Hummus

     When J.T. and I went on our first date, although we were “just friends,” it was to Zoe’s Kitchen.  Even with all my food intolerances/allergies, I can safely eat at Zoe’s and have multiple menu options.  In my defense, I warned J.T. that Zoe’s was chic food, but he had never been and wanted to give it a try.   I can still remember that date like it was yesterday.  He ordered the turkey sandwich with pita chips and I got my usual, the chicken salad and fruit plate.  Zoe’s has become one of our favorite restaurants and J.T. has learned that the turkey sandwich is not his favorite menu item.  He jokes to this day that his pita chips tasted like cardboard, and I still laugh at the fact the he ordered a turkey sandwich.  Now, his usual meal at Zoe’s is the hummus salad plate.  This man loves hummus and I have become quite fond of it myself.  I have gotten into the habit of serving hummus on Wednesday evenings.  Once a month or so, I make a large batch of hummus and divide it into 9 or 10 half pint jars.  I freeze the hummus and pull out jars as needed for meals.  Two jars are enough to provide us with supper and lunch for the next day.  It is so easy to make and much quicker than our old Wednesday night standby, veggie burgers.  After several edible, yet flawed batches of hummus, I have finally stumbled across my perfect recipe.  Nothing is overpowering and all the flavors of tahini, garlic, and lemon work together to form a creamy, Mediterranean (as described my J.T.) puree.  

Ingredients

• 10 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 pound chickpeas, cooked, juices reserved
• ¾ cup tahini paste
• ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 3 to 4 lemons
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Crystal,  not Tabasco
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 ½ teaspoons Celtic sea salt
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1.     In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse together the garlic cloves until finely minced.  Add the remaining ingredients and pulse together until the hummus forms a creamy consistency.  Add more reserved cooking liquid if needed.  

2.     Refrigerate overnight before serving.  Yields 9 to 10 (8 ounce) jars, about 9 cups

Make ahead:  Prepare the hummus and spoon into canning jars.  The hummus may be refrigerated up to one week or frozen up to 3 months.  If freezing, be sure to use a wide mouth canning jar.  

Menu Plan, March 23 - 29 (SPRING BREAK!)

  

     It's Spring Break week!!!  I always thought that I would say goodbye to Spring Break after my last year of college.  Luckily, I became fortunate enough to work for a University that gives students AND employees Spring Break.  Blessed.  Over the course of my week off, I am trying multiple new recipes and restocking our freezer.  Out of the recipes listed below, I plan on quadrupling the burrito recipe and tripling the hot dog recipe.  Plans have also been made to make a large batch of hummus, marinara sauce, strawberry muffins, and tortillas.  I hope the freezer door will shut!  Of course, nothing has been set in stone, so an impromptu trip to Zoe's Kitchen may pop up.  Sunday lunch will consist of just J.T. and me, so we aren't having anything fancy.  I am trying to save a little money to put toward ingredients I need to get ahead with my cooking over the break.

  

   I have been experimenting in the kitchen with different snack bars, but I have yet to find THE recipe.  I love these little snack bars because they are perfectly portioned, making it easier for me to control how much I am eating.  A slightly adapted recipe has been made of both Pumpkin Spice Bars and No-Bake Granola Bars.  So far, I have enjoyed the granola bars more than the pumpkin bars.  

 

     I am happy to report that my knees are much better, so I started back on the treadmill this past Monday.  Since I am taking things slow and trying to strengthen my thigh muscles, I am only walking.  Hopefully I can begin interval running soon.  Over Spring Break I will start Pilates, in hopes that it will also strengthen my legs.  My new running shoes have also helped ease the pain in my knees (Thanks Mama!).

Sunday

• Smoked Salmon Tart with Millet Crust (new recipe from Whole Grain Mornings)
• Green Peas

Monday

• Pinto Beans
• Cornbread

Tuesday

• Spinach, Pea, & Brown Rice Frittata (new recipe from Whole Grain Mornings)
• Sautéed Cabbage

Wednesday

• Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burritos (new recipe)
• Roasted Plantains

Thursday

• Peanut Butter Waffle Sandwiches
• Eggs

Friday

• Hot Dog Wraps (new recipe)
• Julia's Boston Baked Beans

Saturday

• Leftovers

Chicken Pot Pie

     Although, I didn't eat chicken pot pie much as a child, I have come to love this southern comfort classic.  Most recipes are loaded with butter, flour, and heavy cream, but these are not ingredient options for me.  To thicken the pot pie filling, I relied on a blend of homemade chicken stock, organic cornstarch, and unsweetened almond milk.  For the crust, I used a combination of gluten free flour, cornmeal, and coconut oil, to lend a buttery, sweet dough.  Do not let the long list of ingredients and steps fool you.  The filing is slightly loose, making it easy to moisten the crust with extra juices when serving.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• (1) 3 ½ to 4 pound chicken
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 5 ½ teaspoons celtic sea salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper, divided, plus additional for seasoning the chicken
• ¾ cup celery, chopped
• 1 ½ cups carrots, chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 cups (1-14 ounce package) frozen green peas
• 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• ¼ cup organic cornstarch
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

For the topping:

• 1 cup multi-grain flour blend
• ½ cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons celtic sea salt
• ½ cup extra-virgin coconut oil
• 1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and season generously with 1 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and rub the seasoning and oil into the meat.  Roast for about an hour, or until the internal temperature of the meat registers at 180 degrees.  After the chicken has cooked, remove it to a plate to rest for 30 minutes.  
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the celery, carrots, and onion and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.  Stir in the peas, 2 teaspoons of sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer.  Whisk together the cold milk and cornstarch until no lumps remain.  Gradually whisk this mixture into the simmering stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.  Off the heat and set aside.  
3. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones.  Using your hands, shred the meat directly into the pot.  Season with 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and stir to combine.  Pour the filling into a large (9 x 13 inch) casserole dish.  
4. To make the topping, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl.  In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the coconut oil, milk and egg.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Pour the batter directly on top of the filling.  Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.  

Make ahead:  The filling can be prepared up to two days before serving.  While the oven is preheating, place the casserole dish with the filling into the oven.  Once the oven reaches 425 degrees, remove the filling from the oven, pour the batter on top, and cook for 40 minutes. 

Menu Plan, March 16 - 22

  

     Another week has been spent RICEing my knees (rest, ice, compress, elevate) and they are both slowly getting better.  I can tell a big improvement when descending staircases and I am very relieved both knees are healing.  The right knee is slightly more tender than the left, but I will be back on the treadmill soon.  I checked a major item off my to-do list this week, when I filed our taxes.  Hallelujah! I was planning on doing them over Spring Break but was able to get them done early.  Speaking of Spring Break, it is approaching very quickly and J.T. and I both cannot wait!  Last year we went to Washington but this year we are home bound.  I am really looking forward to simply spending time at home.  The majority of our life is spent at work, so I love lazy days spent doing little projects around our apartment.  I already have my Spring Break to-do list going and our menu plan mapped out. I am looking forward to trying many new recipes that I am not brave enough to attempt during the week.  

     A little project that J.T. and I did last weekend was work on hanging my new spice rack.  This wooden shelf was made by my grandfather.  About a month ago, we were cleaning out his attic and stumbled upon it.  I immediately envisioned all my spices fitting on it perfectly.  They are alphabetical (of course!) and so easy to access.  The blue willow tea cups on the top shelf belonged to my grandmother.  I love having a piece of Mama Jean and Granddaddy Ed in my kitchen.   Please ignore the terrible phone picture.  

Sunday

• Chicken Pot Pie
• Green Beans
• Jam Cake

Monday

• Quinoa Pea Soup
• Cornbread Muffins

Tuesday

• Homemade Hamburger Helper
• Peas

Wednesday

• Hummus Sandwiches
• Roasted Carrots

Thursday

• Spinach Sausage Polenta Squares (new recipe from Whole Grain Mornings)
• Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Friday

• Peanut Butter Waffle Sandwiches
• Eggs

Saturday

• Leftovers