Is it possible to make hummus look appetizing?
I don’t think so.
Next time, I’ll be more careful with the moisture content. Here, very little liquid was used and the hummus was still a bit too loose.
Lentil Hummus
Makes one large bowl
4 cups cooked lentils, well drained
4 Tablespoons sunflower butter
6 cloves roasted garlic
splash of olive oil
1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt, to taste
Combine all in a food processor and grind to the desired consistency.
To Cook Lentils:
dried lentils, approximately 2-3 cups
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, sliced
2 stalk celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3 cups chicken stock, or more as needed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt, to taste
Sauté diced onion in olive oil. Then, add garlic, celery and carrots. Sauté briefly. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Then, reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender.
(Use for above recipe. Or, add a touch of cream for a simple lentil soup.)
The richness of lentils contribute beautifully to this hearty chili.
Lentil Chili
makes 1 giant pot
1 lb French green lentils, washed
olive oil, as needed
2 onions, diced
2 carrots, minced
3 stalks of celery, minced
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
4-6 cups chicken stock, as needed
1 small can tomato paste
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon pasilla chili powder
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
In a large dutch oven, sauté onions in olive oil. Allow edges to turn light gold. Add carrots, peppers, garlic, and celery. Sauté an additional 2-3 minutes. Then, add 4 cups chicken stock and all remaining ingredients. Stir gently to combine and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and allow to simmer gently until tender. (1-2 hours)
Top with a small dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Or, serve with a wedge of grilled, buttered bread.
Bee Pollen, Honey, Pecans, Granola & Greek Yogurt
It works!
Well, it’s working for me at least. That’s all I know for sure. I’m two weeks into my little experiment and I’ve only had the sniffles once. I’ve been snacking on this Greek yogurt treat for over 2 weeks. Lucky for me, I started this experiment to aid my mild allergies before I knew of the crazy high pollen counts that we’ve seen in the past week or so. Will it work for you? Who knows? My allergies are very mild. So, I’m not claiming this is a miracle cure.
This one’s for my honey. His allergies are a bit more severe than mine. But, he’s not sold on the anecdotal evidence that bee pollen helps allergy sufferers. And, he’s not crazy about the idea of snacking on something that clings to the feet of bees.
But, I thought if he got a little glimpse of my daily breakfast, he might be more likely to give bee pollen a chance.
Greek Yogurt, Bee Pollen & Honey
The contents of bee pollen varies significantly by region, day, hour… etc. Bees may come into contact with all sorts of wildlife and more. Obviously, this is a very bad idea if you’re allergic to bees, pollen, honey, bees wax, flowers or any other forms of wild life that bees may touch. My package of bee pollen suggests tasting a granule or two to test for allergies. But, if you have ANY severe allergies, it’s best to check with your doctor first.
…Be safe, not sorry.
Bee Pollen Parfait
makes 1
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
sprinkle of granola
sprinkle of pecans
1 tsp bee pollen
drizzle of honey
Spoon yogurt into a small bowl and top with any or all of the above ingredients.
Or, try these:
Other Possible Additions:
pistachios
macadamia nuts
dried blueberries
raisins
banana chips
almonds
sun-dried strawberries
fresh fruit
Honey of the Week
Airborne’s Manuka Wildflower Honey… love it!
Last night’s grilled chicken breasts made even better sandwiches today. Just slice a baguette in half, grill it, and pile it up. Top it with a chicken breast, grilled peppers and a little freshly made slaw. It’s a new lunchtime favorite for me.
And, I can’t wait to top slices of leftover pork roast with some of the rest tomorrow!
Red Pepper Slaw
makes one giant bowl
1/4 head cabbage, sliced
1/4 head red cabbage, sliced
2 carrots, grated
1 – 2 Tablespoons superfine sugar
1/2 – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
splash of olive oil
splash of rice wine vinegar
salt, to taste
Combine all in a big bowl. Let the flavors mingle for 10-15 minutes. Then, give it a toss or two. Use it or refrigerate it and use as needed.
It’s so easy.
In under 30 minutes from start to finish, we had warm scones in our hands and ready to be devoured. This super simple recipe takes almost no effort. And, the payoff? Seriously good scones that rival a certain major coffee shop chain in your very own kitchen.
Enough talking, just do it already!
Buttermilk Scones
makes 6 giant scones
2 1/2 cups AP or cake flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
6 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a food processor, pulse flour, sea salt, sugar and baking powder. Add butter pulse briefly. Add buttermilk and egg. Pulse until batter comes together. This should take less than 5 seconds. If you pulse the batter too much, it will get tough and gummy or paste-like. Flour your hands and turn batter onto baking sheet covered in parchment. Pat gently into a round and cut with pastry cutter. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
(At the 10 minute mark, get that kettle on the stove.)
Let cool 5 minutes. Then, break into wedges and slather with butter and jam.
Spring…
It’s like a shining glimmer of hope hovering at the horizon.
Green Apple Juice
Makes 1
1 tart green apple, cut into wedges, seeds removed
1 cucumber, cut in half, stem end removed
1″ ginger
a few leaves of basil
Send apple through the juicer. Then, drop in the ginger and basil. And, by sending the cucumber through last, it will release the brightest punch of ginger and basil.
Drink immediately.
Cheers!
A crumble topping with oat bran adds a little healthy fiber to the crispy topping.
Pumpkin Crumble
makes one deep dish pie
(Or, pie-sized baking dish)
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 heaping Tablespoon candied orange peel, ground
a little pinch of black pepper
Crumble Topping
1/2 cup flour
1/4-1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup sugar
1/4-1/2 cup butter or light and fruity olive oil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine crumble topping ingredients and stir. Add only enough butter to make crumbs stick together. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and blend well. Pour into buttered deep dish pie dish or round baking dish. Add pumpkin. Crumble topping over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes.
Serve warm with a small scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
…better for you that is.
Take equal parts of rice and carrot to make this a healthier fried rice. Now, the moisture of the carrots will prevent the nice charred bits you normally see in a fried rice dish. But, as a healthy alternative, this will satisfy a fried rice craving when you might be trying to limit the white foods in your diet.
Fried Rice
2 cups leftover rice
olive oil, as needed
1-2 teaspoons sesame oil, or hot sesame oil
1 1/2- 2 cups carrots, grated or processed to chunks
1 onion, roughly diced
1 Tablespoon soy sauce or hoisin
1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, if desired
fine sea salt, to taste
In a wok stir fry onion onion and carrots, until tender. Add sesame oil and all remaining ingredients.
Stir fry to your taste.
For a hearty breakfast or lunch, top with a fried egg.
Baking Butter
Brush this on your cake pans for a guaranteed release.
Baking Butter
1 part soft butter, vegetable oil or crisco
1 part flour
Combine soft butter or oil and stir well. Brush any suface of cake tins, baking dishes or loaf pans that will come into contact with cake batter or cookie bar dough.
Prepare as needed. Or, store excess in the fridge or freezer.
Ricciarelle With Scallop, Calamari, & Baby Clams
Dress lightly and stir gently.
Ricciarelle — 5-7 Minutes To Reach Al Dente
The ruffles tend to cook quickly. So, to keep the noodles from shredding it’s very important to watch for a proper al dente.
Marinara
1 28 oz can DOP tomatoes, finely chopped
1 onion, roughly minced
olive oil, as needed
4-5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper
fine sea salt, to taste
fresh bay scallops, calamari, and baby clams
fresh basil, julienne
In a sauce pan, sauté onion in olive oil until light gold. Add garlic slices and continue to sauté for an addition minute or two. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for five to eight minutes. (Water should be boiling. It’s time to add the pasta.) Taste. Season to your taste. Add seafood and allow to simmer for 5-6 minutes. Lower heat, if needed. Strain pasta. Pour pasta back into the hot pot and add less than half of the sauce. Toss gently. Plate and top with basil ribbons.
Serve immediately with a big loaf of crusty bread and the remaining sauce in a bowl.
(Bread, sauce and a drizzle of your favorite olive oil finish the meal when there’s no salad to be had on a cold winter’s day.)
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