red pepper hummus

Here's a superquick, easy and delicious recipe---just the way I like it. :-)

• Chickpeas
• Garlic
• Lemon juice
• Tahini
• Roasted red peppers
• Olive oil

I always use dry beans, soak them overnight and then cook the next day, but you can always use canned or jarred (a 15-oz. can works here). Add the cooked beans to a large mixing bowl, along with 2 cloves garlic, juice from 1 lemon, 1/3 cup tahini, a drizzle of olive oil and two chopped roasted red peppers (again, from a jar is fine). Either mash with a potato masher or whip up with a snazzy hand blender---one of my favorite kitchen tools---and voilà! Delish!

eggs baked in pipérade

I love Sunday brunches. :-) Because the morning is not quite so rushed, I like to experiment with different twists on the basics---like this recipe for eggs baked in pipérade, a spicy tomato and pepper sauce from the Basque region of Spain.

Here's what you need:

• Olive oil, 2 T
• Onion, 1 chopped
• Bell peppers, 1 red/1 green chopped
• Garlic, 2 cloves minced
• Hot paprika, 1/2 t
• Tomatoes, 2 pints diced
• Eggs, 8 (2/person)
• Cheese (I used a semicured goat cheese), grated
• Basil, to garnish

Preheat oven to 450 F. Saute onion and peppers in the olive oil, over medium heat, until softened. Add the paprika and garlic, and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.

You can use one large baking dish or individual ones, like I did. Spoon the sauce into the dish(es), and then crack eggs directly into the baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese, and then bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on how hard you like your yolks set. Serve with rustic bread and strong coffee. Enjoy!

bavette with shrimp, broccoli, tomatoes, and basil

Still not sure what to make for dinner this evening AND you're in a hurry? Here's an easy, healthier, updated version of shrimp scampi that I threw together for myself today. From start to finish, this meal can be put together in only 20 minutes---another win! :-)

Ingredients, per serving:

• Olive oil, 1-2 T
• Garlic, 2 cloves finely chopped*
• Broccoli, 1 cup chopped into florets and lightly steamed (in a microwave is easiest)
• Tomato, 1 medium chopped
• Shrimp, 6 large peeled
• Basil, handful torn into pieces
• Bavette (or other flat, long pasta), 1 serving size (enough to stand on top of a quarter is my personal gauge)

One of the reasons I love pasta for quick meals is that while I'm waiting for the water to boil, I prep all the veg and other ingredients. Then while the pasta is cooking, I can turn my attention to the saute pan. :-) In this case, after I've started the bavette, I add the garlic to the olive oil and cook for a minute or two on medium heat, until the garlic is light gold.

*If you are not a garlic fan, feel free to cut the amount used to just a clove, or even half a clove per person. We are big garlic fans, and in all truthfulness, I would probably use 3 cloves if making this just for myself. :-)

Next add the chopped tomato, broccoli, and shrimp and saute, stirring frequently and adjusting heat, if necessary. Take care not to burn the garlic because it will give the dish a bitter taste (says someone who has learned from experience!). Remove from heat when shrimp have turned pink and cover. Drain the pasta and toss with other ingredients; let it sit for a minute before dishing up. Sprinkle with the torn fresh basil, and enjoy!

chickpea hominy chili

There is a definite chill in the air; no denying the season to unpack the sweaters has arrived. Which also means the season for warming foods is here as well. :-)
I didn't grow up eating hominy, but fell in love with it after coming across this recipe in an old print edition of the New York Times. When I found dried hominy here in the Big City supermarket, I could not have been more thrilled. :-)


*As a side note, I prefer to buy dried legumes rather than canned or jarred simply because it's a good way to avoid extra, unwanted salt in your diet. Most people eat two to three times more than the daily recommended amount of salt, and much of time it is because they don't factor in all the hidden sodium found in so many foods today. To do so requires a bit of planning, but nothing difficult: I simply soak the beans overnight and then boil them for 2 hours in the morning. Then they are ready to be used as per any recipe instructions.

To make this chickpea hominy chili, here's what you need:

• Chickpeas and hominy, equal parts, either two 15-oz. cans or 2 dried cups of each
• Olive oil, 3 T
• Garlic, 4 cloves minced
• Onion,  1 medium chopped
• Red and green bell peppers, 1 large of each chopped
• Corn, 1 cup
• Tomato puree, 1 pint
• Chili, 1 medium-sized chopped finely OR 2 T of chili powder
• Cumin, 1 t
• Cilantro, chopped to garnish
• Cheddar cheese, grated to garnish

Saute the garlic, onion, peppers, and chili in the olive oil until soft, about 5 to 10 minutes, on medium heat. Add the cooked/canned beans, along with the remaining ingredients except for those being used as garnishes, and on low heat simmer for 40 minutes. *If you find the chili too "thick", you can add a couple cups of veggie broth and then simmer to your preferred consistency. Garnish with fresh cilantro and grated cheese. Enjoy!

orecchiette with artichokes, tomatoes, spinach, and feta

For each Wednesday, aka "hump day," I am going to feature a "fast & furious" recipe that you can throw together in less time than waiting for the pizza delivery. A well-stocked pantry is a lifesaver, and I am currently putting together an autumn larder "must have" list to post in the next week or two.

In the meantime, here's a quick and easy family favorite. Ingredients:

• Orecchiette, the lovely "little ear" pasta
• Olive oil, 2 T
• Garlic, 3 cloves finely chopped
• Red pepper flakes (optional), 1/2-1 t
• Tomatoes, 2 medium chopped
• Artichoke hearts, 4/person quartered (canned are OK)
• Spinach leaves, 2 cups torn in medium-sized pieces
• Feta cheese, crumbled or cubed for topping

Prepared the vegetables and cheese while waiting for the pasta water to boil. After adding the pasta to the water, heat the olive oil to medium and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for just a minute or two. Be careful not to let the garlic brown---you just want it to be golden. Add the tomatoes and artichoke hearts, stir occasionally, and saute for about 5 minutes. Throw in the fresh spinach, and allow it to wilt while you drain the orecchiette. Add the cooked pasta to the vegetables, stir, and remove from the heat. Cover, and let sit for a minute or two. Dish up, and sprinkle with the feta.  Enjoy!

carrot curry soup

Have spent much of this lovely September Sunday in the kitchen, and I am happy to report it's been a very successful cooking session! :-)

I'm also happy to share with you one of the concoctions I came up with this afternoon---carrot curry soup. I originally planned to make carrot ginger soup, but then I started adding cumin and coriander and something else was born. :-)

Here's what I used:

• Nine carrots, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Olive oil, 2-3 T
• Onion, 1 medium-sized chopped
• Ginger, 1.5-inch piece finely chopped
• Garlic, 4 cloves finely chopped
• Veggie stock, 6 cups (use less if you prefer a thicker soup)
• Fennel seeds, 1 t
• Curry powder, 1-2 t OR I used 1/2 t each of cumin, turmeric, coriander powder, and asofetida
• Greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt, sour cream, crème fraîche, etc.), 2 small individual containers
• Parsley, to garnish

First I sauteed the onion, garlic, ginger, and fennel seeds in the olive oil for about 10 minutes, medium heat, stirring frequently until the onion was translucent. Then I added the stock and carrots, brought to a boil, and simmered for 30-40 minutes, until the carrots were soft. After removing from the heat, I used a hand blender (if you don't have one of these, get one! Otherwise, use a regular blender) to cream until smooth, adding the curry spices and yogurt. Finish off with a bit of parsley---or a drizzle of fresh cream! Enjoy!!! :-)