Roasted Red Pepper Hummus - Party Time!!

The time has come and I have moved into a new decade of my life - ouch!!

I knew that some of my kids were coming over to take me out to dinner to celebrate, so  I needed a quick appetizer beforehand.  I had seen a lot of different recipes for hummus and decided that this was the time to make some. And all I can say is I will never buy it again - it is just TOO easy to prepare and oh SO good!

And there is A SECRET to the smoothest hummus ever.  Ready?  Remove the skins! Simple right?

The Secret..... The Skins!!!

First of all,  I should now admit that I had no idea garbanzo beans had skins!!  Did you?  And they are not tedious to get off - you just hold one and sort of pop it off!!  I even took a photo of the skins to show you how they come off in one piece.  Now I suppose you could say I have way too much time on my hands if I am "peeling" garbanzo beans.... and there are times you would be right, but not this time!  I wanted to be sure I could make creamy hummus as I was missing the tahini paste that supposedly adds flavor AND creaminess.  So I did some online research and discovered this cool secret.  And the verdict from all who tried it was a resounding YES - it was worth it - and it was delicious!!!

The prep - yummy dippers, simple ingredients

ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS

Adapted from Table for Two

1 can garbanzo beans, drained (reserve liquid)
1/2 - 2/3 cup roasted red peppers
1 tsp. Borsari salt or a high quality salt combination
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp. reserved bean liquid
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. paprika
juice of one lemon

Put all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until well mixed.  If you have time, refrigerate for 1-2 hours so the flavors can meld. You will LOVE this!!

The finished product......So incredibly delicious (and don't you LOVE those napkins???)

Pin It Now!

Asparagus Risotto - Pressure Cooker Style

Well I finally did it - I took two recipes and created something I can call my own! Will wonders never cease?!?

First of all, I have to thank my neighbor for reminding me that I even HAVE a pressure cooker!  I love it when I use it, but am clearly guilty of "out of sight out of mind" syndrome!


Thanks to a recipe from Skinnytaste, I knew what I needed to make with some beautiful fresh asparagus that I had picked up at Trader Joes.  However her recipe was the long version over the stovetop.  So I found a similar recipe from "Bob Warden's Slow Food Fast" cookbook and combined the two and I think that worked about as perfectly as it could have!

Risotto Ingredients

Asparagus Risotto (Pressure Cooker Style!)

1 lb. fresh asparagus
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves minced garlic
2 shallots, finely chopped (or one very large one as shown in the picture!)
2 cups Arborio rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
4 tsp. lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. Borsari seasoning (or more to taste)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, rough chopped

Wash the asparagus well and cut the tips off about the 1 1/2"  length.  Set aside.  Cut the bottom stalks off at about 2"  and discard.   Cut the remaining stalks into 1/2" pieces and set aside separately from the tips.

I have a Cooks Essentials pressure cooker and it has a "brown" setting, so used that for the sauteeing steps. Heat the oil and butter and sauté the chopped shallots and minced garlic for about 2 minutes. Then add the uncooked rice and  asparagus stalk pieces (the 1/2" pieces) and cook for a minute or so, stirring continuously.

Waiting for the liquid ingredients and the pressure!

Add the remaining ingredients with the exception of the Parmesan cheese, parsley and asparagus tips.  Lock the pressure cooker, be sure the pressure is on high, and cook for 7 minutes.

While waiting for the pressure cooker, put the asparagus tips in a small bowl, cover with water and microwave on high for about 2 minutes.  Drain immediately.

So excited to actually get a photo of the "quick release" of the steam!

When the risotto is done, perform a quick release to let all of the steam out of the pressure cooker as quickly as possible.  Remove the lid, stir the contents as there may be some residual liquid on the top which will be instantly absorbed, then add the cooked asparagus tips, Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste if needed and serve immediately.

Creamy risotto almost ready to be eaten...

Chopped parsley and shaved parmesan

This is incredibly creamy and good.  Will serve approximately 6.

Adorned with the asparagus tips

And the final touch - more shaved parmesan and parsley for color!

Pin It Now!

My New Favorite Short Rib Recipe

It was time to start using up meat in my freezer and try some new recipes for main dishes. It is often a challenge to figure out what to fix for dinner and not have to eat it for a week because I made so much!!  I am pretty good about putting my "Seal A Meal" to work and saving servings for future busy days.   I keep index cards clipped on my refrigerator listing what meats are in the freezer and have a separate one for cooked entrees so I don't forget I have things ready to go if I don't want to cook or don't have time to do it. That system works pretty well for me - most of the time!!

I don't eat a lot of beef, but every now and then I just crave it and the short ribs had been calling out to me for awhile, so I decided to borrow a recipe from Framed Cooks to make a delicious meal of Mustard Short Ribs.  All I can say is............. Ohhhhhhhhhh  Myyyyyyyyyyy Goshhhhhhhh!!!! These were fabulous.  I love the way the coarse mustard melted into the beef  broth and the meat and created such an unexpected yet rich flavor.  And the sour cream blended with the grainy mustard and fresh garlic chives added a tasty cool complement to the tender, juicy short ribs.

The ingredients were relatively simple and straightforward as you can see from the linked recipe above.  I followed her recipe pretty much, just changed the potatoes using what I had, and added my favorite seasoning, the Borsari from King Arthur Flour, decreasing the salt, but still adding the pepper called for.

OOPS - forgot to take the ribs out of the fridge and add them to the photo!!

Once again I put the Ninja Cooking System to use to brown the ribs before letting the slow cooker setting take over.....

Can't you just hear the sizzle??? Then add the onions, potatoes, carrots and garlic on top.... The beef broth and coarse ground mustard smell  incredible over the ribs and that wonderful scent fills the whole house as the day goes on and made my stomach growl hours before it was time for dinner! And finally it was ready.  I actually hesitated adding the sour cream and mustard to the ribs. They smelled and tasted - (yes I cheated and tested them!) so good already - what could that sauce add?  Well let me tell you - it was  a true surprise to experience those flavors take this dish from wonderful and yummy to downright fabulous!!!!  This makes my mouth water just posting the photo. You have to visit Framed Cooks and try this recipe - it's a keeper!!  Enjoy!

Pin It Now!

Italian Bean and Bacon Soup

I have an addiction to cookbooks.  I love trying new things.  I like to push myself out of my comfort zone - just a little.

This time of year I tend to do a lot of crock pot or pressure cooker cooking .  I love the smells that both evoke, although I am probably more partial to the crock pot because I can start it in the morning - run out and do my volunteer work and come home to not only a hot meal but a home that smells like my personal chef had been working all day !! (well a girl can dream...)

This recipe was perfect for a blustery day - yes we do have a few of those in sunny California!!
I really like the "Eat More of What You Have " cookbook by Marlene Koch.  I will be cooking more and more of her recipes as time goes on. I am really trying to cook and eat healthier.Some days that task is easier to accomplish than others...She also has another one called "Eat More of What You Love".  I have tons of recipes earmarked so stay tuned.  She uses Splenda in her recipes requiring sugar, but I plan to use Truvia as I like it  better, so we will see how that works!!
 


ITALIAN BEAN AND BACON SOUP

1/2 pound dry Great Northern or small white navy beans
*3 slices center cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1 " pieces (I used hickory smoked bacon)
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced very thin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth ( I doubled it to 8 cups - it was too thick without it!)
1/2 cup heaping pearl barley (probably heaping the 1/2 cup is what soaked up all of my broth!)
4 sprigs fresh rosemary. plus 1 Tbsp. coarsely chopped, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
** Borsari seasoning to taste
***8 cups loosely packed, stemmed Swiss Chard leaves, chopped

*I cooked double the bacon called for to use for garnish and cooked it crunchier - YUM
**This is from King Arthur.  It is a wondrous blend of sea salt, kosher salt, fresh garlic, fresh basil, fresh rosemary,  black pepper, and nutmeg.
***I used a combination of 6 cups baby spinach leaves and 2 cups Swiss Chard

1.  Pick over the beans, rinse, soak overnight, and drain.

2.  In a small skillet or the Ninja Cooking System, cook  the bacon over medium heat, stirring often for two minutes, just until the fat starts to melt..  Add the onion and garlic, stirring often and reducing the heat, if necessary, for 3-4 minutes or until the bacon is lightly crisp and the garlic is fragrant and turning golden at the edges.  At this point it will smell sooooo good!

3.  Add the carrots, celery, chicken broth, 2 1/2 cups water, barley, rosemary sprigs, salt and pepper.  Cover and cook for 6-7 hours or until the chard is tender.

4.  Remove the rosemary stems.  Add the chard and/or spinach leaves (discard chard stems) and chopped rosemary.  Cover and cook about 45 minutes more or until the chard is tender.
 
Adapted from from "Eat More of What You Love" by Marlene Koch

 This was relatively healthy (if you ignore the bacon - but why would you?!?) - and was quite filling.  I added a little Parmesan cheese on top as I love cheese melting and gooey on the top of hot soup!!

I guess I need to redefine "healthy"! Pin It Now!