 T. tahini
juice of 1 lemon
4 T. extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine everything in a food processor and process until smooth, adjusting the oil to create the consistency that you like. Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you like it spicy you can toss in a few red pepper flakes or some cayenne pepper.

It's delicious served with toasted pita bread, fresh veggies, or corn chips. Also really good as a sandwich spread.

Enjoy!!

Salad Trio

Here are the three salads that I made the other day for my $1000 Club Lunch - the flavors in each compliment the others so they work really well together or you can make them individually.

CHICKEN SALAD (the only Chicken Salad Merinda will eat!!)

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise (give or take)

1 T curry powder

salt & pepper to taste

Boil the chicken until it's done (duh!)...I like to boil it because it keeps it juicy and tender. Shred the chicken with a fork, let cool. Mix craisins, pecans, celery, mayo and curry powder with the chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

BROCCOLI SALAD

1 head of fresh broccoli, chopped very fine

1 cup real bacon pieces (I use turkey bacon)

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

1 cup Creamy Poppyseed dressing (I take the help where I can get it and just use this dressing instead of making it from scratch - tastes just as good!)

Mix all of the ingredients together - cover and refrigerate overnight.

CORN & BLACK BEAN SALAD (or Salsa)
This is very similar to the Texas Caviar recipe I've posted before.

1 can yellow corn, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 green (or whatever color you have on hand) bell pepper, diced

1 small jar of pimentos, drained

1/4 cup red onion, diced

Fresh cilantro, snipped (eyeball it)

2 limes, juiced

a few drizzles of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together - cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with tortilla chips or eat with a spoon!!

Texas Caviar

Ok, so I've heard this recipe called Georgia Caviar, Texas Caviar, and Cowboy Caviar...call it whatever you'd like, it's good, it's easy, and it's mostly healthy!!

 Ingredients:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen or fresh corn
1 small jar pimentos
2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
Salt and pepper

Directions:

• In a small sauce pan over medium high heat, bring vinegar,oils and sugar to a boil and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.
• Add all the veggies in a large bowl and pour the liquid over the top.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight. Stick a spoon in there and mix it around every so often.
• Before serving season with salt and pepper if desired.  
• Fancy it up with some blue corn tortilla chips!

Baked Shells with Winter Sqush

I first had this recipe at our friends Dorian and Marianne's house and before I could finish eating it I was asking for the recipe...I don't know if that was a compliment or totally out of line, but either way I got the recipe and have made it multiple times since.  I like to think of it as a grown up version of traditional macarroni and cheese but with much fewer calories!  Even if you've never been a fan of or even tried butternut squash, please promise me you will make this recipe and try it...I promise it won't let you down!  And if you have kids that love mac'n cheese then I would recommend introducing them to this delicious recipe, I think they'll even approve!

INGREDIENTS:
Butter, for baking dish
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 pound small pasta shells
2 packages (10 ounces) frozen winter squash puree, thawed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 slices crusty baguette, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (1 1/2 cups)
 
DIRECTIONS:
 
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until onions are soft and release liquid, 15 minutes. Uncover; raise heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until onions are browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon rosemary.
2.Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes less than package instructions suggest. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking water. Return pasta to pot.
3.Stir squash and reserved pasta water into onions; simmer 2 minutes. Toss squash mixture and 1/2 cup Parmesan with pasta. Transfer to prepared dish.
4.Combine bread cubes with remaining Parmesan, rosemary, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Top pasta with bread cubes; bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
 

******* For those of you wondering where to buy winter squash, check the organic frozen section of your grocery store.  I use Winter Squash Puree by Cascadian Farm.  If your grocer doesn't carry it you can request it and they'll add it to their inventory.

Sweet Potato Fries!

The first time I ever tasted sweet potato fries was at Marketplace when we moved to Conway. They were fried like french fries with a sweet honey cinnamon sauce and just a sprinkling of salt, and they were so so good. They have a crispy, salty exterior and a soft, sweet center, I was sold!! Most sweet potato dishes in the US are so full of bad-for-you ingredients (deep frying oil, brown sugar, butter, marshmallows) that is just cancels out all of the good stuff. And sweet potatoes are very very good for you. They're packed with vitamin C, fiber, and tons of antioxidents, just to name a few. They're also are lower in carbs than a regular potatoes. This is a great, healthy alternative to french fries and they taste fantastic. And if you're totally ignoring this post because you don't like the sweet potatoes on the Thanksgiving table, then think again. These are totally different. Aaron used to hate sweet potatoes, or so he thought, and then we had these and now they're at the top of his list!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries (Our Best Bites)

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t coriander

1 t kosher salt

1 t parsley

fresh ground pepper (about 10 turns of a pepper mill)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with cooking spray. (Do you need to spray it? Probably not. But I feel safer doing it!) Don't use a silpat, or parchment, or anything like that. You want them right on the metal sheet pan. Slice your sweet potatoes into french fry shape and size. I like mine to be 1/4", or maybe a tad bit bigger. Below is a picture of the steps I take to make the most out of the potato. It's pretty self-explanatory. Cutting them larger, like steak fries will sometimes result in a big soggy mess, so stay small to get the best results.

It's important that all of the pieces are evenly sized to ensure even cooking. So toss any irregular pieces aside (or eat them in another dish). When you're ready you'll have something that looks like a pile of carrots and you might even be able to trick any picky eaters you have at your house.

Put the sweet potatoes in a bowl and drizzle the olive oil over them. Use your hands to make sure each one is coated. If you've got more than a pound of sweet potatoes, add a little extra olive oil. They should all be glistening, just eyeball it.Then sprinkle on all of the herbs and spices and continue to toss until well coated.Place the fries on the baking sheet.

Place cookie sheet in pre-heated oven and set the timer for 15 minutes. Don't open the oven door, not even for a peak! Let them do their thing. After 15 minutes take pan of oven and flip the fries. If you try to do it one at a time it will take forever, I take a long spatula and get a bunch at at time in the pic below. It's super quick. Just flip, and then make sure they're spaced out again. Be careful because at this point they're quite soft.

Put the pan in the oven and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Just keep an eye on them. They should be nice and golden brown. Take them out of the oven and serve immediately. They cool off very quickly so they're best eaten right away. Serves about 4.

Pesto Tortellini Salad

I hope you'll try this week's recipe, Pesto Tortellini Salad - it's great when you want a fast and fresh side dish or a light dinner entree. It's super simple to make and uses the fresh ingredients of your late summer harvest.

INGREDIENTS:
1 package uncooked refrigerated cheese filled tortellini
1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/3 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup prepared basil pesto OR make your own fresh basil (recipe below)
1 garlic clove, pressed
¼ cup pine or walnuts, optional

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain and rinse under running cold water.
2. Meanwhile, cut zucchini in half lengthwise using the Crinkle Cutter; cut into ¼ -inch thick slices. Cut tomatoes in half using Utility Knife.
3. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine mayonnaise, pesto and garlic, pressed with Garlic Press; mix well. Add tortellini, zucchini, tomatoes, and nuts; mix gently. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

FRESH BASIL PESTO RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1-Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2-Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Makes 1 cup.

Some interesting facts about BASIL:

Basil is described by Webster as being of the mint family used especially as a seasoning. But I have found that basil is much more than something we add to our spaghetti.
Basil is native of India, South Asia, the Middle East and has been grown for thousands of years in the Mediterranean region. Basil is found growing wild in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. There are many rituals and beliefs associated with basil. The French call basil herb royale. In Italy it is a sign of love, romance, and fine dining. Jewish folklore suggests it adds strength while fasting. Basil was said to be found in Christ's tomb after his resurrection. Greek Orthodox use basil to prepare holy water and pots of basil are placed below church alters. In Europe and India they place basil in the hands of the dead to ensure a safe journey.

Basil has been known for many years as an herbal remedy for diseases of the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, and the bladder. It is primarily a digestive and nervous system aid. Infuse basil and use it as a tea for indigestion. Inhale basil tea to relieve cold symptoms. A tonic can be made by steeping basil leaves in wine for several hours. Basil has uplifting, energizing, anti-depressant properties. Last but not least, basil is very compatible with tomatoes. Basil is known as the tomato herb. Use sweet basil in your pesto, like in this recipe, as well as in your tomato sauces. Sprinkle dried or cut fresh basil over salads and sliced tomatoes. Basil also goes well in soups, salads, eggs, fish and meat dishes.

ENJOY!