Hummus

Hummus is one of my favorite snack foods.  I don't remember the first time I ever tried it, but it was as an adult, probably in my 30s.  When I bought my first food processor, the very first thing I made in it was hummus- in fact, wanting to make hummus at home was the reason for buying my first food processor!  I used the recipe out of the Moosewood Cookbook, and in time, developed my own way of making it. I prefer making my own to buying hummus at the store- while there are some good brands out there, it seems like they always put cumin into it, and I really do not like cumin in hummus.  Not to toot my own horn too loudly, but I get a lot of compliments on my hummus.  My kids love it- my daughter would happily live on it if I let her.  In fact, as I have been typing this, she walked into the kitchen and asked if I would make more today, since she just finished off what was in the refrigerator.

Mine is a pretty simple recipe.  After many years of making it, I can do it without measuring anything.  It comes together pretty quickly in the food processor, and it's best to make it with time to let it sit in the fridge a few hours or overnight before serving, to let the flavors meld.  I have added other ingredients in the past- roasted red pepper, green onions, spinach, but really like the simplicity of the plain, unadorned hummus.

Hummus

2 cans garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained and rinsed well
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 heaping tablespoon sesame tahini
The juice of one lemon
About 3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Water, as needed to thin

1.  Place drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, tahini and garlic in food processor.  Pulse to chop into a coarse crumble.

2.  Turn processor on low and drizzle in lemon juice and olive oil a little at a time.  Use a spatula to scrape mixture down into the bowl of the processor as necessary.

3. Taste, and add more lemon juice if necessary (if one lemon does not yield enough juice, I  supplement with bottled lemon juice)

4.  Thin with water as needed, until mixture attains a creamy consistency.

5.  Add salt and pepper and process to incorporate.  Taste and add more if necessary.

6.  Refrigerate at least a couple of hours before serving; overnight is best.  Serve with pita bread, pita chips, crackers, raw vegetables, etc.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole- Two Ways

Recently I was looking over my past entries in this blog, and I realized that I have posted a lot of pasta recipes!  Pasta is great- it's delicious, filling, fast, and if you use whole grain pasta, pretty healthy.  However, not everyone can eat pasta- those on low-carb diets, or those who are on a gluten-free diet.  We like pasta just fine at my house, though it is not the most figure-friendly food on the planet, but as I said, it's quick and easy, so ends up making an appearance at dinner frequently.

I've seen a lot about using spaghetti squash as an alternative to pasta, and my past attempts were not always that successful.  It's a texture thing- while it may LOOK like spaghetti noodles, and are fairly mild-flavored, the texture is NOTHING like pasta.  I learned early on that when cooking with spaghetti squash, it's best to use it in dishes where you are not expecting the texture of spaghetti.  Therefore, something like, say, spaghetti, is out of the question.  I have had pretty good luck with casseroles, though.  The spaghetti squash is lighter than pasta, but has enough heft and substance to provide a good structure to a casserole.  My first experiment was a casserole in which the spaghetti squash strands were mixed with ricotta and parmesan cheeses, an egg, and some sauteed veggies, mixed together, and baked.  It was tasty!  This weekend, I tried a different casserole, not one, but two ways.  I didn't plan it that way- I just ended up with more ingredients than I could use for one casserole, so whipped up a second "lazy" version with the rest!

This is a take on lasagna, and though I used ground beef, ground turkey or chicken would be equally good, and would lighten the dish even further.  I used a jarred spaghetti sauce, though a lot of the recipes I researched call for using canned or fresh tomatoes and making your own quick sauce.  I had jars of sauce in my pantry, so in the interest of time, used it.  I used what veggies I had on hand, which included zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper, and onion, but you can use other veggies as well.  Eggplant would be good, as would broccoli or asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, etc.  In the first version, I started with a layer of cooked spaghetti squash strands on the bottom of a 9x9 pan, then spread on a layer of ricotta/cottage cheese mixed with an egg, then topped with my sauce, which included the beef and veggies.  In the second version, everything was mixed together and plopped into the pan and baked.  Both are tasty, and next time, I might do a hybrid of these, where I mix the spaghetti squash strands with a bit of the cheese and sauce for the bottom layer, then layer as described above.

This recipe makes a lot- I probably could have done one large (9x13) pan, but did two smaller ones instead.  If you just want one smaller pan, just use half of a spaghetti squash and cut the rest of the ingredients in half.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole, Two Ways

1 average-sized spaghetti squash

1.25 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
Olive oil
1/2 of a large onion
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1/2 of a red bell pepper
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I used a roasted garlic and onion one)
1 15 oz. container of part skim ricotta cheese
About 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 egg
About 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Optional: shredded mozzarella for top

(Side note and funny story: I did not have any mozzarella, but did have some string cheese.  I decided to slice a few of them up and sprinkle on top of the casserole, figuring they would melt together.  Um, nope!  They maintained their shape and rather rubbery texture, so I had a polka-dotted casserole top!  Hence not having any photos of this dish.  Next time I make it, I'll take photos.)

Method 1:

1.  Slice spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray and place squash halves cut sides down.  Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes until soft.   Cool, then use a fork to shred the strands of squash out of the skins.  Set aside.

2.  Dice the onion, pepper, zucchini and yellow squash into uniformly sized pieces.  Heat a couple tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet and add vegetables.  Sautee until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Remove vegetables to a plate and set aside.

3.  Add ground beef to pan and cook, breaking it up to crumble as it cooks.  Drain excess fat and liquids.  When completely cooked, add vegetables back to pan and heat through.

4.  Add spaghetti sauce and heat through.

5.  Meanwhile, mix ricotta and cottage cheeses together in a bowl with one egg, until egg is well incorporated.

6.  Spray a 9x13 pan or two 9x9 pans with cooking spray.  Add spaghetti squash strands in an even layer about 1/2 to 1 inch thick.

7.  Spread cheese mixture over spaghetti squash.  Top with sauce.

8.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, until sauce is bubbly.  Sprinkle with parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese and bake 5 minutes more, until cheese is melted.

Method 2:

1.  Follow steps 1 through 5 above and prepare pan(s) with cooking spray.

2.  Mix spaghetti squash, cheese, and sauce together in a bowl and pour into pan.

3.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes, until sauce is bubbly.  Sprinkle with parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese and bake 5 minutes more, until cheese is melted.

Open-Faced Fried Egg and Tomato Sandwich

I love tomatoes- as long as they are ripe!  Now is the perfect time for using fresh tomatoes in cooking- they just don't get better than they are right now.  This is a delicious breakfast, lunch, or light dinner, and comes together very quickly and easily.  Sometimes I add a slice of bacon and sometimes I leave it off.  Spinach or other tender greens are also good on this.

Open-Faced Fried Egg and Tomato Sandwich
Serves: 1

1 slice sourdough bread, lightly toasted and buttered
1 egg
1 slice sharp cheddar cheese
1 small ripe tomato, sliced
1 slice crisp bacon (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Heat a small frying pan and spray with cooking spray.  When hot, crack egg into pan, salt and pepper to taste, and cook to desired doneness.  Add cheese to top of egg.

2.  Place egg on top of buttered toast.  Top with bacon (if using) and tomato slices.  Salt and pepper tomato slices to taste.

Skillet Greek Chicken and Vegetables Over Couscous

It's no secret that I love Greek or Mediterranean-inspired cooking- many of the dishes I've shared here have that theme.  The flavors are so bright and vibrant- pungent garlic and onion, tangy lemon, rich tomato, briny olive, and the sharp tang of Feta cheese, when combined, make such a complex set of flavors!  This past week, I had some boneless skinless chicken breasts that I had defrosted and had some left after grilling the rest.  I decided to try a skillet dish and use all of my favorite Greek ingredients.  The result was SO tasty and delicious, I know I will be making this again and again! I used what I had on hand at the time, but when I make this again, plan to add more fresh vegetables, such as zucchini, eggplant, bell pepper and more spinach.  This would be good over rice or quinoa instead of the couscous, but I liked the couscous because it cooks so quickly- just 5 minutes.

Skillet Greek Chicken and Vegetables Over Couscous
Serves: 2-3

1 box couscous, prepared according to package directions (I used the Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil flavor from Near East)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved crosswise and cut into 2 inch pieces
Salt/pepper
Italian seasoning, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (or 1 cup fresh diced tomatoes)
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained well (water-packed, not marinated)
1/3 cup Kalamata olives, halved lengthwise
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese


1. Cook couscous according to directions, set aside.

2. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. 

3.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken and brown on both sides.  Remove from pan and set aside.

4. Reduce heat to medium.  Add onion and garlic to pan, stir and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken broth and turn heat back up to medium-high; reduce slightly.

5.  Add tomatoes and artichoke hearts and continue to cook, about 3-4 minutes.  Add chicken and heat through.

6. Add olives, spinach and additional Italian seasoning, if desired.  Toss to incorporate and heat through about 1 minute.

7.  Serve over couscous, garnished with crumbled feta cheese.

Note: If adding additional vegetables, I would use about 2 cups of uniform bite-sized, and would cook them in a bit of olive oil after removing the chicken from the pan. Then move on to step 3, adding the garlic and onion to the vegetable mixture.

Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad

Summer again, and salads abound!  This one is a nice deviation from the typical chicken-topped salad, since the other main ingredient is strawberries, something you do not normally think of pairing with chicken!  It really is delicious though.  Salad dressing does double duty here as a marinade and salad topper.  Just a few salad ingredients, but very flavorful.

Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad
Serves: 2

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, halved crosswise
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp finely minced fresh mint (optional)
4 cups torn Romaine lettuce
2 cups baby spinach leaves
Red onion slices, to taste
1 cup hulled and halved strawberries
1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Combine balsamic vinegar, water, oil, garlic, honey, and mint and whisk together.  Place 1/2 of mixture in a large ZipLock bag and add chicken; toss to coat, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.  Reserve the remainder.  After 30 to 60 minutes, remove chicken from marinade and grill.  Cool and slice into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine Romaine lettuce, spinach, onion, and strawberries.  Drizzle reserved dressing and toss gently.  Add chicken and sprinkle with Feta cheese.

Kale and Vegetable Chopped Salad With Chicken

It's almost New Year's, and you know what that means...all those well-meaning resolutions like exercising and eating healthy.  Yes, I'd love to lose a few (or more) pounds myself, and eating healthy is a lot easier than resolving to exercise more, which I hate to do!  This is a salad that I whipped up today, and it turned out to be really delicious in addition to super healthy.  I found this bag of Lacinato Tuscan kale at Safeway this week and had to try it.  Lately, I've been seeing a lot of leafy greens made more available in the stores, and that is great to see!  I sometimes buy a big bag of baby kale at Costco, but there is so much in the bag that I always end up throwing some away.  Safeway now has smaller bags of different kind of greens- I saw collards, mustard greens, and chard in addition to the kale.  I will be trying the others soon, but decided to start with the kale since I am familiar with it.

This is a good "clean out the crisper" salad- you can use whatever veggies you have available.  I used what I had, which included broccoli, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, carrots and radishes, but just about any veggie that you would eat raw would be good here.  I actually grilled the onions and zucchini, since I was grilling the chicken anyway, but they'd be fine in the salad uncooked.  You can use chicken that is left over from last night's dinner, or even canned chicken or tuna instead of grilled chicken, but I like to grill a few chicken breasts to use in salad for the next few days.

Here's to eating healthy in the New Year!

Kale and Vegetable Chopped Salad With Chicken

4 cups greens (kale, spinach, chard, etc.), washed and roughly chopped
About 3 cups chopped vegetables of your choice.  I used: carrots, radishes, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, green onions, and orange bell pepper.  I chopped mine to about 1/2 pieces.
1 cup or so of diced cooked chicken (lightly marinated in Italian salad dressing for about 10 minutes prior to grilling)
About 3-4 tbsp light/low-cal salad dressing (I used Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinegar dressing)
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

Combine greens, vegetables, and chicken.  Drizzle on dressing and toss well to incorporate.  Sprinkle with feta cheese.

This salad can be made ahead when you use hardy greens like kale or chard, because they stand up well to the dressing and don't wilt like lettuce does.  Just make sure to use a variety of kale that is tender- some, like the standard curly variety that can be found in the bulk greens section of the grocery store, are a bit tough for salads.  Baby kale or lacinato are crisp but still tender.

Serves: About 4 large or 6 small servings

Grilled Tomato, Arugula and Goat Cheese Sandwich

I am bad...yes, I know.  Apparently I am on an every 6 months posting schedule here.  It was my intention to get back into posting my recipes on a regular basis, but life has been busy, so what can I say?  Maybe someday I will have more than a few short minutes when dashing off a quick dinner before having to haul a kid to dance class or a friend's house or whatever.  I've come to the conclusion, since I have two teenagers in the house, that that won't be any time soon.  So, I'm letting   myself off the hook, giving myself permission to just do what I can do, post when I can post.

An entire season has come and gone since I last posted- summer officially ended yesterday, and today is the first day of fall.  That is apparent when I look outside, and see overcast skies, the wind in the trees, and the leaves beginning to color and fall.  But we're in that in-between stage, when summer isn't really gone yet- I can still go out and walk the dog without a sweater on, still need my sunglasses when I leave the house, and summer produce is still in abundance at the farmer's market.  Actually, the tomatoes are JUST now getting good- they didn't even appear at the markets until mid-August or so.  I have not always been a fan of tomatoes.  As a kid, they made me gag, literally, and I was made to eat them in salads daily.  As I grew up, I discovered that some tomatoes are better than others, namely, those that grow locally and are ripened on the vine.  There is no comparison between these tomatoes and their imported supermarket half-cousins.  I have come to a point in my life where I don't care to eat mediocre foods if I can help it. Therefore, I strive for those that are local, and in season.  Right now, tomatoes fit both of those categories, and I enjoy them while I can..  They are plentiful at the farmer's markets, produce stands, and the back yards of home gardeners.  Sadly, that is not me this year. I did not get my act together enough to get to the nursery in the spring to buy young plants to put in my back yard garden. That would require weeding first, which is such a job that I could not fit it into the schedule in the spring.  So, I have had to rely on markets, stands, and the odd donation from a gardening friend.  Recently, I lucked out- a friend from work had a plethora of tomatoes, and brought me a small bag.  I enjoyed a couple as slicers, raw with salt and pepper only, or broiled slightly with a bit of cheese on top.  Both are delicious ways to enjoy a fresh summer tomato.  But I had visions of a sandwich, and once conceived, I had to make it happen.  I was not disappointed, and you won't be either.  Trust me: MAKE THIS SANDWICH.  It is the essence of summer on a plate.

This time of year, basil is also plentiful, and if you have enough, you can make your own pesto from scratch.  I have yet to grow a basil plant that is not devoured by some unknown insect, so I buy my pesto already made at Costco.  It is very reasonably priced, and delicious, but if you have your own homemade, use that.  Goat cheese can also be found at Costco- I buy mine in two logs that come packaged together, also very reasonably priced.  I love Costco..except when I have to actually be there shopping, lol.

Grilled Tomato and Goat Cheese Sandwich

I am the only one in my house who will eat tomatoes.  Therefore, this recipe is for one sandwich.  Feel free to increase ingredients as needed to make more.

Ingredients:

2 slices sourdough bread
2 tsp prepared pesto
1/8 cup soft goat cheese
1 small (racquet ball size) fresh ripe tomato, sliced
Several arugula leaves (or spinach, if you can't find arugula)
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil cooking spray

1.  Spray skillet with a thick coat of olive oil cooking spray, and heat on medium-high heat.

2.  Spread each bread slice with 1 tsp of pesto.

3.  Microwave goat cheese for about 15-20 seconds to soften. When soft and spreadable, spread half onto each bread slice, over the pesto.

4.  On one bread slice, lay tomato slices in an even layer.  Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

5.  On the other bread slice, lay arugula/spinach evenly.

6.  Put sandwich together.  When pan is hot, lay in heated pan.  Grill until golden brown, then turn, adding more cooking spray if necessary.  Grill until golden brown on second side.