spicy thai noodles

hey there. happy wednesday. 

the snow is slowly melting. i only fell in the middle of the street/traffic once. i couldn't be more ready for spring. 

in the meantime, we're eating things that keep us warm. i try not to cook a lot of pasta, but this dish has become a favorite. and for pasta, it's a more healthy route to go. 

ingredients: 

one box of brown rice noodles (i order these from amazon: )

1/2 cup oil (sesame or olive)

1 t red pepper flakes

6 T honey

6 T good quality soy sauce

1 heaping T PB2 or peanut butter (pb2 is peanut butter with 85% fat removed. 

it's in powder form and is GREAT)

here she is: 

shredded carrots, cooked slightly (about a cup or more)

green onions (about 1/2 cup or however many you like)

steamed broccoli, optional (about a cup or more, chopped fairly small)

cooked chicken, optional (however much you like)

cilantro (about 1/2 cup or more)

peanuts (a handful or so)

directions: 

add oil to a small pot and turn heat to high. add red pepper flakes. let cook for 2 minutes. 

strain the oil into a bowl to get red pepper out.

add honey, soy sauce, and PB to the oil and stir. set aside.

bring pot of water to boil then add noodles. cook about 4-5 minutes, stirring gently a few times.

 DO NOT OVERCOOK THESE NOODLES OR THEY TURN TO INEDIBLE MUSH. 

(ok, you've been warned)

drain pasta and immediately pour oil/sauce over pasta and stir. 

add chopped green onions, shredded carrots, broccoli, chicken, peanuts to pasta. 

dish onto plates. top with more cilantro and a few more peanuts. 

enjoy! 

crockpot chicken enchilada soup

I found this recipe on pinterest, and was a little bit skeptical. It’s slightly adapted from a blog called Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom. I used good quality chicken, and I really think that made it great! The enchilada sauce gives it a nice hint of lime flavor, and the little bit of cream cheese and rice makes it thick enough, but not too heavy. For a cold winter night when you don’t have time to do something fancier, this is a great go-to. J

Ingredients:

28-32 oz. low sodium chicken broth (plus about a cup of water)

16 oz. organic air chilled chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)

2 cans mild green enchilada sauce

4 oz. can diced green chilies

2 T cumin

1.5 T chili powder

1 t onion powder

1 t garlic powder

1 t garlic salt

ground pepper to taste (I used about a half teaspoon)

1-2 c frozen corn, defrosted

1 block 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese, cut into cubes

¾ c instant brown rice

garnish: avocado, cilantro, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips

Directions:

Add broth, water, enchilada sauce, chilies, and spices to crockpot. Add chicken. Cook on low for 7 hours. Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Put chicken back in, along with corn, cream cheese, and instant rice. Cook about 30 more minutes.

Garnish with cilantro, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and avocado.

Enjoy! 

summer vegetable bake

Thanks to a new CSA-type thing that I joined 

(Homegrown Grocery---> http://www.homegrowngrocery.com/) 

and to my friend Nicole's garden, 

I may never have to grocery shop again :) 

Slight exaggeration, but I am so excited about all my fresh, 

local, organic produce, milk, eggs, homemade granola, etc... so fun! 

We're having this vegetable bake for dinner tonight, so it may be risky to post this before I eat it, but what could go that wrong with these ingredients?!

Ingredients: 

-a couple yellow squash

-a couple zucchini

-an onion 

-a few tomatoes

-2 cloves garlic

-red pepper flakes

-s&p

-dill

-parmesan cheese 

Directions:

Mince garlic and a little bit of the onion. 

Spray bottom of small baking dish with cooking spray and sprinkle a little bit of the

 diced onion and minced garlic along the bottom. 

Slice zucchini, squash, onion, and tomato thinly. 

Arrange vegetables in pretty rows, using whatever pattern you like.

 I did zucchini, squash, tomato, onion. 

Sprinkle the remaining garlic on top along with some sea salt, pepper, a few dashes of dill and red pepper flakes. 

Drizzle lightly with olive oil. 

Bake at a 400 for about 30 minutes covered. 

Uncover, sprinkle some parmesan cheese (or another cheese if you'd prefer) on top and bake uncovered for about another 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and it looks cooked and delicious. 

enjoy! :) 

BBQ Chicken Quinoa

This is a fairly quick and very healthy summertime meal. 

It's great for dinner and almost better for lunch the next day. 

You can change it up or add more stuff to it if you'd like. 

Might be good with shredded carrots, peas, tomatoes, etc...

Happy cooking to you:) 

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa (I used organic white)

about 2 cups frozen organic corn

about a handful of snap peas, cut in half or thirds

about a half of a bunch of green onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 chicken tenderloins, boiled and shredded

 BBQ sauce (I used Annie's Naturals 

Organic Sweet & Spicy BBQ sauce from whole foods)

Directions: 

1. Boil chicken 

(bring water to boil, add salt and pepper, 

drop chicken in and let cook for 4-5 minutes. 

remove from water, cool, and shred)

2. Cook quinoa according to package 

(usually 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water. bring to a boil then cover, 

reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 10-15 min. fluff with a fork when done)

3. In a sauté pan at about medium heat add a drizzle of olive oil, 

add minced garlic--watch it so it doesn't burn 

4. Add thawed corn and cook a few minutes

5. Add chicken, cook a few minutes

6. Add snap peas and green onions, cook for a few minutes 

7. Add chicken and vegetables to quinoa and add BBQ sauce  to taste (a little at a time so it doesn't overpower it)

8. If needed add s&p and/or more bbq sauce 

Garnish with cilantro. 

enjoy!

light creamy mushroom soup

I think by now you know how much I love soup. 

I love mushrooms almost as much. 

I don't love really thick, overbearing soups though...

this one is perfect. 

Even the "carbs-loving" husband of mine asked me to make this again. 

Spring is almost here. 

Try this before it's too warm. 

Texas friends..it may already be too late for you. (turn on your AC and make it anyway)

I'll post a fish taco recipe soon to commemorate the beginning of spring. 

:) 

Ingredients: 

2 c mushrooms, roughly chopped 

(use a variety. i used half cremini, half baby bella)

1 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 T butter

1 T fresh thyme (or 1 t dried)

2 bay leaves

1 t worcestershire 

1 c broth

1 T flour

sea salt

1 c fat free half & half

dash nutmeg

ground pepper

fresh parsley or thyme, for garnish

Directions: 

Heat oil in saucepan. Add butter and lightly sauté garlic on medium hear.

Add mushrooms, thyme, bay leaves, and worcestershire. 

Cook about 5 minutes.

Gradually add in broth, stir occasionally until boiling.

Reduce and simmer 10 minutes.

Add flour and stir until it thickens. 

Season with salt and nutmeg. 

Taste and adjust seasoning. Add "cream" and bring to simmer.

Turn off heat. Add pepper and stir. 

Garnish and enjoy :) 

Baked Oatmeal

My Mama's Baked Oatmeal. 
Mostly guilt-free comfort food in the morning. 
Yes please! 

Ingredients:

3 apples, peeled and cubed (about 1/2")

brown sugar

cinnamon

3-4 bananas, sliced in about 1/2" chunks

2 c blueberries

1/4 c honey or agave

2 c uncooked oats

1 c toasted walnuts, optional

3/4 t baking powder

1 t cinnamon

1/4 c brown sugar

pinch salt

1.5 c milk

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

Directions: 

Heat oven to 375. Lightly spray 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray.

Toss apples in dish with sprinkle of cinnamon and a bit of brown sugar. Bake for about 8 minutes.

Layer blueberries and bananas with apples.

Mix oats, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt together. Pour over fruit.

Mix milk, eggs, honey, and vanilla together. Pour over oats and fruit. 

Sprinkle a few additional walnuts and blueberries over top and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until set, bubbly, and slightly browned on top. 

Serve warm. 

Could be prepared the night before then baked in the morning. 

enjoy :) 

Crockpot Coconut Ginger Curry Chicken

This crockpot recipe originally

 called for a lot of prep work, pre cooking, etc. 

I'm not into that when I'm using a crockpot....

so I added (almost) all ingredients at once and it turned out great. 

It serves a lot of people! 

I made this for our "small group" of 12. If making it for fewer people, 

consider halving the recipe.

Ingredients: 

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped

1 onion, quartered and roughly chopped

1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks 

2 handfuls sugar snap peas, ends trimmed

1 can baby corn, drained

3 T olive oil

2.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 

2 cans lite coconut milk

1/2 t pepper

1 t cumin

1 t ground coriander

1.5 t ground turmeric

1 t salt

Directions: 

Set baby corn, snap peas, and red bell pepper aside.

Add all other ingredient to crockpot and stir thoroughly. 

Cook on low 4-6 hours. 

Add bell pepper and corn with 1 hour cooking time left. 

Add snap peas for last 15 minutes of cooking time. 

Serve over brown rice or quinoa.
Garnish with green onion, cilantro, or crushed peanuts. 

enjoy :) 

Simple Chicken Tortilla Soup

Quick, easy, weeknight meal. 

Leftovers are great for lunch the next day. 

Ingredients: 

2 c cooked, shredded chicken

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 zucchinis, chopped

1 small can rotel tomatoes, drained

1 11 oz. can shoe peg corn, drained

6 c chicken broth

2 t chili powder

2 t cumin

juice from 2 limes

s&p to taste

handful fresh cilantro

Directions: 

Drizzle bottom of soup pot with olive oil. 

Heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and zucchini and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes.

Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir until fragrant. 

Pour in broth, rotel, and corn. Bring to a boil.

Add shredded chicken, reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is heated through.

Add lime juice and fresh cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

garnish ideas: crushed tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, shredded cheese 

enjoy :) 

Vegetarian Taco Soup

This is a tiny bit adapted from my friend Melissa's taco soup recipe. 

She is by far the best vegetarian cook that I know.

 I love love love picking her brain for recipes. Thanks, friend!

p.s. I'm making it for small group this week...miss you guys so much! 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. morning star ground beef substitute

1 onion, chopped

1/4 jalapeño, finely chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz)

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (16 oz)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (15 oz)

1 can shoe peg corn, drained and rinsed (11 oz)

1 can rotel diced tomatoes (10 oz)

1 small packet hidden valley ranch style dressing

1 low sodium/organic package taco seasoning

4 cans water

Directions: 

Brown together first 3 ingredients. 

Add all other ingredients.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, simmer about 1 hour.

garnish options: cilantro, chips, cheese, tomatoes, avocado

enjoy :) 

Roasted Tomatoes, Shrimp, and Feta

Thank you, Real Simple! 

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/roasted-tomatoes-shrimp-feta-10000000780294/index.html

This was seriously delicious.

The combination of juicy roasted tomatoes, herbs, feta, lemon, and shrimp was just divine. 

I think it's a perfect dish to make for company. 

Seems really nice, but it only takes about 20 minutes

 of prep time and the oven does the rest. 

You can take a look at the link or keep reading...

Ingredients: 

5 tomatoes, cut into eighths

3 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

s&p

1.5 lbs shrimp, peeled

1/2 c chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro. i did a combination of both)

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 c reduced fat feta

Directions:

Heat oven to 450. Place tomatoes in a large baking dish. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil, top with garlic  and 3/4 t each salt and pepper. Toss and roast for 20 minutes.

Remove baking dish from oven. Stir in shrimp, herbs, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the feta. 

Return to oven for 10-15 minutes, until shrimp are cooked through. 

I served over quinoa with roasted green beans.

 Next time, I'll definitely have crusty bread with it. 

enjoy :) 

Crockpot Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Growing up, my mom never cooked in a crockpot. Ever. 

Mom, do you own a crockpot??

I've been told many times that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" 

when it comes to being like my mama. 

 Because of a busier work schedule this year, I've veered from "the tree" 

and started resorting to my crockpot. a lot! 

Life saver!
(thank you, Tom & Camille for my wonderful crockpot!)

In the original directions, this soup has a lot of fuss and hoop-la and 

stuff you're supposed to do before adding it to the crockpot. 

To me, that defeats the purpose of using a crockpot.
It's already hard enough to crawl

 into the back of my cabinet to lug the thing out....

So I decided to just dump all the ingredients in at once and voila.
Delicious. 

Ingredients: 
3 cans diced tomatoes, with juice (low sodium if possible)
1 can tomato sauce
1 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion

1 T dried oregano
1 T chili powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
4 c broth
1 bay leaf
1 c shredded parmesan cheese
2 T butter, optional
2 c skim milk (or fat free half and half)
1/2 cup fresh basil
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Directions: 
Add all ingredients to the crockpot
EXCEPT the fresh basil and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.

Cook on low for 5-7 hours.

Add basil and reserved parmesan for last 30 minutes of cooking time.


enjoy :)

Watermelon, Basil, Feta Salad

Get ready to impress.

  

With VERY little effort.

This salad is oh so pretty. 

It's like the perfect sundress...in a salad version. 

makes sense to me 

:)

Ingredients: 

Seedless watermelon, cut into bite-sized chunks

Handful (or more) of feta

Couple handfuls of basil, chopped

Lime juice

Sea Salt

Olive Oil
Tiny drizzle of balsamic vinegar and/or sprinkle of orange zest if desired.

Directions: 

 Chop of the watermelon and basil. 

Squeeze a little lime juice and add a few dashes of olive oil.

 Lightly toss together. 

Sprinkle the feta on top (don't stir or it gets messy looking)

Top with a little sea salt and vinegar/orange zest if you wish.

Serve on a bed of arugula or on its own.
Garnish with fresh mint or basil.

Enjoy! 

Chicken Salad with Avocado and a Kick

My husband eats the same thing for lunch every day. He is incredibly
patient with this and has somehow convinced himself that the turkey
sandwich I make for him tastes WAY better than the turkey sandwich he
makes himself (probably b/c I take an extra 3 seconds and put some
mustard on it...and if I'm feelin' real fancy that day, maybe even a
couple pieces of spinach).

I had a burst of creativity?, boredom?, pity?, love? last week and
decided to spice up lunch around here. I made chicken salad and I
liked it. I don't trust chicken salad usually because---why is the
chicken so small and fine and fluffy like that?? and what is this cream
substance?? no. I just don't usually love it. (I do like Whole Food's
sonoma chicken salad, but don't really buy it because mayonaise freaks
me out)

Here's what I did---I boiled chicken, shredded it, added avacado, a
little greek yogurt, a dash of mustard, and some spices. Ryan enjoyed
a fancy chicken salad sandwich with tomato, sprouts, cucumber, and
spinach for about 4 days.

He's back to turkey this week. Bless him.

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled*, shredded, and cooled
2 avocados, pitted and cut into pieces
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/4 scant cup mustard (regular, honey mustard, spicy, whatever you
like. i used a sweet/hot blend)
1/4 scant cup greek yogurt (0% fat)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Add chopped celery, cilantro, or parsley if desired.

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients. Add more yogurt or seasoning as needed.
Serve with sprouts, tomatoes, other greens, cucumbers, celery, etc. on
a sandwich, with pita chips, over a green salad, or with raw
vegetables.

*Notes about boiling chicken---spray large pot with cooking spray
(pam) and turn heat to high. season both sides of chicken breasts with
a little bit of salt and pepper. when pot is hot, add chicken in
single layer and cook on both sides for about a minute each just to
char it a tiny bit. fill pot with water (chicken should not be crammed
next to each other) and bring to a boil. reduce to simmer and let
chicken cook through. mine took about 15-17 minutes total.


Enjoy!

grilled asparagus with lemon zest

This is too simple to be considered a "recipe", 

but here goes nothin'. 

This is a very easy way to add a fresh, 

new spin to asparagus. 

All you need:

asparagus (1 bunch)

olive oil (1-2 Tbs)

lemon zest (of about 1/2 a lemon)

s&p

fresh herbs

All you do: 

-trim asparagus (break off the ends. asparagus make a 

natural break with the last few tough inches of the stalk)

-heat grill (I used an indoor grill pan)

-toss asparagus on grill and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon zest 

-grill until tender, but crisp, rotating as necessary

-serve with chopped fresh herbs sprinkled on top (mint or basil)

Simple, healthy side to compliment almost anything this Spring.

Oh yes, happy Spring!! My favorite :) 

kale pesto

Hello again!

I hope you've all had a chance to enjoy balsamic green beans since that's 

the last thing I posted FOREVER ago! 

Sorry, really I am!!

I go through such spurts of feeling committed to this little blog...shady, I know. haha, get it? :)

ok anyways. I'm back and am going to try my hardest to be more consistent....because I have lots of things I want you to try. 

First up...kale pesto.

 Let me just say that I am sooo thankful for the produce co-op we're in. 

It's fun, affordable, and a great way for us (resident and teacher/nanny) to be 

able to eat more local and organic produce.

In our box last week, we got lots of kale, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, clementines, 

spring mix lettuce, etcccc.... so much yumminess for just about $27. 

I made kale pesto and:

1. added it to whole wheat angel hair pasta with snap peas and broccoli

2. used it as a condiment to make delicious turkey sandwiches

3. dipped fresh vegetables in it instead of hummus

4. used it as a base for pizza

oh so good. 5 ingredients (plus s&p). easy shmeezy. healthy.

Ingredients: 

1 bunch kale

1/2 cup walnuts (OR pinenuts, almonds, or cashews)

about 1/2 cup olive oil (or a little less)

3-6 cloves garlic, depending on how garlicky you like things

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: 

Remove kale from stem and peel garlic. 

Chop nuts in food processor. 

Add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, garlic, cheese, and lemon juice to food processor. 

Blanch kale in salt water (bring water to a boil, add kale, 

return to boil, remove kale and rinse in cold water, squeeze water from kale)

Add blanched kale to food processor and pulse until pesto-like consistency. 

Add more olive oil if necessary. 

Enjoy! :) 

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms and Balsamic

quick, easy, snappy, healthy, addicting, yummy, snazzy, tangy... green beans.

who knew a green bean could have so much going on?!

these do. promise.

Ingredients:

fresh green beans

balsamic vinegar

fresh sliced mushrooms

sea salt

pinch of pepper

extra virgin olive oil (or flaxseed oil)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Wash and trim green beans. In large bowl or on foil-lined baking sheet toss green beans with a few splashes of olive oil, a couple pinches sea salt, a dash of pepper, and about 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (these measurements can all be left up to your own preference).

Roast on foil-lined baking sheet for about 10 minutes. While beans are in oven toss mushrooms with about a teaspoon of balsamic and another splash of olive oil.

Toss mushrooms in with beans and roast for additional 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Soup season is in full force around here and it makes me oh so happy.

This is a new favorite of mine. I found it on Pinterest and it's originally from the gorgeous The Novice Chef blog. ( http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/)

It’s filling, it’s healthy, and it warms the insides on a chilly night.

Eat outside by a fire with friends and a glass of wine for additional happiness :)



(borrowed the Novice Chef's lovely picture)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large white onions, chopped
4 large jalapenos, minced
1 large shallot, minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons white (or black) pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 (14.5 oz) cans low sodium black beans (4 cans drained & rinsed, 2 cans with liquid)
6 cups water, plus 3 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Chicken Base

*I also add about a half cup of orange juice (thanks for the suggestion, Mom!)

Directions: 

In a large heavy bottomed stock pot, over medium high heat, add olive oil, onions, jalapeno, shallot and garlic. Sauté until translucent.

Add spices and mix until well combined. Cook for 3 minutes more.

Add beans and broth (water + better than bouillon), bring to a simmer. Simmer until soup has thickened slightly, about 40-45 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (or using the transfer 1 cup at a time to a blender method and back to the pot method), blend about half of the soup until smooth.

Serve with avocado, fresh orange slices, and cilantro or a dollop of sour cream and chives.  

Happy Fall, Y’all! 

Enjoy.



garden lettuce wraps with shrimp

I've made these twice in the past 2 weeks. They are fun, a good thing to share with friends, really healthy, and so so good. It does require some chopping and a teensy bit of sauteeing, but other than that there's nothing to these! Change up the ingredients if you'd like, but I'll share what I put in mine.

What I used:

-Bibb lettuce (iceberg might work as well)

-shrimp

-red pepper, thinly sliced

-chives

-cilantro

-cucumber, thinly sliced

-carrots, thinly sliced

-portabella mushrooms, thinly sliced and sauteed

-lime wedges

-edamame (for appetizer)

-Soy Vay Island Teriyaki (from whole foods. it's like soy sauce, but much better...with ginger, sesame seeds, and other goodness)

How to prepare lettuce wraps:

Chop and organize all your vegetables into little bowls or dishes.

Saute portabello mushrooms (and red bell pepper if you'd like) in a couple teaspoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes.

Add shrimp to bowl and pour some Soy Vay sauce on shrimp (about 3 Tbs). Sprinkle a small handfull of chives over shrimp. Sautee over medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring/flipping shrimp gently until shrimp are cooked through.

Assemble lettuce wraps any way you like. I like lettuce, shrimp, all the vegetables you want, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

mmm!

enjoy!

"Not-too-bad-for-you" Spinach Artichoke Dip

So I know I've been talking about light, summery things like watermelon and snow cones and salads. Spinach Artichoke Dip and watermelon? gross. don't do it. So this is probably not what you'll make all summer, but it is what you'd make if you were part of the "Winston Salem Contingent".  haha. My wonderful friend Laura's dad is an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins...who just happen to be playing in the Stanley Cup finals. :) So what have I been doing every other night for several weeks/months? Watching hockey with several other dedicated fans (and we now have a gang name..the WSC...winston salem contingent. we're pretty serious. and dorky. and half joking. anyways.) Spinach Artichoke dip goes well with hockey. not snow cones.

I looked for lots of different spinach artichoke dip recipes, all of which had mayonaise, sour cream, cream cheese, or a mixture of all of the above. I decided to make up my own recipe. It's much lighter, but still really flavorful. Totally delicious! Game 5 is tomorrow night, game 6 is Monday night, and if it goes to game 7, that'll be Wednesday night. Form a contingent. Make this dip.

Go Bruins!!!

What you'll need:
-a food processor (or a good chopping hand)
-about 4 cups spinach (frozen or fresh, well chopped if not going in a food processor)
-1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
-4 cloves garlic
-1 cup grated parmesan cheese
-juice of half a lemon
-sea salt
-pepper
-dash of red pepper flakes
-1 cup 0% fat greek yogurt (I used fage brand)

What you do:
Preheat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients in food proccessor and pulse until well blended. Spread into baking dish. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot. Get your game face on.

i can hardly take myself seriously right now... :) omg. but seriously...GO BRUINS!

lemon garlic hummus

I  bought tahini (Cooks Illustrated suggests Joyva or Krinos brands...the type of tahini can really make a difference!) a few weeks ago and I FINALLY tried making homemade hummus for the first time. It's so easy and so much less expensive than buying the store bought kind. Tahini (crushed sesame seeds) comes in a pretty big jar and you don't use much, so go ahead and "splurge" on tahini and you'll be able to make hummus for months!

Ingredients:
2 15 oz. cans no-salt-added garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup tahini
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
paprika to serve, optional
drizzle of olive oil to serve, optional

What to do:
Place beans and garlic in food processor and pulse 5 times. Add 1/2 cup water and remaining ingredients (except olive oil). While pulsing, slowly incorporate olive oil into mixture. Pulse until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Put into serving dish or bowl. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and sprinkle generously with paprika.

We enjoyed this for lunch on our porch with carrots, bell pepper, and cucumber....

What's your favorite type of hummus? Please share a great recipe if you have one!