Easy Hummus

Easy-(Chick)Peasy Hummus
(A reposted recidpe from years ago. Still good; we made it today!)

2 cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed (or about 3 cups cooked beans)
Juice of 1 lemon (a little zest is good, too!)
1/3 cup of olive oil (less if your processor can do it!)
1/3 cup of fresh mint leaves
1 tsp. cumin
salt to taste

1) Put all ingredients in processor and run until smooth.
2) Enjoy with veggies, pitas, or on fresh tomatoes. Yum!

Picnic Food

Last weekend we had two picnics/potlucks to attend. I tried two new recipes (crazy me!), but both with wonderful results. I had many people ask me for the quinoa salad recipe (which I made up but used a Vitamix dressing recipe). The beans were so delicious (to me) that M and I ate most of the leftovers the following day with tortilla chips.

Quinoa Salad with Veggies and Lemon-Garlic Dressing
2 cups uncooked quinoa, cooked in chicken broth or water (should make about 4 cups cooked)
1 cucumber, seeded and diced small
1 small red onion
2 carrots, shredded
1 cup peas
1/2 cup minced parsley
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 red pepper, diced
2 ribs of celery, finely chopped
feta cheese (optional; I didn't use this)

Dressing (Vitamix):
1 lemon, peeled, halved, seeded
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/3 cup olive or grapeseed oil

1. Cook quinoa according to directions. (Don't forget to rinse first!) Allow to cool.
2. Chop veggies. I didn't use all of the above, but only what I had on hand each day.)
3. Place all of the ingredients, except olive oil, in the Vitamix (or blender). Turn machine on and increase speed to variable 10 and then to high.
4. Blend on high for 1 minute. Reduce speed to variable 7 and add oil slowly through the lid plug. Blend for 20 seconds.
5. Combine quinoa, veggies, (optional cheese) and dressing in a large bowl. Garnish with fresh parsley.



I really went out on a limb in making a bean salad. I mean, I knew my kids wouldn't willingly choose this off a buffet line. . . but who knows? I was intrigued by the homemade BBQ dressings, which I really liked. I used garbanzo beans that I had cooked earlier in the week with rosemary (yum!) as well as some kidney beans (which I overcooked). I tried to take a good picture, but really it is The Lawyer who is good with the camera. Maybe you can get an idea, at least. of this bean salad.

Barbecue Bean Salad

adapted from Kitchen Simplicity

Barbecue Dressing

• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
• 2 tablespoons ketchup (without high fructose corn syrup!)
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
• 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1. Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Lower heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes to meld flavours. Allow to cool slightly before using.

Salad

• 2 cans beans or 4 cups, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup crushed tortilla chips (optional)

1. Stir together all ingredients except chips. Add dressing and toss to coat. This is best if you give the flavors time to meld in the refrigerator. Stir in chips (optional) just before serving.

Makes: 7 servings

Quick Cornmeal Corn Muffins

Perfect to accompany crockpot chili, these are more savory than sweet. I like them because they are quick and simple.
 
Quick Cornmeal Corn Muffins
1 and 1/2 cups (freshly ground) whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sweetener (I used cane sugar)
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 and 1/3 cup of milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbl. oil (coconut or olive)
1 cup whole-kernel corn
Optional: ground flax seed, small can of chopped green chiles

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare muffin pans with liners or by lightly spraying with oil.

2. Combine flour and next four ingredients (dry) in a large bowl, making a well in the center of the mixture. Combine milk, oil, and eggs in a separate bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Gently stir in corn and chiles, if desired.

3. Spoon batter evenly into 24 muffins. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and cooked through. Remove from pans and serve warm.

Seven Dollar Sunday Dinner

This week I realized that I was murmuring just like the Israelites in the desert. . . As I puttered around the kitchen one morning I muttered, "I'm tired of beans and rice. Beans and rice. Rice and beans. Lord, provide some variety for us!"

Oh! Gasp! That sounds an awful lot like, "We're tired of manna! Manna every day! Give us something else, God!"

So. . . I'm repenting.

And also enjoying a little triumphant moment- feeding my family for about $1/person for lunch today made me feel great. We had watermelon and a version of Hoppin' John that filled everyone right full.

Today's Hoppin' John

1 pound ground venison (free gift to us!)
1 large onion (less than $1)
several stalks of chopped celery (.50)
1 cup brown rice (less than .50)
1 pound black eyed peas (about $1)
7 cups water (gift from God!)
2 cups crushed tomatoes ($1)
creole seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika- about 1 tsp of each except a bit more salt and a 3/4 tsp cayenne)(about .50?)

1. Brown venison and saute onion and celery.
2. Put all ingredients in a large pot (or in the slow cooker) and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Feta Picnic Salad

I love eating outside. We were gifted a picnic table from neighbors who moved away, and the children and I eat outside nearly every day we can. Not only do I LOVE to soak in the sunshine and feel the breeze, but we all love that no one has to sweep or wipe the table! As I looked outside at noon as I was making lunch, the sunshine looked so inviting that we decided to eat in the backyard (even though it is only March!). I was adapting a recipe from the Treasure Cave Feta cheese, hence we have Feta Picnic Salad. I should have taken a picture! It was pretty and delicious and healthy, too.

Feta Picnic Salad

Dressing: 1 Tbl. fresh thyme
1 Tbl. fresh lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey

Salad: 6-8 cups chopped greens (lettuces, romaine)
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1-2 cups (red) quinoa
2 cups croutons
1-2 carrots, grated
1 cup (8 oz.) Feta cheese, crumbled
optional: black olives
oregano
black pepper

1. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Combine salad ingredients in a large mixing or serving bowl.
3. Whisk or shake dressing again before pouring over salad (at the picnic spot). Sprinkle with oregano and pepper, if desired.

Chickpea Mac

I'm tired of making a roux for my macaroni and cheese, but I like the creaminess that a roux gives. Even though a friend gave me an easy oven macaroni and cheese recipe, it still wasn't quite right for our family. I liked how fast it was to make, but didn't like the macaroni swimming in butter. Last week, however, I saw a recipe in a cookbook that I thought looked interesting. The family tested his new macaroni and cheese version this week- and it was a success. We were ALL happy. Taste was satisfactory and I was pleased with the ingredients. It was still creamy (but I admit it wasn't totally creamy!) and it still had butter in it (a concern for some of my family!). The kids were glad that I didn't add tomatoes or peas or other veggies that I have sometimes added in a not-very-sneaky way. I was pleased to serve comfort food that had hidden nutritional benefits. I'm not settled on a name, however, and I don't think that "Chickpea Mac" quite conveys what I want it to. Any suggestions?

Here is what I did:

Cook 1 box of whole grain macaroni.
Puree 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) in the food processor, slowly adding 1 cup of milk. Add cheese (I used Mexican blend and Parmesan), about a cup.
Drain the macaroni. Add a little bit of butter and salt and pepper. (I added herbs, too.) Add puree mixture and warm over low heat until the cheese is all melty and delicious. Serve with other fresh fruits and veggies!