Black Eyed Pea Hummus

Back in December, I worked a lot at the flower shop for the holidays. My busier schedule meant I was left with the task of grocery shopping the week before Christmas on a Saturday. And I had no choice but to take along a very feisty (then) almost three year old- an activity I try to avoid at all costs. To make matters worse, I had to go to a different store than I normally shop because we had been given a very generous Publix gift card and I figured I ought to use it to balance out all the holiday gift shopping. Naturally, the Publix nearest to me is rather small and crowded, and always a complete madhouse.

So tired and pregnant, I got to go to the busiest grocery store- one that I'm not as familiar with as my normal store, the Saturday morning before a major holiday, with a toddler. Who hates riding in a shopping cart. Good times. In order to make the experience go as smooth as possible, there was some bribery on my part. And I pretty much bought anything he asked for, so long as it was healthy, unprocessed and something we could use. When he insisted we buy a bag of dried black eyes peas -an odd request, I thought- I didn't hesitate, because I had recently seen and saved this hummus recipe.

Five months (and one new family member) later, I actually got around to using those dried beans and trying this recipe. This was a very tasty version of hummus- although not terribly different in flavor from the chickpea hummus I regularly make. This would be just as perfect to have for a casual get together, as it was simply for afternoon snacking. Serve with veggies, tortilla strips, toasted pita wedges or whole grain crackers.


Black Eyed Pea Hummus
slightly adapted from Pink Parsley (as adapted from Carolina Cooking by Deborah Zumstein, originally 700 Dayton- The Mansion as Forseth Park)

I reduced the amount of olive oil slightly, but I believe it could be reduced a little more, subbing in a little of the cooking water from the beans. 

1 2/3 cup cooked black eyes peas (or 1- 16 oz. can, drained and rinsed)
2 large cloves garlic, smashed using the blade of a knife
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp paprika, plus additional for sprinkling
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup tahini, well stirred
1/4 cup olive oil (or less if desired), plus additional for drizzling
juice from 1 lemon

Reserve about a tablespoon of black eyed peas. Add remaining to the bowl of a food processor, along with garlic, a few pinches salt and several grinds of pepper, paprika and parsley. Process until almost fully ground.

Combine tahini, olive oil and lemon juice in a measuring cup. With machine running, pour tahini mixture into processor through the feed tube. Continue processing for 1 minute, until the mixture is smooth. If too thick, add water a few teaspoons at a time, until desired consistancy is reached. 

Transfer to serving bowl. If serving right away, sprinkle with paprika, drizzle with oil and scatter reserved black eyes peas on top. Otherwise, cover with plastic wrap and chill, garnishing just before serving.
  

Creamy Feta-Spinach Dip

Hope you all had a wonderful evening last night bringing the new year- however it was you chose to celebrate it. As to be expected, ours was pretty low key, but a really enjoyable one. Since I'm pregnant, obviously going out wasn't of interest to me, and going somewhere that required a babysitter seemed silly, so I was really happy to get an invite to spend it, family style, with some of our dearest friends at their home. They have two young children, and there was another couple there that have four, so when you count Beckett, their were more kids in attendance than adults. It made me feel incredibly grown up, but I guess it's time to face that that is very much what I am these days!

We had a really fun time, and there was no shortage of good food. I even got to try brisket for the first time. Like my friend, Jamie, who made it, I'm no beef eater, but I have to admit it was delicious. For my contribution, I brought a dessert, stuffed mushrooms and some crudites and dips. One of the dips I brought was a new recipe to me, a Creamy Feta-Spinach Dip adapted from Cooking Light. Not only is this tangy dip really pretty healthy, it's a very tasty alternative to your traditional Spinach-Artichoke Dip. Plus it's an easy, make ahead dip, so it would be a great addition to your appetizer table for the upcoming Super Bowl.

I served this with bell pepper, carrots and celery sticks, pretzel chips, Triscuit Thin Crisps and crostini. (And in case you are wondering what that other dip is, it's an old stand-by we call "Emily Dip" and it's always a crowd pleaser. I just mix about equal parts Neufchatel Cheese with light sour cream, and add light ranch dressing and cayenne pepper to taste.) I thought the two dips balanced each other out well, and the selection of dippers complimented both nicely. I love yummy dips, so I will definitely be making this one again soon.

Happy New Year!

Creamy Feta-Spinach Dip
adapted from Cooking Light via My Recipes

olive oil mister or cooking spray

3 cups packed fresh baby spinach

1 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 cup crumbled fat free (or reduced fat) feta

1/2 cup Neufchatel Cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)

1/4 cup light sour cream

2 cloves garlic, smashed (or one if you prefer a less strong garlic flavor)

1 tsp dried dill (or 1 tbsp fresh)

fresh ground pepper

Remove and discard any thick stems from spinach and coarsely chop. Mist or spray non-stick skillet very lightly with oil and heat over medium. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Place several layers of paper towels onto a plate, and spoon yogurt over top about a half inch thick. Cover with additional layers of paper towels, and let stand 15 minutes, changing top layer of towels halfway through.

Scrape drained yogurt into the bowl of a food processor using a rubber spatula. Add feta, cream cheese, sour cream and garlic, and process until smooth, scraping the side of bowl with the spatula once. Remove blade and stir in cooled spinach, dill and ground pepper. Once mixed, transfer to small serving bowl, cover and chill before serving with assorted dippers of choice. (I'd like to note that I liked this even better after it had been out of refrigeration for a little bit.)

Sicilian Chickpea Spread

Now that my refrigerator is free of any Thanksgiving leftovers, (which I'm certain would not yet be the case if we had hosted, as we have done for the past 5 years), I am ready to move on to some simple, fresh foods. Like this Sicilian Chickpea Spread I made from a recipe that I recently found in the monthly flyer from my natural foods store. A creamy hummus-like dip, it uses toasted pine nuts in the place of tahini and gets a boost of flavor from roasted red pepper and fresh basil. While I originally whipped it up for snack to go with with cut veggies and pita, I discovered it makes a pretty awesome addition to a sandwich.

When putting this together, I used slightly less pine nuts and olive oil than it called for, just to reduce the fat by a teeny bit, and found it completely not lacking with these adjustments. Because this was too easy of recipe and I needed to complicate it somehow, I roasted my own red pepper, but you could use a jarred one and have this made in about five minutes. This spread can be eaten immediately, but I think it's even better once it's had a chance to chill a while.

Sicilian Chickpea Spread

adapted slightly from Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers (as found in NGR's November 2010 Store Flyer)

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, toasted

1 (15.5 oz) can of chickpeas, drained

1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded

1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashed

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup packed basil leaves

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor, seasoning with a few pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper, and process for 2-3 minutes or until light and creamy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. For best flavor, chill before serving.

Cranberry Apple Chutney

If you are looking for an easy-to-make appetizer for Thanksgiving, this chutney is perfect. It comes together in no time, can be made a day or two ahead and is delightful paired with cream cheese atop wheat crackers. It would also make a lovely hostess gift and could be served as a condiment with pork, ham or chicken.

I didn't notice the amount of sugar this originally called for until I'd already began making it. I wasn't thrilled with using all that sugar, but then I had a light bulb moment. I only buy jams and preserves that are sweetened with fruit juice, and I figured I could do the same, subbing the sugar and water with 100% apple juice, although I did add some honey and a touch of brown sugar. I also scaled this back (it makes a good bit) and used a Granny Smith Apple. You could use a sweeter apple if you prefer, however, I personally loved it for its tartness.

For serving, you could fill a small serving bowl with cream cheese, and nestle the chutney in the center, but for an even easier presentation, you could just pour it right over a block of cream cheese, (you know, like that red-pepper-jelly-over-a-block-of-cream-cheese appetizer that is always surprisingly popular on an appetizer table). As for the crackers, I tried a few different types, and I can tell you to skip the fancier ones. This goes best with a simple cracker, such as the whole wheat Ritz ones I used.

Cranberry Apple Chutney

adapted from allrecipes.com

I used an 1/8 of a tsp of cloves in this. Next time, I will use a pinch or two, because it was just a little too much for my taste. Adjust it to your liking.

2 cups fresh cranberries
1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
a pinch-1/8 tsp cloves (depending on your preference)
1/3 cup apple juice
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp dark brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until apple is tender and mixture has thickened. Cool completely.

Store in the refrigerator. Serve with cracker and cream cheese or as a condiment with pork, ham or chicken.

Roasted Corn and Barley Salad with Basil Dressing & White Bean Dip

Yesterday was one of those challenging days where I needed some kitchen therapy. Beckett woke up cranky and miserable, and by mid-morning, I was cranky and miserable too. Sage was still out of town, and so it was going to be a very long day, if me and the little guy stayed in our grumpy moods. Playing in the kitchen, with Beckett as my little helper, followed by a long workout during his afternoon nap, was just what I needed. Working with end-of-the-week ingredients I had, I managed to come up with some seriously good stuff. This made a wonderful lunch for us, but either one of these would be perfect to take to whatever cookout, gathering or party you may be going to this holiday weekend.

In addition to operating the food processor, Beckett had some fun of his own washing the dishes. (And in case you're wondering, he picked out what he was wearing. I think he's looking forward to football season.)

I've been seeing a lot a grain based salads on blogs lately, and I was in the mood for one. I came up with this to use up some corn, and it was absolutely delicious! The sweet corn and the basil in the dressing were the standout flavors, while the barley gave heartiness and texture. The tomatoes really were overshadowed by the other flavors, but I think they give necessary color to this dish. I would double this recipe if taking to a get together.

Roasted Corn and Barley Salad with Basil Dressing

for the dressing:
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves
juice from half a large lemon (1 1/2 tbsp)
1 tsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

for the salad:
1/4 cup pearled barley, well washed
1 cup kernels (from 3 small ears of roasted or grilled corn)
10 grape tomatoes,

In a small sauce pan, simmer the barley with 3/4 water, covered for about 40 minutes or until tender. Drain any excess water and set aside to cool.

While barley is cooking, blend dressing ingredients together in a small food processor. Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Once barley has cooled, toss with corn kernels, tomatoes and dressing. Enjoy room temperature or chilled.

I was all set to whip up some hummus, when I realized the only garbanzos I had on hand were dried, which wasn't going to help me right then. I probably should've come up with something that had black beans since I have a surplus of those, but instead I settled on a white bean dip. This really is a pretty simple version, but I enjoyed it more than a complex flavored one I've made in the past. I used 2 big cloves of garlic, and it was rather garlicky in a pleasant way, so adjust according to your tastes. We ate ours with carrot sticks and multi-grain crackers.

White Bean Dip

1(15.8 oz.) can of white beans, drained and rinsed (I used Great Northern)

2 garlic cloves, quartered

1 tbsp olive oil

juice from half a lemon (about 1 1/2 tbsp)

1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth, stopping to scrape sides when needed. If you wish, add a little water to reach desired consistency. (I kept our thick.)

Transfer to serving bowl, and if desired drizzle a little olive oil and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with chopped veggies, crackers or dippers of your choice.

Gorgonzola and Spinach Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers

When I go to the produce market, I will buy just about whatever my 2 year old wants. There's a few random things I'll say no to, but I am happy to encourage his love of fruits and veggies. It also helps keep him occupied since there isn't a shopping cart for him to ride in. (He is awfully adorable and charming, but no one really wants a crazed toddler running around the market.) Last week, he picked out a 2 lb. bag of miniature sweet peppers. They were on sale for a terrific price, so I had no problem buying them.

We typically go through a good amount of bell peppers, but even with using them in meals and slicing them on salads, I still had a half of a bag left by the next trip to the produce store. I thought of stuffing them, perhaps similar to the Spicy Stuffed Peppers from Symon Sundays, but our a/c was being worked on, and it was far too warm in our house to even think of hot foods. So my thoughts turned to a cool dip instead, but then I thought it would be fun to fill the small peppers with the dip, for a perfect little appetizer. I found a recipe on Eating Well for a Blue Cheese Dip, and altered it a tiny bit to include spinach.

Not only were these cute, but delicious too! I just made a small batch for my family to snack on, so if I was going to make them for a party, I'd double it. If you don't have access to mini sweet peppers, the filling is a wonderful dip to serve with cut veggies, and I suspect it would make an amazing hot stuffed mushroom too. If you aren't a fan of blue cheese, Eating Well suggests substituting Parmesan, but I personally loved the Gorgonzola in this.

**I realize this is my third recipe in a row containing cream cheese. This is what happens when Sage and I each pick up a block of it when we already have one in the fridge. Don't worry, this was the last of the third package, so my next recipe should be cream cheese free.

Gorgonzola and Spinach Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers
Filling adapted from Eating Well's Blue Cheese Dip

1/4 cup Neufchatel/reduced fat cream cheese
1 scallion, trimmed and chopped
1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
1 small garlic clove, halved
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp tarragon wine vinegar (or white-wine vinegar)
1/2 cup packed coarsely chopped spinach leaves, stems discarded
1 tbsp reduced fat mayo
fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
15 miniature sweet peppers (I used the smaller ones, about 2 inches long)

Using a small food processor, pulse together cream cheese, scallion, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar until well blended. Add spinach leaves, mayo and pepper and process until smooth.

Transfer contents to a small ziplock bag, add Gorgonzola and gently mix to combine. Taste and adjust pepper if needed. Filling, in sealed bag, can be refrigerated for up to 4 days, at this point.

Prior to serving, trim tops off peppers and remove ribs. Snip a small corner off plastic bag and pipe filling into each pepper. (This step could also be done the night before.)

Symon Sundays: Roasted Dates with Pancetta, Almonds and Chile

So, I've missed a couple weeks in this cycle of Symon Sundays, for one reason or another, but I certainly didn't anticipate not being able to make one of my own selections. I chose Sheep's Milk Ravioli with Brown Butter and Almonds and Roasted Dates with Pancetta, Almonds and Chile, both recipes I was looking quite forward to. You can imagine my disappointment when I realized I was going to just have to toss my uncooperative ravioli dough in the trash. I could've given it another try, but I didn't want to waste another 9 egg yokes, and most likely have the same outcome.

Since I, of course, don't want it to take credit for the problem with my pasta dough, I'm going to blame it on the ridiculous humidity we've been having the past few days. Also, on the fact that my house just wouldn't cool down yesterday, and it was 83 degrees in my kitchen. I don't know how much of a factor humidity and temperature actually play in making pasta, but it made me feel better for it to be the fault of Mother Nature.


Another thing that made me feel better...this delicious appetizer. These little babies had it all- sweetness from the dates, spice from the crushed red pepper, and saltiness from the pancetta (not to mention the toasted almonds, garlic, lemon, and parsley, and what they added.) It was a riot of flavor, and yet such a simple recipe to make. My only complaint was that amount of stock used was a bit excessive in my opinion. I would suggest cutting it back, but other than that, these were really, really good.

Apparently, so was the ravioli, so if you want to check out that recipe by someone who didn't have the problems I did, visit Joanne's blog. (She also made this appetizer into a salad with goat cheese, arugula and dried cranberries, which sounds amazing.)


Roasted Dates with Pancetta, Almonds and Chile
from Michael Symon's Live to Cook
serves 4 to 6

2 cups pitted dates
3 oz. pancetta, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken stock (I used vegetable because that what I had. I would use a lot less next time, perhaps half)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast the dates on a rimmed baking sheet for 5 minutes. Turn off oven, but leave the dates in there while you cook the pancetta.

In a medium saute pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta until it is three quarters of the way crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the almonds and continue cooking until they are brown, a few minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute.

Add the red pepper flakes and the stock and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Remove pan from heat, and wisk in the butter, stirring continuously until the butter is melted. Stir in lemon juice and parsley.

Add the dates to the pan and swirl and toss them in the sauce. Divide the cooked dates among four to six plates and spoon the sauce over them.

Symon Sundays: Pierogies

I've been really looking forward to this week's selection for Symon Sudays. Natashya, at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, selected the pierogies from Live to Cook. Michael Symon's version was for Beef Cheek Pierogies with Mild Mushrooms and Horseradish. Some possible meat substitutions he gave were beef shoulder or pork shoulder, but since we're eating little meat these days, I chose to do two simple vegetarian versions. I made a classic potato and cheese filled one and our unanimous favorite, a Portabella mushroom stuffed one.

This is one time consuming recipe! Even though I skipped the lengthy beef braising step and the days-long Horseradish Creme Fraiche process, it still took me over 3 hours of hands on time to make these. As I was in the final stages, I was convinced they weren't going to come out, and it would be all for nothing. Luckily I was wrong! Mine might have been rather misshapen,but they were soooo good.

You can find the original recipes by visiting Natashya's blog. I followed the basic recipe for making the dough, and forming and cooking (boiling then sauteing) the pierogies. Since half of mine already contained mushrooms, I didn't bother topping mine the seared wild mushrooms. In the place of the horseradish creme fraiche, I mixed up store-bought horseradish cream and light sour cream, which I thinned with a few splashes of half and half. It was a prefect compliment to the portabella pierogies.

If you want to make my vegetarian fillings, here is what I did:

For the potato-cheese version: Peel, cube and steam or boil 2 large baking potatoes until tender, then mash. Saute 1 small diced yellow onion until soft. Combine potatoes, sauteed onions and 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Portabella version: Coarsely chop 3 Portabella mushrooms. Saute mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil, seasoned with 1 tsp fresh thyme and salt and pepper, until , working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.

Trio of Bean Dips: Black Bean and Corn Salsa, Classic Hummus and Roasted Garlic Balsamic White Bean Dip

For my mother-in-law's 60th birthday party, everyone was asked to bring something. I seriously waited till the morning off to decided what to make. I figured there would be lots of pasta salad type dishes and hot casseroles, so I wanted to go more the appetizer type route.

I'm pretty much a bean fanatic these days. A trio of dips made with 3 different kinds of beans, sounded fun, not to mention easy. No cooking was required, as all three dips let the food processor do the work. My toddler was having a very high maintenance day, so I was grateful for this.

For the Hummus, I used the recipe I always use, from Good Things Catered. I follow her instructions exactly, so I'm not going to re-post it, just direct you there. Katie knows what she's doing when it comes to authentic hummus and does a great job explaining how to make it.

I found the Roasted Garlic Balsamic White Bean Dip, on The Way the Cookie Crumbles. I used Great Northern Beans, but any white (cannellini, navy, etc.) will do. I did have to leave out the sundried tomatoes and their oil in this, as I didn't have them when I was putting it together (but I later still drizzled some of the of the oil on top, prior to serving.) Even the tomatoes, it was bursting with flavor, due to the balsamic vinegar and roasted garlic. Again, I am just going to direct you to Bridget's blog.

These two dips, we served them with baby cut carrots and red pepper strips, as well as a basket of 2 different types of pita chips. Other cut veggies, naan, pita wedges or crackers would also be good.

For the Black Bean and Corn Salsa, I just made this up as I was going along. A few of my my measurements are a little approximate, so I'd suggest starting with less and adding to taste. I was worried that perhaps it was too thin, until at the party someone was asking around who made this dip. She said it was awesome and then told me to get out of the way so she could get more :) I do think in order to have it thicker, I would drain the tomatoes next time. We served this with multigrain tortilla chips and lime flavor ones.

1 can (14.5 oz.) Black Beans, drained and rinsed

juice from 1/2 of a lime

1 jalapeno, seeded if desired

1 clove garlic

1 can diced tomatoes, drain for a less thin salsa

1/2 cup hot or medium salsa, or to taste

1 tsp cumin, or to taste

1/4 tsp onion powder, or to taste

1/2-3/4 cup frozen corn kernels (I just eyeballed this)

Add beans, lime juice, jalapeno and garlic. to food processor. Process until smooth. Add tomatoes and pulse until they are are broken down and combined well.

Add salsa, cumin and onion powder, starting with a little less. Process until combined, taste and adjust if neccessary. Stir in desired amount of frozen corn (If planning on serving soon after, then thaw first.) Refrigerate a few hours until ready to serve.

Chunky Blue Cheese Dip & Dressing

For our Super Bowl get together, we tried out a bunch of new recipes, but either I forgot to take pictures of them, or the ones I did get were horrible. I am always way too preoccupied to make certain I've gotten a decent one. I managed to get an okay one of this dip, but compared to a few other things we had, it didn't seem that exciting.

Knowing my friends weren't going to put a hurtin' on the celery & carrots when there was an array of meaty and/or cheesy type apps, I only put out half of it. While we thought it was nice as a dip for veggies, we found it a perfect compliment to next day on our favorite Baked Buffalo Tenders from Ashlee's blog. And the following day I took some to work with a big garden salad for lunch, which was excellent! It is so much better than any bottled blue cheese dressing.

The recipe said you could use either blue cheese or gorgonzola. I used Roth Kase Buttermilk Blue, which I discovered recently while making the roasted beet salad for Symon Sundays, and it was just as great in this. As always, I used light sour cream and reduced fat olive oil mayonnanaise and it didn't seem to compromise the flavor at all.

adapted slightly from Taste of Home, Feb./March issue
1 cup light sour cream
4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Keftedes

The second recipe for our first week of Symon Sundays was Keftedes, small lamb (or beef) meatball eaten as appetizers. Being not much of a meat eater, I figured this recipe would be much more appealing to Sage than myself. However I was intrigued by the untraditional spices in this, such as cinnamon and nutmeg, along with cumin and corriander.

These were easy to make, and can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to cook. We considered baking these instead of frying, but we decided to stick with the recipe. I didn't get mint for garnishing because I do not like mint at all with food. (Mint is for toothpaste and mouthwash in my mind.) But I wish I'd gotten it anyhow, because our meatballs looked a little bare with just its drizzle of olive oil, cracked pepper and lemon zest.

At very first taste, it just tasted like biting into a hunk of meat to me, but as I continued chewing I bagan to taste the various flavors in this- the cinnamon, the cumin, the lemon- and they became something more than just a meatball. They were really good! We ate ours appetizer-style, but they'd be equally delicious over pasta, drizzled with extra olive oil and lemon. Ashlee has the recipe posted.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dip

I am very behind on my posts, being that this one is from Halloween! I hate to show up empty handed to a party and a few hours beforehand, I realized I was about to do that. I didn't have time to go shopping, but I had some canned pumpkin on hand I wanted to use.

I did a search and found most dips made with pumpkin used either a block of cream cheese or a jar marshmellow fluff- neither of which I had. But I had peanut butter, and I knew that paired nicely with the pumpkin. There is one basic recipe floating out there, with the slight variations being in the quanities of the ingredients. Since they all seemed nearly the same, I randomly picked one, not really noticing that this one had equal parts pumpkin, peanut butter and brown sugar. If I'd been paying attention better, I'd noticed the other recipes had a much smaller ratio of the sugar. We're talking the difference of a few tablespoons versus 3/4 of a cup! Not being a big fan of super sweet stuff, I sampled it and found it pretty much unedible. But with some tweeking, it became delicious!

This kid-friendly dip can be served with graham cracker sticks or ginger snaps, or a variety of fruits or celery sticks. We had the ginger snaps and apples, but it would be amazing on bananas. Sadly, we got to the party a little late, and no one was really hitting up the food table at that point, so I'm certain the majority of this got tossed at the end of the night. Luckily, I had saved a little of it at home, and my toddler went crazy for it on pears and celery. I feel bad for this yummy dip that it didn't get to be enjoyed as it deserved to have been, so I will be making it again!

adapted from Group Recipes
1 (15 oz.) can of pure pumpkin
1 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
graham crackers, ginger snaps, fruit or celery, for serving

Combine all ingredients until well blended. (Because I had chunky peanut butter and didn't soften my cream cheese before mixing, I opted to use a immersion blender for a smoother texture.)

Week 4: NE Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens: Maryland-Style Crab Cakes

This week the Patriots were playing the Ravens, so it was a given I'd have to make crab cakes, as that's what Maryland is known for. I am usually a big fan of seafood, and crab cakes are one of my absolute favorites. Lately though, I've had a strange aversion to seafood in general. But I figured I was able to eat calamari last week, so it was worth a try.

I went to one of my favorite recipe sources, allrecipes.com, just because I wanted to read the reviews. They had several Maryland Crab Cakes recipes, with high ratings, and I chose the one that was considered the most authentic by reviwers, but with the additions they suggested. They were far easier to make then I anticpated, and definitely much better than some restaraunt ones I've had. I had no problem eating them, so perhaps I'll be able to eat seafood again!

I cut this recipe in half (if I wasn't going to be able to eat them, I didn't want to make a bunch, and besides lump crabmeat is a little expensive!) This recipe made 4 nice sized crab cakes. You can shape them with your hands, but since there is little filler to hold this together, a custard cup (or measuring cup or larger ramekin) makes forming them easier. Crab cakes should have not have much breading to them, and the crab meat should be kept in big pieces. In place of saltines (the most common filler I found) I subbed Stoned Wheat Thins- not to be confused with Wheat Thins- since they are very similar to a saltine, only healthier. I liked that these were broiled, but you could also pan-fry if you prefer. We were very pleased with how these came out!

adapted from Maryland Crab Cakes III, allrecipes.com

1/2 cup crushed Saltines or Stoned Wheat Thins (around 10)

2 tbsp finely chopped onion

1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup light mayo

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp prepared brown mustard

1/2 tsp worcestershire

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1/2 lb. lump crab

lemon wedges, for serving

Combine all ingredients except for crabmeat. Mix well. Gently add crab, taking care not to break meat up, and stir just enough to mix into cracker mixture.

Form into 4 patties and place on plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for a half an hour.

Preheat broiler. Transfer crab cakes onto greased baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes on each side or until lightly golden. If crab cakes began to brown too quickly, place on lower rack. (I did 10 minutes on upper rack, flipped them, cooked them for 5 more minutes, and then placed them on lower rack for remaining 5 minutes.)

Black Bean and Corn Salad

My cousin was having a Fiesta last night. I love Mexican food, Margaritas and Coronas so I was pretty excited. Sage was making his awesome guacamole, but I wanted to bring something too.

I rummaged around in the fridge and the pantry, and just started putting stuff together and came up with this light and flavorful salad. This could also be served as more of a salsa than a side dish. I saw several party goers putting it in their tacos, but I'm sure it would be delicious eaten with tortilla chips, too.

I didn't measure out my seasonings, because I think its best to determine by taste, especially because salsa can vary in flavor and heat so much. Another nice addition would be red onion, but pregnancy left me unable to eat raw onion. I think it would look pretty in ths already colorful dish though.

1 (14.5 oz. can) diced tomatoes with mild green chiles, drained

1 (15.5 oz. can) black beans, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup frozen corn (or more, that's all I had)

2 gloves garlic, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup salsa

Juice of half a lime

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1/4 tbsp sugar

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

cumin, to taste

red pepper flakes, to taste

Combine tomatoes, beans, corn, garlic, peppers, and salsa. Add lime juice, cilantro, sugar and seasonings to taste. Chill for at least several hours. Taste before serving and adjust seasonings if neccessary.

Week 2: NE Patriots vs. NY Jets- New York Style Potato Knishes

I thought pretty hard about what to make this week. For a NYC team, there are the obvious: Pizza, Cheescake, Black and White Cookies, or Egg Creams. But I thought it would be fun to do something you might find at Jewish Delicatessen.

With some help from my mother's boyfriend, Joe, who was born and raised in the Bronx, I decided to make Potato Knishes. A potato dumpling of sorts, either fried or baked, these are can be bought in Jewish Delis or on the street. There are many different fillings, but the most traditional is the potato with onion.

Finding a recipe wasn't easy. There are so many, but I was attempting one as authentic as possible. I'd find one that would claim to be, and then the reviewers of the site would rip it to shreds. After reading dozens and dozens of recipes, I was ready to give up. Then I found Uncle Phaedrus, Finder of Lost Recipes. I honestly don't know how authentic this recipe is to a New York Style Knish, possibly not very, because there are a lot of people on message boards trying to find recipes for the square, fried knishes and these are baked and not square, but at least they were made with dough and not phyllo like so many of the recipes claiming to be authentic.

They were surprisingly easy to make and SO DELICIOUS! I did make one change, in order to make it a little healthier. Knishes are usually made with schmaltz, which is rendered chicken fat, or another type of fat. I used a light butter-substitute spread with half of a crumbled bouillon cube instead. Authentic? Absolutely not, but this recipe is already unhealthy enough. But so good, its worth the calories for the occassional treat. I cut the recipe below in half and it made 16 minis. We ate them with yellow mustard, as you would get them on the street.

New York Style Potato Knishes, Uncle Phaedrus

1/2 c plus 2 tbls vegetable oil

1/2 c plus 2 tbls lukewarm water

1 tsp salt

About 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 lb russet potatoes (about 3 med)

3 tbls schmaltz or other fat

1 cup yellow onions, chopped (about 2 medium)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

About 2 tsp salt

About 3/4 tsp ground black pepper

Make egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tsp water)

To make dough:

Combine oil, water and salt in large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining 1 cup flour to make a soft dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Form into ball, flatten slightly, cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temp for about 30 minutes. Don't refrigerate.

To make filling:

Place unpeeled potatoes in large pot. Add water and cover. Boil until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. While still warm, peel and mash. (I peeled mine first just to make it easier.)

Heat fat in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the potatoes, then the egg, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

To assemble:

Make egg wash. Preheat over to 375, lightly grease a large baking sheet. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. For large knishes, cut into 5 X 4 rectangles, for small cut into 3 inch squares or rounds. (I used a drinking glass with a three inch rim.) Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the center of the large knishes, or about 1 tbls in the small knishes. Bring the edges together in the center, pinching to seal.

Place the knishes seam side down on the prepared baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp. (once cooled these can be frozen. to reheat, cover loosely with foil and bake at 375 oven for 15 minutes.)

Week 1: NE Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills- Buffalo Chicken Pizza

For this first week of football, the Patriots were playing one of the Monday Night games. To say Sage is obsessed with football and the New England Patriots, is an understatement. I wanted to do something special for dinner, and I thought about a New England themed dinner. But all that came to mind was seafood, and recently I've developed an odd aversion to it.

So I was still trying to come up with something and recalled a co-worker I used to have. For fun, every week during football season he'd cook a themed dinner for his family. Depending on who was the opposing team their favorite team was playing, he'd create a dinner traditional to that area or one that had the team's location in the title of the food. I thought that would be cute to attempt for this season. The Pats were playing the Buffalo Bills, so I decided on a Buffalo Chicken Pizza- something I'd already been planning on making this week.

I looked through a few recipes but most had a layer of blue cheese salad dressing instead of a red sauce. I wanted to top mine with blue cheese crumbles, so I just came up with a simple recipe of my own. This was one of my favorite pizzas I've ever made. The crust was amazing and all the toppings were perfectly balanced. It looked like a lot of blue cheese, but it wasn't overwelming at all. I'm a veggie person, so I was worried that it would be just too much chicken and cheese, but when I asked Sage what vegetables I should use, he shrugged and said "Celery?" So we went without, and I didn't miss them. I made two small pizzas and they had a party appetizer feel. Perfect for eating while watching the game.

I needed a quick rising pizza dough, because that was the only type of yeast I had, and it was my favorite so far. I found this Honey Wheat Pizza Dough at About.com. For the flour I used 1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat flour and the rest all-purpose and followed all the rest of the recipe perfectly. I used only half of it for two 6-7 inch pizzas, and saved the rest for another use.

2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce, divided (I used Frank's Red Hot)
pizza dough ball or premade crusts
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup shredded mozarella
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Grill chicken (I used our George Foreman.) Dice and put in a small bowl. Mix with three tablespoons of the cayenne pepper sauce. Set aside.
3. Divide pizza dough onto two balls and roll out each on a floured surface. Transfer to baking sheet (I use the backside of mine.)
4. Mix tomato paste with remaining tablespoon of sauce. Spread half of tomato paste mixture on one pizza crust, top with half of mozarella, half of diced chicken, and finish with blue cheese crumbles. Repeat for other pizza.
5. Cook according to pizza dough or premade crust instructions. (I cooked mine for 14 minutes.)

My guys this year for the first Patriot game of the regular season

First Patriots game of the season, September 2008

Beckett's first Super Bowl, February 2008, less than two weeks old.

Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Spread

I'm not much of a snacker (or daytime eater for that matter- and yes, I know its horrible for my metabolism, but I just don't get hungry until late afternoon) but the other day I found myself really wanting a snack. And something that felt like a splurge, so my only real choice, a rice cake with peanut butter, wasn't going to cut it. I started scrounging the fridge and this is what I came up with.

It was so good that I am going to have to make it the next time we have friends over. This only made a small amount so I'll probably double or triple it. The first time I ate it with crisps I made with sun-dried polenta from a tube, but I also had it on stoned wheat crackers. Both were good but I'd probably say it went better on crackers and since that's less work, that's how I'll serve it for guests. I also won't eat the entire thing myself over the matter of days...

2 oz. goat cheese
1 tbsp lite cream cheese
1 tbsp good quality olive oil
1/8 tsp garlic powder
pinch of kosher salt
several grinds of pepper
3 sundried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 basil leaves, torn

1. Combine all ingredients in a small processor. Chill until ready to serve.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla

Due to a Fantasy Football Draft, it was just me and the little one for dinner last night. Since he's not much of a meat eater, and I'm just as happy with a meatless meal, that part was a given. I had some leftover tortillas so I decided on quesadillas because they are easy for Beckett to eat.

Since my goal was to make these kid-friendly, they aren't spicey as written. I add red pepper flakes to mine and served them with chiptole salsa and pickled jalapenos. The filling could easily be stretched to make three servings, but since I wasn't serving them with a side, I wanted them to be quite substantial. As a result, they were a little hard for Beckett to handle, so he just ate the filling with a fork. Oh well- he still ate all of the insides!

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 cloved garlic, minced

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 can (15.5 oz.) black beans, rinsed and partially mashed

1/2 tomato, diced (about 1/2 cup)

2 tbsp lite cream cheese

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

fresh ground pepper

red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

cooking spray

2 large flour tortillas

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided

1. Heat oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is becoming soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, cream cheese and spices. Stir to combine and cook for about two minutes. Set aside.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and add one tortilla. Sprinkle half of cheese on half of tortilla. Gently top with half of bean mixture, and fold tortilla over. When bottom side is toasted (about 1 minute or two) flip and cook for another minute or two.

3. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients. Serve with your toppings such as salsa and/or sour cream.

Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Salsa

For the get together we had, I made a Roasted Red Pepper Salsa, using a recipe from allrecipes.com as a guideline. It was delicious, but we also had a big bowl of Sage's Guacamole and only bought one bag of tortilla chips, so there were leftovers.

I decided to try it on chicken and it was really good. I enjoyed it both ways- as a cold salsa with chips and warm as a chicken topping. I'll bet it would be great on fish too. I was going to serve the chicken atop a bed of whole wheat spaghetti noodles, but I was really in the mood for cous cous so that's what we had it with instead.

Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper Salsa

2 large chicken breasts
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup of Roasted Red Pepper Salsa (recipe follows)

1. Pound chicken to 1/2-3/4 in. thickness. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in skillet. Brown chicken for 3 minutes on each side.
3. Pour salsa over top and around chicken. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
4. Remove chicken to serving plates. Stir salsa and spoon over chicken.

Roasted Red Pepper Salsa (adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chiles, jalapenos and lime juice (Southwest style from Target)

2 whole Roasted Red Peppers, chopped (i used jarred)

1/2 large onion, diced

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1/3 cup red wine

1. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.

Emily's Pretzel and Vegetable Dip

The other day, we had a get together for my best friend, Ali, who was visiting from CA. I put out some different snacks and appetizers. I tried a few new things and some old favorites.

There is something I consistantly serve at get togethers and that is this easy dip. Years ago my neighbor, Emily, threw this together, and I've been making it ever since. The funny thing is she once asked me for the recipe, and I had to tell her she was the original creator of it!

I have never had any of this left over after a party, and since the ingredients are things I typically have on hand it can also be whipped up for unexpected guests. Usually I just make it with prepared lite ranch dressing, but I didn't realize I was low, so I just added dry ranch mix. I served it with pretzels, carrots, celery and red pepper strips.

1/2 cup reduced fat cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

1/4 cup prepared lite ranch dressing

2 tbsp dry ranch dressing mix (or an extra 1/4 cup of prepared ranch)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

1. Stir sour cream into cream cheese and blend until smooth. Add ranch dressing, dry mix and cayenne pepper. Mix well.

2. Best if chilled for a few hours (it thickens up) but can be eaten immediately. Serve with pretzles and cut up raw vegetables.