Beet Hummus

 Somebody missed me.    Maybe even more than one somebody.
 I actually had a few people urge me to continue to share recipes here.  After taking a  little break,  I realized that I wanted to come back here and talk about food.   I love to cook and I love food, so it just makes sense.

 I had a Roast Chicken disaster in the middle of February and it was really sad.  It was quite the debacle and after that happened, I felt like I lost my mojo for a couple of weeks.  The defeat of the Chicken made me lose a little confidence in the kitchen and I played it really safe for a little while.  Then, I got inspired  and decided to try a few things that I had been looking forward to for quite some time.  This Beet Hummus was on that list.

 I love Hummus.  I have made every kind imaginable and I love beets, so combining the two didn't seem that weird to me.  I pinned a few different recipes and waited for the perfect opportunity to make this lovely dip.  One of my best friends was coming over for lunch one day and I wanted to make the best lunch ever.  I made this Beet Hummus, Homemade Veggie Burgers (the best one's I've ever had-don't worry, I will share the recipe later), Kale Chips (with Red Russian Kale), and Meyer Lemon Sorbet. 


  This Hummus was fantastic with all sorts of veggie dippers, but it was also really good smeared on top of the Veggie Burgers.   I made it the day before we enjoyed lunch together and that made it really easy to pull off a great lunch menu. I would like to try it again using golden beets as soon as possible.  It is delicious!

I used this recipe from Our Share of the Harvest 

and this recipe from Erin's Food Files 

as a basis for this Beet Hummus, but didn't follow them completely.  I have made hummus so many times that I know how much of what to add to get the consistency that I want. 

  

Black-eyed Pea Hummus

I have a thing for making different kinds of hummus at home. I've come to realize that you can make any kind of hummus you want. I saw a recipe for Black-eyed Pea Hummus and it sounded really great. Over the past few summers, I have been able to try fresh pink-eyed peas and purple-eyed peas and have acquired a new love for any color of eyed peas. They are delicious fresh and cooked and I knew this hummus would be delicious.

I found a few containers of fresh black-eyed peas and cooked them to make this hummus. I just served it with fresh cut up veggies and it was delightful. When I tried it I thought that it might be my new favorite hummus. Try it and see what you think.

Here is the recipe for Black-eyed Pea Hummus

Hummus Slaw

I am not a big fan of most coleslaw recipes. I don't like mayo, so any recipe that uses that as a base is a definite no-go, and I don't really care for sugar-y/vinegar based dressing that accompany lots of other coleslaw recipes. When I saw this simple version of slaw, that is dressed with hummus and lemon juice, I knew it would be something I liked. I ended up just making the slaw part of the recipe and not the chicken part, but I think that the full recipe would probably be really good. This was a great side dish and also made a delicious lunch.

Here is the recipe I took the Hummus Slaw from

I also made this recipe for Roasted Pork with Lentils.
from the same issue of Food Network Magazine, but the picture I took was too hideous to share. It was a great dinner. We had collard greens on the side.

Sweet Potato Hummus

I have been looking for new ways to enjoy sweet potatoes since we have received so many in our produce co-op. Sweet potatoes aren't something that I really love, so I was looking for creative ways to eat them, that didn't included making them sweeter (like some dishes do around the holidays with marshmallows and brown sugar). I found a couple of really great recipes and this was one of the first ones I wanted to try out.

I love hummus and have made many variations
of it over the years. I wasn't sure how adding sweet potatoes to chickpeas and tahini would taste, but it turned out that this Sweet Potato Hummus was really delicious. It did have a sweeter aftertaste than usual hummus, but it was a really nice variation that we enjoyed. I made some whole wheat pita chips in the oven and we also used fresh veggies as dippers.

Here is the recipe for Sweet Potato Hummus
* I roasted and pureed 3 large sweet potatoes on the day I made this hummus, before I read the instructions, so I just used an estimated amount of that puree when mixing up the hummus

Turkey Burgers and Hummus

Isn't it funny how photos turn out when you let your kids help you out? This turkey burger looks like a creature with two eyes- please don't let that distract you from trying it out!

I made both of these recipes for our dinner with friends a few weeks ago and wasn't planning on sharing either of them at the time. But then, we tasted them and everyone raved and I figured it wasn't fair not to share the goodness. The turkey burgers were so good. It must have been the fresh herbs and the little bit of olive oil mixed in. They were so flavorful and not dry at all.
The hummus had a great consistency and was just really good. Both of these were perfect to serve at a family friendly gathering. I look forward to making them both again!

Here is the recipe for Turkey Burgers as seen on Annie's Eats
* I used fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano
* I used 94% lean ground turkey

Here is the recipe for Homemade Hummus

and the recipe for Herbed Hummus
* I used chives

Guacamole Hummus

My daughter has really taken interest in helping me in the kitchen. She has always wanted to help, but now she really wants to get her hands dirty and do it all.
This was the perfect thing for her to help me with. You just dump the ingredients in the food processor and in a few minutes you have a smooth, creamy, delicious dip. It tastes like guacamole, but it acts like hummus. What does that mean? I'm not sure, but it is good.

My hubby doesn't like guacamole, but he really loved this dip. It would be a great spread for a taco, breakfast or sandwiches/wraps too. We enjoyed it with pita chips, bell pepper strips, and carrots.

Guacamole Hummus-Everyday Food

In a food processor

combine 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 cups fresh cilantro leaves, (I used half fresh Italian parsley)

1 garlic clove, chopped,

and 1 ripe avocado, roughly chopped.

Process until finely chopped.

With machine running add 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a slow, steady stream and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, then add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is smooth. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. (I added a dash of cumin)

Split Pea Hummus

I only have a faint memory about split peas from my childhood. And it isn't a really great one. I guess for that reason, I have never had the interest to make anything that contains split peas. I have never given them a second thought.

That all changed a few weeks ago when I was looking through the most recent issue of Southern Living Magazine and saw a recipe for Split Pea Hummus. It comes from an article about a woman who shares Greek and Southern heritage and the way that she came up with a menu that celebrated both of those things. The fact that the split peas are cooked and pureed made me think about my most favorite dip EVER which is made with red lentils and that's when I realized that maybe lentils and split peas have something in common. (Go ahead and laugh at me, it's ok!)

So, back to the split pea hummus. I decided to make it for a family dinner we had last weekend and the main reason was so that I could test this recipe with some true Southerners.

This dip/hummus is really easy to make and really delicious. I served it with mini sweet peppers, baby carrots, sliced cucumbers and pita chips. It was really good. I was surprised, in a very good way. Many of my Southern family members really enjoyed this dip.

Now I just need a delicious way to use the rest of my split peas. Any suggestions?


Here is the recipe for Split Pea Hummus from Southern Living

Turkey-Hummus Sliders

I saw this recipe in Food Network Magazine and thought it was such a fun idea. It was an out-of the ordinary way to use hummus (hummus is mixed into the ground turkey mixture) and perfect for little hands.

I can usually always find mini whole wheat pitas at my local grocery store, but as soon as I put these sliders on the menu, the mini pitas were nowhere to be found. At first I thought I would just turn this into a pita creation, putting all the ingredients into a pita half and eating it that way, but that kinda takes away the fun and cute part of this slider.

So, I just got full size whole wheat pitas and cut out small circles with a biscuit cutter, making sure that I kept the closed edge at the bottom, so the two sides would still stay together. It may not be as cute as the original idea, but it worked!

My husband really raved about this one, which kinda surprised me. (I left the tomato slice off of his). He loved the combination of the pita, hummus, little burger and the cucumber-feta mixture. He said it tasted great and reminded him of something that would be served in a restaurant. My kids really liked it too.

I think it is essential that all the parts of this slider be served together. I don't think that it would taste as good with just the sliders. The cucumber-feta mixture, whole wheat pita, and hummus spread on the bottom of the pita are must-dos. All of the components work together to make this a really tasty, bite-size winner of a meal/snack.

Recipe for Turkey-Hummus Sliders From Food Network Magazine
* I used 94% lean ground turkey
* I used roasted red pepper hummus
* I used dried oregano in the feta-cucumber mixture because I didn't have dried mint
* I used less oil to cook my sliders

Greek Night- 2 dips, soup, salad, appetizer, main dish, drink and dessert

A couple of weeks ago my son studied Ancient Greece at school. He had multiple options for his final project and we decided to have a "Greek Cafe" as part of the experience.

When I was a kid, I used to love to do restaurants to surprise my dad when he would come home from work, so I knew this would be really fun for all of us.
The kids dressed up and placed all the appropriate signs annoucing our cafe. The cutest part was how they thought that someone driving down our street might just be hungry and stop in to join us.
My son made the signs and came up with the name for our cafe. I asked for his input on the menu and spent the afternoon getting all the dishes ready for our Greek Night.

We started with a drink called "The Greek Lantern". I have absolutely no idea if it is really a Greek drink, but it sounded really interesting, combining a large amount of fresh parsley leaves, lime juice, lime zest, club soda, water and ice. It actually was quite refreshing and surprisingly yummy.
Next we had a Roasted Red Pepper with Feta dip and Lemony-Garlic Hummus with homemade pita chips. Both of these were really good, although the red pepper one was deemed "spicy" by my youngest child.

Then we had mini spanakopita, which were really delicious and not as time consuming as I thought they would be.
The soup was everybody's favorite. I have had it at Greek restaurants before and it was very simple to recreate at home. It is called Avgolemono Soup- which just means Egg, Lemon and Rice soup. You have to temper eggs to make it, but boy was it delicious. My kids loved it.
I made a light version of Baklava that I found from Cooking Light. It was also much easier than I thought it was going to be to make. It turned out good, but was quite sweet, so could only be enjoyed in small portions. I actually had some leftover baklava mixed into this lemon ice cream a few days later and that was an amazing dessert.

What Greek menu would be complete without some sort of Greek salad? I actually made 2 versions of this salad since we have two people in our house who don't like tomatoes. The second version I made with chopped red pepper to replace the tomato. These leftovers were delicious on a green salad and also in a pita sandwich.
We had Chicken Souvlaki skewers, which my son loved. The Tzatziki sauce that went along with this was my youngest child's favorite thing. She was eating it plain and dipping all sorts of veggies in it.

Here's a closer look at the Baklava. We had lots of fun on Greek Night!

The Greek Lantern

Ingredients

• 1 cup (packed) Parsley Sprigs
• ½ tsp Lime Zest, grated
• 1 cup Cold Water
• ½ cup Fresh Lime Juice
• ½ cup Sugar
• 1 (10 ounce) bottle Club Soda

Instructions

• Blend all the ingredients, except club soda, in a blender, for about one minute.
• Take a large glass measure and strain the preparation through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Put ice into tall glasses and pour the prepared drink.
• Top with club soda and serve

Lemony-Garlic Hummus

Recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen

2 16 oz cans of chickpeas (Bush’s is my canned bean of choice!)
1/2 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
juice and zest from 3 lemons
3 TB tahini
4 cloves garlic, crushed
big pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper
5 TB olive oil

Combine first 6 ingredients into bowl of food processor. Blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Slowly stream in olive oil until combined and smooth. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Serve with fresh cut veggies, crackers, chips, pita chips or crostini for a nice appetizer platter.

Note: this recipe makes a large batch. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipe for Roasted Red Pepper with Feta Dip


Recipe for Greek Salad
* I drastically reduced the amount of olive oil and feta cheese that this recipe called for. I just drizzled the mixture with a little olive oil and then used more lemon juice. I only added a couple of oz of feta cheese.


Recipe for Mini-Spanakopitas
* the egg white/olive oil mixture they said to brush the phyllo dough with, didn't work for me.
I used cooking spray instead.

Recipe for Avgolemono Soupo (Egg, Lemon, and Rice Soup)

Recipe for Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce
* I used greek yogurt

Recipe for Baklava with Wildflower Honey
* I used orange blossom honey

Meditteranean Layer Dip

Growing up we frequently enjoyed 7 Layer Dip at family get-togethers and parties.
There are many different variations on this recipe, but ours was usually as follows- refried beans on the bottom, a packet of taco seasoning or taco spice blend mixed with sour cream next, then guacamole, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, shredded cheese, and sliced green onions.
Serve it with tortilla chips and it makes a fantastic appetizer and/or snack.

I saw a recipe for the same type of layer dip in a magazine over the holidays, but the flavors and ingredients were Meditteranean instead.
I didn't follow the recipe, but I did see the idea, so it's not like I just imagined this up completely on my own.

I put this together and served it with pre-made whole wheat pita chips. I usually like to make my own pita chips, but because of time, I bought pre-made this time.

I started off with hummus as the bottom layer, then a thin layer of plain fat-free greek yogurt, sliced fresh spinach, chopped roasted red peppers, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumber, sliced black olives, chopped green onions, chopped fresh parsley and then, crumbled feta over the whole thing. I finished it off by squeezing fresh lemon juice over the whole thing and boy, did we have a winner of a dip!
We actually ate this for lunch and everyone in my family loved it.
I love all of these ingredients and flavors anyway, but combining them in this way was really great.
I had to remove the tomatoes from the section my hubby ate, but he liked it once I took those off.

I scooped all the leftovers into a plastic container and ate them as lunch for a couple of days.

This would be a great appetizer for a party or a great lunch/snack, so throw it together and see what you think!


I didn't really measure the amounts when I was throwing this together. I just layered the ingredients and topped each layer with the next, by the amount that looked good.

Meditteranean Layer Dip inspired by a magazine, put into play by Me
hummus
plain fat-free greek yogurt
sliced fresh spinach
chopped roasted red peppers
chopped cucumbers
chopped tomatoes
black olives
chopped green onions
feta
chopped parsley
fresh lemon juice

On a platter or plate, spread a thick layer of hummus.
Top this with thin layer of greek yogurt, spreading almost to the edge, but leaving a 1/4-1/2 inch of the hummus uncovered.
Next add a few handfuls of sliced fresh spinach.
Top the spinach with the chopped peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, green onions, and parsley.
Sprinkle the desired amount of feta cheese over top and squeeze the juice from 1/2 or 1 lemon over the entire dip.
Serve with pita chips.
Refrigerate leftovers, if any.

Mothers Day Tea Party

I saw this really cute idea for a Mothers Day Tea Party in the May issue of Family Fun Magazine and decided it was the perfect way to celebrate this upcoming holiday with my family and friends. We made the wrapping paper hats, the fans and the cute little tea party foods. It was really fun.

Our party was for girls only and everyone had to make their own hat. I made the petit fours, tea sandwiches, lemon scones, and strawberry lemonade. I made Dorie's Perfection Pound Cake the day before our party and wrapped it up really good overnight and cut it into shapes the day of the party. The icing for the petit fours was the most difficult part because at first it was too thick and hard to cover the cake pieces with and then I thinned it out so much that is was nearly non-existent. It didn't really matter- the kids and adults loved them anyway. We had alot of fun.

We ate our fun little foods (the lemon scones would make a great Mother's Day breakfast or brunch item), played some games and enjoyed each other's company.

This was the perfect way to celebrate. Happy Mother's Day!!!

Mother's Day Tea Party from Family Fun Magazine

Pastel Petits Fours
Dainty and sophisticated, these cakes (adapted from "Pink Princess Tea Parties" by Barbara Beery) are a real showstopper -- especially for a special occasion like a Mother's Day Tea Party. And since they're made from store-bought pound cake, they're surprisingly easy to prepare. You can decorate the tops with sprinkles, colored sugar, or candy flowers.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
1 (16-ounce) pound cake (I used Dorie's Perfection Poundcake)
9 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Liquid food coloring
Decorations, such as sprinkles, colored sugar, and candy flowers

1. Cut the entire cake into 1-inch-thick slices. Then use 1-inch-wide cookie cutters or a knife to cut round, square, and diamond shapes from each slice. Place the cake pieces on a wire rack set on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the powdered sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup water, and vanilla and almond extracts until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes. As the icing cools, it may start to stiffen; if so, stir in a spoonful of water to keep the icing smooth and flowing. Divide the icing equally between two or three small bowls. Stir food coloring, a drop at a time, into each bowl until the icing is the desired shade.

3. Working with one piece of cake at a time, spoon on the icing to cover it completely, then add sprinkles, colored sugar, or a candy flower before the icing sets. Let the cakes stand, uncovered, until the icing is dry, about 30 minutes. Store them in an airtight container for up to three days.

Makes about 30 cakes.

Tea Sandwiches
Any sandwich can be a tea sandwich, as long as it's sliced into neat, nearly-bite-size pieces. Here are some of our favorites -- adapted from "Pink Princess Tea Parties" by Barbara Beery -- to get you started. For extra fanciness on a special occasion like a Mother's Day Tea Party, use a cookie cutter to punch out shapes from your sandwich bread.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
FOR SANDWICH NO. 1:
Wheat bread
Cream cheese
Walnuts
Honey
Pears
FOR SANDWICH NO. 2:
White bread (I used the rest of our baguette)
Herbed cream cheese (I used vegetable cream cheese)
Tomatoes
Black olives
FOR SANDWICH NO. 3:
Baguette
Nutella
Bananas
FOR SANDWICH NO. 4:
Mini pita breads (I used plain pita chips)
Hummus (We had 2 kinds of hummus-roasted red pepper and plain)
Cucumber and tomato
FOR SANDWICH NO. 5:
Wheat bread
Sliced turkey
Provolone
Basil pesto

1. Spread wheat bread with honey-walnut cream cheese (made by combining 1 package of softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and 2 tablespoons of honey). Top with sliced pears and a second slice of bread.

2. Cover white bread with herbed cream cheese, tomato slices, and minced black olives.

3. Top thin slices of baguette with Nutella and sliced bananas.

4. Fill mini pita breads with hummus and slices of cucumber and tomato.

5. Sandwich sliced turkey and provolone between two pieces of wheat bread spread with basil pesto.

Glazed Lemon Scones
Light and lemony, these biscuit-like cakes will make a refreshing addition to any Easter brunch menu. Plus, they're a fun and easy pastry for kids to help prepare, particularly when it comes time to pat and slice the dough and drizzle on the glaze.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Scones:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup heavy or whipping cream, plus a little for brushing
1 egg yolk, beaten slightly
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons heavy or whipping cream

1. Heat the oven to 400°. Grease a large, heavy baking sheet (preferably not a dark one) and set

it aside.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon zest and toss the mixture with your hands.

3. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the cream, the yolk, and the vanilla extract and use a fork to blend the liquids within the well. Then use a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients, just until the dough holds together.

5. Scrape the dough onto a flour-dusted surface and then, using floured hands, knead it gently three or four times to form a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk about 3/4-inch thick, then cut it as you would a pie into 8 wedges. Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet, leaving at least 1/4 inch between them. Brush the tops lightly with cream.

6. Bake the scones in the center of the oven until golden brown, about 16 to 18 minutes. Allow them to cool on the sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack.

7. While the scones continue to cool, make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and whisk them until the mixture is smooth. If necessary, you can thin the glaze with water, stirring in no more than 1/2 teaspoon at a time. When the scones have cooled for another 10 minutes, drizzle each one generously with glaze.

Makes 8 scones.

Coming Monday- Vegetable Frittata and Flaky Biscuits

Mini Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Has anyone seen these cute little sweet peppers at Costco? My kids have been gobbling them down by the handfuls. They look kinda tricky, like they might be hot, but they are not. They are so sweet and crunchy. The perfect size for snacking.
As I was watching my daughter down her 10th pepper in a matter of minutes, I thought that these would be really cute as an appetizer or snack stuffed with something yummy.
I always have garbanzo beans and I happen to have some roasted red peppers in the fridge, so I threw this hummus together in a flash. I cut some of the stems off of the peppers and cut out the few little seeds and then spooned some hummus inside, but just grabbing the pepper by the stem and dipping it in the hummus worked well too.
Just furthers the idea that mini makes everything betteR!

Red Pepper Hummus from Cooking Light

1 red bell pepper (I used 1/2 cup of jarred roasted red peppers)

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

1 garlic clove, quartered

Preheat broiler. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel. Place bell pepper and remaining ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.

Coming Tomorrow- Ginger Tea Cake, 2 ways