More hummus-Artichoke Lemon Hummus

I think I might get a shirt made "Weekends are for blogging".  I didn't even plan on making something new today, it just happened.  This was super fast and really yummy.  I actually just looked up Artichoke and Hummus.  It is from another food blog in which they took the recipe from Cooks Illustrated.  I skipped the garnish part, hey it was just for us.

Artichoke Lemon Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 
cup canned artichoke heart (rinsed, dried & chopped)
• 4 
tbsp lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/4 
cup water
• 6 
tbsp tahini (stirred well)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
• 1
 (14 oz) can chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1/2 
tsp salt
• 1/4 
tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (divided)
• 2 
tsp fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Set aside 1/4 cup of the artichokes for garnish.
2. In a small bowl, combine the water and lemon juice. In another bowl, whisk the tahini and olive oil together.
3. In a food processor, blend the chickpeas, 3/4 cup artichokes, garlic, salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and lemon zest (about 15 seconds). Use a spatula to scrape ingredients off the sides of the bowl.
4. Turn the processor on and add the lemon water slowly through the top. Scrape the sides again and continue to blend (about 1 minute).
5. Again, turn the processor on, slowly add the tahini oil mixture, and process until smooth (about 15 seconds), continuing to scrape the sides of the bowl.
6. Place the hummus into a bowl and garnish with the extra artichokes, parsley and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper.
7. Set stand at least 30 minutes, then drizzle with olive oil before serving.

This is a recipe I have to share- "Swiss Meat Loaf"

I got this recipe from my friend Beverly a while back.  I was talking to her about food (of course) and I wanted to make something Philly really liked.  She had a meat loaf recipe for me.  I was skeptical, I never liked my mom's meat loaf (sorry mom).  This one is very tasty, I was pleasantly surprised.  Since then, I have made it for Philly's (Chris') parents with rave reviews.  If you know Ron, you know that is huge!  Claire has since made it for the Staten Island Lambs with more rave reviews.  So, Beverly, we all thank you and your meat loaf will now be world famous.

I make it exactly how Beverly told me and I will pass on her hints.  FYI this recipe is HUGE.  So, halve it or make two loafs.  It is super easy, but takes a while to bake.

Swiss Meat Loaf

2 lbs ground beef

1 1/2 c. diced swiss cheese (more if you like cheese.  I use 1 c. when halving)

2 beaten eggs

1/2 c. chopped onion (Beverly and I both have picky onion eaters.  So, we use the dried onion in the bottle.  the equivalent measurement is on bottle)

1/2 c. green pepper (we don't put this in, but hmmm it might be good )

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/2 tsp paprika

2 1/2 c. milk

1 c. dry bread crumbs

Mix together.  Press into a greased loaf pan.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

OMG this is good-Baked Barley Risotto with Butternut Squash

This recipe came from the Real Simple website.  I've had the stuff to make this for a while and just never got around to it.  My squash was getting wrinkly in the fridge and I knew it had to be soon.  I didn't have any spinach, but I made it anyway.  It was crazy good and so easy.  I bet it would be amazing with kale.  I think you would have to put the kale in from the beginning because it is so hearty.  I think I might pick some up and add some cooked kate to my leftovers.  You seriously have to try this.

Baked Barley Risotto with Butternut Squash


2 T olive oil
1 small butternut squash, peeled seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces.  About 3 cups
1 onion finely chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup pearl barley
1/2 c dry white wine
3 c. low sodium vegetable broth
5 oz baby spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 T unsalted butter

1.  Heat over to 400 degrees.  heat the oil in a dutch over over medium-high heat.  Add the squash, onion, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  cook stirring often, until the onion begins to soften, 4-6 minutes.

2.  Add the barley to the vegetables and cook, stirring for 1 minute.  Add the wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 1 minute.  Add the broth and bring to a boil; cover the pot and transfer it to over. Bake until the barely is tender, 35-40 minutes

3.  Stir in the spinach, Parmesan and butter.

Poker night-Let's try a new chili recipe

 Philly had his monthly poker party last night, believe it or not, I enjoy it too.  It gives me an opportunity to make something yummy (I hope) and I get a girls night out.

I've made chili plenty of times and have never really been wowed by the results.  I am bound and determined to have success.  Here was my chance to try another recipe.  Well...I guess it was a hit!  Woo hoo!  I found this recipe in Cook's Country 1st Edition.  This is a very meaty chili and has a smoky background.  I doubled the recipe to feed the boys.  If you double, here is a hint: when browning the meat, use 2 skillets and brown them in batches.  Otherwise,  it will take too long and the drippings will burn.  Also, don't waste the fond in the 2nd skillet, make sure you get those brown bits with some of the water.

Give this one a try and see what you think.  If you have a tried and true chili recipe, pass it on.  I'd love to try more.

Ranch Chili
3 1/2 lbs boneless Boston butt pork roast (AKA pork shoulder roast), trimmed of excess
         fat and cut into 1 inch cubes.
salt and pepper
8 slices of bacon, chopped fine
1 onion, minced
3 jalapeno chiles, seeded and minced
3 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 T brown sugar
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 cups water
2 (16 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed.

1. Toss the pork cubes with salt and pepper; set aside.  Fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon crisps.  Remove the bacon and place on paper towel lined plate.  Save the grease.
2.  Add 2 tsp of bacon grease back to pan.  Increase to medium high and add half of the pork.  Brown on all sides.  Don't turn too often, let it brown.  Transfer browned pork to a bowl.  Add another 2 tsp of bacon fat and brown the remaining pork.  Transfer browned pork to the bowl.
3. Reduce the heat to medium low and add 3 T. of bacon fat to the pot.  Add the onion, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin and oregano.  Cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables brown, about 4-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and brown sugar; cool until just fragrant, about 15 seconds.  Add the diced tomatoes and scrape the pot bottom to loosen any browned bits.  Add back the cooked bacon and browned pork and water.  Bring to a simmer and continue to cook uncovered until meat is tender and the juices are dark and starting to thicken, about 2 hours.
4. Add the beans, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.  Adjust the seasoning and salt.  Serve with yummy condiments such as avocado, sliced tomatoes, diced onion, shredded cheese, sour cream and lime slices.

Finally... Sauerbraten with Gingersnap Gravy

I got this recipe from Sarah (thanks :) at work last week and couldn't wait to try it......we were not disappointed.  It was really good.  It is super easy, but takes some planning ahead.  I served it with boiled potatoes and green beans.  It was delicious, but a photo did not do it justice.  If only there was smellavision.

Sauerbraten with Gingersnap Gravy


1 1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. dry red wine
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
8 whole juniper berries (I found them at Byerly's)
4 whole allspice berries
2 bay leaves
2 tsp kosher sale
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp whole mustard seed
1/2 tsp. whole cloves
4 lb. boneless beef bottom round roast, cut into 2 inch chunks
2 T quick cooking tapioca
salt and pepper
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 c. water
8 gingersnap cookies, finely crushed

1- combine first 12 ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to boil, then cover and simmer 10 minutes.  Completely cool and then combine with meat.  cover and refrigerate over night.  I turned it a couple of times during that.
2- The next day, remove meat from marinade and reserve.  Dry the meat and season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a skillet.  Sear meat in batches, about 10 minutes.  Add to crock pot.  Deglaze the pan with 1/2 c. water and add that to crock pot.   Take reserved marinade and whisk in tapioca.  Pour over meat.   Cook on hight for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
3- Approximately 30 before ready to serve, add crush cookies and stir gently.  When ready to serve, transfer meat to a serving dish.  Strain gravy and discard the solids.  Pour over meat and serve.

Plan B-Chicken Tacos

Well, last night was supposed to be Sauerbraten with Gingersnap Gravy.  You'll have to wait until I post my results tonight.  I didn't read the whole recipe and didn't realize it had to marinate 24 hours before putting it in the crock pot.  While I was folding clothes, I saw a very old episode of Cook's Country (the dvr is full of them).  Everything they make they always looks delicious, but half of the stuff is very arduous.  This one seemed easy and it was a hit.   You will have plenty of pureed chipotle chilies left over.  You can plop Tbls's  of them on parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze.  After frozen, put them in a freezer bad for future use.   They add a hot, smokey flavor to many foods.


Chicken Tacos

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T. butter
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp pureed chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 c. orange juice
1/2 + 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1 T. worcester sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard
flour tortillas
any accompaniments ex. avocado, salsa, sour cream

1- Melt butter in skillet.  Add garlic, chipotle chilies, OJ, worcester, 1/2 c shopped cilantro.  Add chicken, cover and poach about 10-15 min until cooked through.  Turn half way to cook evenly.
2- Remove chicken and let rest.
3- Add mustard to sauce and stir.  Let reduce to a glaze.  Meanwhile, shred the chicken with 2 forks.  I found it easier to cut them into large chunks first.  Add chicken back to pan and mix in with glaze.
4-Serve with your accompaniments.  I like to brown my tortillas directly on stove top burner.  Be careful,  they burn fast.

Learn from my mistakes...Tandoori Chicken

• I made a stop last week at Penzeys Spice store in Uptown.  That is a fun mini adventure in and of itself.  $45 later, I left with a bagful of spices and lots of ideas.  Prior to that, I saw a cooking channel show in which the stars described the best thing they ever made.  Aarti Sequeira (Aarti's Party host and winner of Season 6 Next Food Network Star) made her mom's Tandoori Chicken without a Tandoori oven.  It looked delicious and really easy.   I even made it easier by buying the Tandoori spice mix at Penzeys.  I used about 1-2 Tbls in place of all of Aarti's spices.  So far so good.  However, I strayed a bit and didn't used full fat yogurt, mistake #1.  It still tasted really good, but it didn't brown under the broiler.  That would've been really yummy stuff.  Mistake #2-I forgot the canola or peanut oil.  Would that of helped in browning?  I used lime juice instead of malt vinegar.  I only had 1 lime.  So, for my extra sauce I used the supposed "real lime" juice in a bottle, mistake #3.  I can't wait to try this one again, but I hope to get a nice brown color to my chicken and I'll use all real limes, or malt vinegar.  If you give this one a whirl, let me know how it turns out.  
• 
  
• Tandoori Chicken
• 5 cloves
• 2 dried guajillo chiles (if you can't find these, then use 2 chiles de arbol, and more paprika for color)
• 2 green cardamom, husks discarded, seeds retained
• 1 black cardamom, husk discarded, seeds retained
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 cup whole fat plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup peanut or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons malt vinegar or lime juice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-inch thumb ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 packet boneless skinless chicken thighs (1 1/2 pounds usually)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Couple of extra limes, for garnish

Directions

To make the marinade, toast the cloves, whole chiles, both types of cardamom seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds in a cast-iron skillet until fragrant, 3 minutes or so, shaking the pan. Then, pour the spices into a spice grinder and grind them until you get a fine powder.

In large bowl, whisk together the spice mixture you just made with the yogurt, oil, malt vinegar, salt, ground cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger until well combined. It should smell amazing! Taste and adjust with more salt if it needs it.

Reserve 1/3 cup of the marinade and set aside; you're going to make a sauce out of this reserved marinade.

Prick the chicken thighs with a fork. Add the thighs to the rest of the marinade, and toss to coat. Marinate at least 1 hour in the fridge, and at most overnight.

When you're ready to cook, line a baking sheet with foil, and turn your broiler on. Place each chicken thigh on the baking sheet, making sure each one is coated with the marinade, but isn't swimming in it. Cook the chicken thighs under the broiler until starting to blacken, about 5 minutes. Then turn the oven to 350, and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the meatiest part of the thigh registers 160 degrees F, another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven.

While the chicken is cooking, pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan, along with 1/2 cup water and the honey. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-low heat, whisking all the time. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl or gravy boat for serving.

Serve the chicken thighs on a platter with a fresh squeeze of lime and a drizzle of the sauce.

Sounds weird, but it's really good-Peanut Butter Hummus

Well tonight is leftover night.  So, I thought I would post a surprisingly good recipe I made for NYE.  Our friend Missy bought Philly The Ultimate Peanut Butter Book (Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough) for his b-day.  He loves peanut butter. How did she know this???  We busted him one day having a snack with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon.  I have to add, this is the one recipe he didn't want me to make and wanted to rip it out of the cookbook before he got the book home.  This shows how much I hang on his every word.
Peanut Butter Hummus
One 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/2 c lemon juice
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 tsp yellow or red curry powder
3 to 4 dashes Tabasco sauce

Place everything in a food processor and puree until smooth.  I served it with pretzel thins.

An alternative is to substitute cumin for the curry.

Enjoy!

The first post has to be a positive one-Rum Cake

Recently I have enjoyed going through my tried and true church cookbooks.  These people wouldn't want their name associated with a bad recipe... you know they are good. Most are simple, you have to love that.  I found this in the Most Holy Trinity Parish Cookbook circa 1991.
Rum Cake
Cake
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding
1/2 cup rum
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. cooking oil
4 eggs
1pkg Duncan Hines golden butter cake mix

Glaze

1c. sugar

1/4 c. water

1 stick butter

1/4 c. rum

Grease bundt pan and put nuts in bottom.  In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix and dry pudding mix.  Add rum, water, oil, and eggs.  Mix 2 minutes.  Pour batter in pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Combine all glaze ingredients in a saucepan.  Boil for 2-3 minutes.

When cake is done, pour glaze over cake while it is still in the pan.  Cool 30 minutes and then remove from pan.

This is a yummy moist cake.  Here is a little back story.  After the cake was in the oven for at least 20 minutes, I noticed I never added the pudding.  After some debate in my brain, I decided to stir in the pudding.  Phew, you couldn't tell.