This recipe is really good! I have always, always, always loved hummus. I have never made it, because the one ingredient I was always missing was tahini (ground sesame seed paste). Well, I bought it at the store today, and I made it. I can't believe I have not made hummus myself until now. I love that I can pull it out of the fridge and dip baby carrots into it for a quick snack. Pita bread and pita chips would be simply TDF with this hummus. This hummus would also be amazing served along grilled chicken and a salad. Don't do what I did and put off making your own hummus until you buy tahini. Buy it on your next grocery trip!
Homemade Hummus
3 tbs fresh lemon juice 1/4 c. water 6 tbs tahini 2 tbs olive oil 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained) 1 small garlic clove 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cumin
In a food processor or blender combine garbanzo beans, cumin, garlic clove and salt. Pulse until ground, scrape down the sides. In a small measuring cup combine water and lemon juice. Slowly pour water/lemon juice mixture into food processor while it is running, and let run for about 1 minute. Combine tahini and olive oil, and while the processor is running, slowly pour that mixture in. Pulse until nice and creamy. Serve with any vegetable, pita bread or meats. Garnish with cilantro, flat leaf parsley and or paprika.
For Christmas day I was planning a menu. I consulted with my husband to find out what he wanted, and i suggested to him that I could make a mixed berry pie. He loves tart desserts, and I had just bought a big bag of mixed frozen berries at Costco. (This is the only way to do berries in Hawaii, they are SUPER expensive and they don't last the boat ride over.) So I used Mabel's Pie Crust found here, and looked at different recipes for the filling. I like this recipe because it has lemon zest and lemon juice, which add another layer of flavor. The pie turned out fabulous. It was nice and tart, served with vanilla ice cream, it will be his new favorite. If you want a slightly sweeter pie, add a few more tablespoons of sugar to the filling.
Jared's Mixed Berry Pie
1 recipe for Mabel's Pie Crust found here 4 c fresh or frozen mixed berries 1/2 c. sugar 1/4 c. flour 1/8 tsp salt 2-3 tsp lemon zest 3 tbs lemon juice 1 1/2 tbs butter
If using frozen berries, partially thaw them in a colander before hand. Make pie crust for two pies. For filling, mix all ingredients except for butter. Make sure to mix lightly, as berries are very delicate. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust, top filling with dots of butter. Place top crust on pie, seal, and cover the edges of pie crust with foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until crust is golden. Remove foil the last 15 minutes of baking. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
YUM! I love this side dish during the holidays. I really only eat it this during the holidays because it is super rich, feeds a crowd, and goes amazing with ham. This recipe is nothing new to the general public. However, since it is one of my favorites, I thought I would add it to the collection. This can be served alongside any type of meat, its like a sped up version of potatoes gratin. Enough said, here is the recipe.
Cheesy Potato Casserole
30 oz. bag frozen, shredded hash browns 2 cans cream of chicken soup 2 c. sour cream 1 1/2 c grated cheddar cheese 1/2 c melted butter 1/2 c chopped onion
In a sauce pan, saute butter and onion until onion is transluscent. Combine all ingredients into a large bowl, and mix well. Pour mixture into an ungreased 9x13 pan, bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and hot.
I tried a new recipe. I get a couple of cooking magazines, and this recipe comes from the Betty Crocker magazine for this month. There were a ton of recipes that were very tempting. I decided to try this one, because I liked the ease factor and also the flavor combination. I have always really liked the Betty Crocker cookie mixes that you just add an egg and a stick of butter to. They are really good, and speed up the whole baking process. You could use any candy bar for this recipe, they would be good with any. If you really want to go easy, buy the frosting in the tub, but I just had to make my own. And by the way, these would be good anytime of year, especially if you want to get rid of old Halloween candy.
Candy Bar Cookie Cups
1 pkg Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix (prepared as directed on the package) 18 miniture Snickers bites, cut each one in half 1 container pre-made chocolate frosting (or make your own...that's what I did)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 36, 1-inch balls. Press into ungreased mini-muffin pan. Press a piece of candy bar into the middle of each ball. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until edges are light golden brown. Cool completely in the pan before removing them. Spoon frosting into a small zip-lock bag. Cut the corner tip, and pipe the frosting on top of each cookie cup. use sprinkles to decorate the top.
