Yummus Hummus

So.
I've missed you. How are you? I've been thinking about you and wondering what's going on in your world.
Things here are a little hectic with the start of school, but so far we're getting along nicely.

Went to a friend's house Saturday (yes, they give me shore leave every now and then) and I felt like I needed to bring something. This I decide about 20 minutes before I need to be there. And my pantry is empty. What the heck can I bring, AND for extra points what can I bring... that I can eat?

(This tastes 1000 times better than it looks)

Love her or hate her, Sandra Lee is secretly brilliant in situations like these. Fast, easy and totally delicious. So much so that I think.....

There's a Hummus Among Us

1 large clove of garlic (we have the kind already minced... I use about a tablespoon)
1 can (15.5 oz) of garbanzo (chick peas) beans
3 tbs. sour cream (KEY INGREDIENT!)
3 tbs. lemon juice (I use the bottled kind)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cumin (another KEY ingredient)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Mince garlic (if you use fresh) in the food processor, otherwise scoop a heapin' helpin' out of the jar. Dump this and everything else into the food processor, except the olive oil. Process until ALMOST smooth. With machine still running add the olive oil and process until mixture is smooth.

Serve with corn chips, or for you of whom I am very jealous, warm pita chips. Yes, I know I could make or buy GF stuff like this, but I have to be at a party in 20 minutes... and if I choose to bake GF, pita chips won't be on the top of the list.

Barefoot Bloggers: Mexican Chicken Soup

This Mexican Chicken Soup was another fast and easy recipe from the fabulous Ina G! It took no time at all to make and the ingredients come together effortlessly to make a warm and comforting meal. We’ll be savoring this soup all week long, in between turkey leftovers. In fact, if this wasn’t due today, Thanksgiving Day, I would have made it using leftover turkey instead, but there’s no reason YOU can’t do it! :) What a fine way to finish off the T-day bird.

Many thanks to Judy from Judy’s Gross Eats for choosing this recipe. If you yourself would like to see exactly how easy, simple and tasty this Mexican Chicken Soup is, you can find the recipe on the Food Network site here, or in Ina Garten's book, Barefoot Contessa at Home, page 34. To join the BB community or to see what all the others did with this, please visit the the Barefoot Bloggers site.

Black Bean Taco Pasta

As usual, I lost track of time and had nothing planned for dinner. I wanted something pasta, something fast (!), something not necessarily low fat/cal but something that had protein but not meat per se as I’m trying to scale back on the amount of that I use on a weekly basis. Back from my Weight Watchers days, I remembered I had a recipe for Taco Soup (supposedly a “One Point” recipe for those of you in the know). I modified my original recipe to be kid friendly – they liked it, but next time I need to only use a tablespoon or so of the taco seasoning instead of the whole pouch. (Mommy, this is a little “spicy”.)

Black Bean Taco Pasta
Serves 4

EVOO for sautéing onions/garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Taco seasoning (pouch)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chicken broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
½ cup sour cream
Kosher salt
Fresh parsley, chopped
½ - ¾ pound uncooked gemelli pasta

Boil pasta according to package directions. In the meantime, in a large skillet, on medium high heat sauté the onions and garlic in the EVOO until soft. Add the taco seasoning and stir briefly until powder is absorbed. Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, corn and beans, deglazing the pan if needed. Bring mixture to a simmer. Add sour cream and stir thoroughly. Cook for about 5 minutes for flavors to meld and sauce to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss cooked gemelli pasta with sauce, sprinkle with parsley, serve and enjoy.

“Quick” Quiche

I can only assume they were referring to the prep time. That was a snap. Cooking/actual time from oven to plate was 45 minutes to an hour later. The name is definitely misleading but very tasty and so well worth making. I made two so the next time I needed a "quick quiche" I could have one almost instantaneously.


Quick Quiche Recipe
courtesy Elizabeth Gilroy, Food Network

4 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup real mayonnaise (aka Hellman's :))
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup minced onions
Salt and garlic powder
8 ounces shredded Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Hand whip eggs, half-and-half, mayonnaise, and flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into an unbaked 9-inch, deep pie crust. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden brown.

makes 1 quiche