Smoky Chipotle Hummus

I am in one of those unprepared mode...not mood, but I suppose that would also label it as such! I have not been photographing anything I have made since last week. The only thing that inspired me to actually photograph, is just one shot of the Chipotle Hummus that so inspired me by Alisha's hummus that she made!
@ The Ardent Epicure.

She made this most amazing Cilantro Hummus with Chipotle Oil Drizzle... that I could just not resist! She has such an amazing vegetarian blog, with all the gorgeous exotic fruits, and vegetables and legumes she uses to prepare delicious and healthy dishes, and appetizers.

I did not have fresh cilantro on hand, but I did have dry cilantro, which was not my first choice, but it did the trick, and it was actually a vibrant green color, because I keep my dry herbs in my freezer, and they last a long time, and stay fresh and that makes my foods taste a lot better.

So as you see, this is the beautiful dry chipotle peppers that I used. They were purchased at my local produce market, and, the price is very inexpensive. All you have to do is to put them into boiling water, and simmer them on med. low temperature, until they get soft, so you can put them in the food processor. Use some of the liquid from the water as well to make your sauce the proper consistency.



The recipe I used is something I found online, that I adapted from was on> All Recipes.com
 
Linking my Smoky Chipotle Hummus, to: Full Plate Thursday, 10-20-11
@ Miz Helen's Country Cottage!

The change I made in the Smoky Chipotle Hummus recipe, was that instead of canned chipotle, I used the homemade sauce to combine it with the recipe. I also omitted the canned roasted tomatoes, and the sundried tomatoes, as well.I didn't have fresh cilantro, so I had to use 1 teaspoon dry cilantro. Extra virgin olive oil was drizzle on the top, making a well around the center, to hold the oil, for easier scooping, and dipping. Serve with toasted pita wedges. Quite a change from the ordinary plain hummus!

Here's a helpful hint, how to dry fresh cilantro, a question asked by Laurie @ how my time flys.
As a rule, I freeze my dry herbs, and spices. They have a much longer life in the freezer, and every time I use them, they are always fresh, and potent, and not lose their aroma and strength. Even if you don't want to freeze them, at least refrigerate them, and you will get the same results. The only two seasonings that I don't freeze or refrigerate is the salt and pepper, which is always kept at room temperature!


How to dry fresh Cilantro

Cilantro
Cilantro, which originated in Greece, has been grown as an herb for thousands of years. Today, this annual is used in cuisine in countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. "Cilantro" is generally used to refer to the leaves of this plant. The seeds of the plant are usually called "coriander."

Growing Cilantro
You can buy cilantro as small plants from your local nursery and transplant them into the ground or into containers. These plants like the weather to be cool and sunny. Therefore, plant them where they can catch their rays during the morning and afternoon hours. Like us, these plants shouldn't be exposed to the sun during the mid-day hours.
If you want to plant your cilantro from seeds, you will need to do some groundwork before the seeds hit the soil. First, you have to crush each seed's husk a little. Then, the seeds should be soaked for one to two days before you plant them.
Plant seeds every six weeks or so during the growing season as cilantro is not a long lived plant.

How to Dry Fresh Cilantro: Leaves
Yes, you can buy dried cilantro at the store. Have you ever tried it? Dried cilantro has lost most of the attributes that makes cilantro "cilantro." While home dried leaves might be an improvement, these dried leaves will still leave much to be desired.
Your best bet is to wash the cilantro and remove most of the stems. Pat them dry with a towel and freeze individually on a cookie sheet. After the leaves are frozen, put them in freezer bags and place them back in your freezer until you need them.

How to Dry Fresh Cilantro: Coriander
When the seeds on the flower heads of your cilantro plant are starting to turn from green to brown, snip off the flower heads. Put the flower heads in brown paper bags and close the bags. Let the plant dry until the seeds fall off the heads easily.

Have a wonderful week...I will have more to offer in my next post!

Chicken Enchiladas...and Vegetarian Burritos!

I have not made chicken enchiladas in such a long time that I have almost forgotten about it...not really how to make it, just not thinking about making it. There are so many choices to make for dinner, but I really like to try new and healthy dishes out, instead of the "humdrum" basic things.
Now that I'm feeling a lot better and get the full use of my arm back, I feel so relieved that I can go about my daily routine.
We were worrying about hurricane Irene coming to us in South Florida, but it decided to go towards the East Coast which does not look too good. Reaching all the way up to New York, and Maine.
We are experiencing the heavy winds, and storm, but nothing compared to what tha Bahamas is going through, and now the Carolinas.

Just peeking through my balcony to check the pouring rain on Thursday afternoon, in a matter of minutes you would thing the hurricane was coming through. This poor palm tree lost a few branches from the heavy wind, and for an hour we were getting pummeled with the heavy rainstorm. I was not about to go outside to venture out anywhere! Now it's calm again, but it will start up all over.

Chunky Tomato Sauce... and a Book Giveaway!

As I mentioned in my last post, that my son Joe has finally published his first novel, self-published through Amazon.com I'm proud to offer a copy of his book, as a giveaway. Yesterday, he stopped over for a last minute lunch, and wanted to check out the waves on the beach, since we've been having such windy and rainy days in the last few days. He is also an avid surfer, since the age of eleven, and has won several awards, over the years. By profession he is an "Equity Trader" and these last couple years he's been working out of home, so he could finish his novel. Also, he decided to go back to college to get his masters degree in creative writing, after 14 years, graduating from college. He is a fabulous artist, as well, doing totally different designs...as for instance, surf board art designs, and creative designs on canvas. He also designed his book cover. Now, the latest project is his "political cartoon, daily art" which I myself don't quite understand, which has a lot to do with the "stock market."

Anyway, the emphasis now, is on my quick pasta sauce, served with fettucine that I made within 30 minutes, tops.
I always have fresh, dry, and frozen herbs on hand, for which is a "must" in my kitchen. Canned, or fresh tomatoes, is always a "must"...of course, onions, and garlic, and olives...so there you have it, a vegetarian meal to enjoy, even if you are not vegetarian. Joe and his wife Cara have decided to take that route now after and on-again, off-again route, for the last few years. Actually, they do eat seafood, and dairy...so they are "pescatarians?"...is there such a thing?

In a large skillet, all you do is saute, one sliced onion, 3 cloves of garlic sliced, 2 stalks of celery sliced, in 2 Tbsp.vegetable oil till  soft, and slightly golden. Add a 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon tomato paste, mixed in 1/2 cup of water, 1 Tbsp.extra virgin olive oil... salt and pepper, dry, or fresh basil, and let the tomato sauce cook for about 20 minutes, on medium heat, open. Stir from time to time, and after the 20 minutes, add pitted olives (I used Nicoise pitted olives) you can slice the olives, or cut them in half. (I left mine whole)...Serve over pasta of your choice, and add chopped fresh Italian parsley, or fresh basil for flavor and for a nice appearance. You can drizzle more extra virgin olive oil on the top, and serve.

note: I sauteed the vegetable in vegetable oil, because it absorbs the flavor of the vegetables better, since it's cooked on medium-high, and it prevents burning of the oil. Adding the extra virgin olive oil, when you add the tomatoes, gives it a nicer and more flavorful texture. Also, instead of adding the tomato paste directly into the 1/2 cup of water will give it an even texture, and prevents lumpy and too thick of a  texture. 
Now, for the book giveaway:

Lamb's Bread: A Marijuana Fueled American Revolutionary 

[Paperback]

About the book, and Joe's art and Cartoon

Adrian Amato is a pot-smoking, marijuana-dealing, equity trader with a plan to set a trap and imprison the president of the United States on Palm Beach Island. His revolutionary intentions seize the imagination of his brother-in-law, Jeff Silver, who assists Adrian and serves as his biographer, believing that it is an unprecedented, inside opportunity to document the rise of a radical aimed at reshaping the world. Loosely based on the recent collapse of the nation’s economy, Joseph Pregadio’s subversive allegory about a new 

American age is as captivating as it is thought provoking. A suspense-thriller full of unexpected twists and surprising turns, Lamb’s Bread captures the anarchical soul of American discontent and channels it into a fictional tale far more plausible than anyone should feel comfortable with.

Attacking the hubris of the ultra-wealthy and the indiscriminate profiteering of corporate America, Pregadio dares to lay bare the very schemes by which many investment practitioners got rich and then watched the economic system cave in—and funnels that outrage into a broadside indictment through the eyes and actions of Adrian Amato, a modern-day pirate whose goal is to attack the establishment at every possible turn. Bracing in its honesty and entertaining in its method, Lamb’s Bread is a modern parable everyone should put at the top of their reading list. 

As for the giveaway, all you have to do is to comment, so you will be on the list. If you don't follow either on my blog, or Twitter, you will not be eligible. I will ship this signed copy of the book anywhere in the United States, Canada, anywhere else, in the world. YES!... for the first time! I will announce the winner Monday morning. Giveaway ends on Sunday, April 3rd, at 11:00PM, EST.

Garden Style Frittata-and my giveaway gifts

I came home yesterday afternoon, and I had a huge box propped against my door. I was so excited, because before I even opened the box I saw the Red Gold label on the box. My amazing giveaway gift via Wendy,
@The Weekend Gourmet  Red Gold  Diced tomatoes are 100% natural, you can just spoon them right out of the 14.5 oz can, and eat them raw, that's how good they are...so fresh, and naturally sweet. For more information on these amazing Midwest tomatoes, you can go online to http://www.redgold.com/ They are not California tomatoes, but from my home state, Ohio, and a couple of other Midwest states. Thank you Wendy, and thank you Red Gold!

I first thought that I got a case of tomatoes, because the box was so huge, but not too heavy...instead, just look at this gorgeous box of goodies. A large ruby red tote bag (I'm a tote bag collector, hee hee)...a beautiful little special edition collectors 2004 Gold Chevy, which I will give to my little grandson as a birthday gift at the end of the month, for his 5th birthday (can't wait)...he has already such a huge collection of little cars, but this will be a large one, and most unusual. Also, a cookbook, which I love, and made the Garden Style Frittata from...last night...for my light supper, also a key chain, more recipes on index cards, and of course, the three different cans of diced tomatoes...LOVE IT!!!...just look at the red frills that it was packed in. (me, as a thrifter, will save these packing to use for another occasion)

 Here's a little EGG TALK...about a thrift find book of mine called Never Eat More Than You Can Lift...by SharonTyler Herbst, a book about noteable quotes, and edibles. You find everything here, from A to Z.
Cute little book cost $20.00 in the U.S, and $27.95 in Canada...I picked it up for $1.95 at a World Thrift store.

BAD EGG: A good-for nothing one who's unreliable or dishonest.
DON'T PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET: Don't invest all your time, energy or money in only one investment, activity or person.
EGGHEAD: An intellectual, a "brain"
EGG ON ONE'S FACE: Embarrassment or humiliation after saying or doing something foolish.
GOOD EGG: A likable trustworthy person.
GOOSE EGG: Zero
INNOCENT AS A NEW LAID EGG: Fresh, unspoiled.
LAY AN EGG: To fail miserably, usually in front of others.
NEST EGG: Money or other investments set aside for the future.
ROTTEN EGG: A "bad egg" only worse.
WALKING ON EGGS: To move with caution, whether verbally, or physically.


"Put all your eggs in one basket"...WATCH THAT BASKET- Mark Twain

"The egg is to cuisine what the article is to speech"-Anonymous

The Book is called, Heartwarming RECIPES for the busy cook, by Red Gold. is my recipe that I adapted. I used 6 eggs, and 1 can of the 14.5 oz. tomato drained, and not (2) that the recipe calls for. I did not want to use the Mexican Fiesta diced tomatoes, since this is an Italian inspired frittata, therefore I used the Garlic, basil, and oregano diced tomato, which was fabulous, pairing it with 1/3 cup of Reggiano Parmigiana cheese, grated, mixed in with the beaten eggs, and also used on the top. I used sweet onions chopped, instead of the scallions, which I did not have.
Also, I used fresh chopped Italian parsley, to sprinkle on top, and a handful of small grape tomatoes halved, which I have on hand. I omitted the sage, as well. I added the diced tomatoes on top of the eggs while they were cooking in the skillet, and added the fresh tomatoes on the top when I placed them in the broiler.

At any rate, here's the rest of the original recipe.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with a fork just until blended. Stir in the cheese, sage, salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a medium nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the scallions. Add the remaining scallions to the hot skillet.
Cook for 2 minutes, or until limp, stirring frequently. Add the egg mixture, tilting  the skillet to ensure even coverage. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 3 minutes, lifting the edge of the frittata with a wooden spoon to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath; do not stir.
Spoon Red Gold Diced Tomatoes over the top of the frittata. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or just until the eggs begin to set. Sprinkle with the reserved scallions. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until light brown.

Sicilian Puttanesca Sauce...and a Winner!

It's been a trying 3 days for me...trying to scan photos on my scanner, which is a Canon, flatbed, from ten years ago. I do have another newer model, from HP, but that is at least six years old, as well. That particular one, the scanner does not work. I'm trying to be this "self help" computer tech, and it' taking a toll on my patience already, figuring things out. Well, everything is working on the old scanner...lucky for me, I saved the soft-ware to upload the program, now, just a matter of time, how to upload the scanned Sicilian precious photos that I wanted to share with you. I will probably have to resort to my daughter's scanner later, to upload them. I made this pasta the other night at my daughter's house, and it was a huge success, even with the little ones. I have never seen a 4 year old child eat anchovies, black olives, capers, at all, and here I have my little "snow white skinned" blue eyed  Mediterranean grandson, who eats just about everything you put on his plate, especially foods, such as this, and wants a second helping. Something about Puttanesca, which derives from the word "putana=whore," really does have a history behind this famous sauce, does not mean actually, that putanas, where actually cooking it.

Chunky Tomato Soup, and a Winner!

I made this chunky tomato soup, on the same day that I made the sausage and the polenta, just to have a comforting soup on hand, since I had all the ingredients. I gave a huge amount to my daughter, not to mention the huge pot of chicken soup I made for them, coming back from cold, and freezing NYC. The first thing she asked me was, "did you take a photo of the tomato soup?"...and I said, no! "It's too mediocre"...on second thought, which was a day later, when I heated up the soup..."why not?"...yes, I will take a photo of it, along with my "creme fraiche" topping.
But wait!...I only have about half a portion of soup left over! Oh well!...no worries, still tasted so good, I would have loved a nice grilled cheese sandwich with that, but did not have sliced American, or Cheddar slices on hand, so I just enjoyed the soup with crackers!

A Comforting Frittata

With Christmas behind us, and leftovers just about gone, too much sweets eaten...a nice comforting vegetarian frittata will not only satisfies your hunger, but you can have your "breakfast, for dinner" as well. How can you go wrong with a perfect blend of sauteed sliced potatoes, fresh chopped tomatoes, and fresh spinach, topping it off with shredded cheese of your choice ( I used, cheddar)...scramble up at least 6-8 eggs, and added all together cooking it on the stove top, making sure you are not scrambling it, just lift a little from the edges to let it cook evenly, and finishing it off in the broiler. Yumm! Something your family will enjoy on a lazy and not much to do, evening.

There's no set recipe for this fritatta, just start out sauteing some chopped onions in about 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, along with about 4 small potatoes peeled and sliced thin, saute until potatoes are almost tender, adding about 1 large or a couple small fresh tomatoes, salt and pepper and a good handful of fresh spinach right into the mixture. Let it all cook together until spinach gets wilted. I even added about 1/4 cup of plain crushed tomatoes, (tomato sauce, marinara sauce will also work) but not tomato paste. To serve 6 servings with this, I scrambled 8 eggs, and poured it right over the vegetable mixture...see photo below!

In this process, all you do is lift a little bit around the edges, not disturbing the rest of the egg mixture, letting the uncooked eggs flow to the edge. 

At this point, you can see the edges setting, but the middle is still kind of wet, so with a wooden spoon, or spatula, carefully make a small incision in the center, tilting the pan from left to right to get to an even flow for setting more.
This may sound like a small "surgery process" or some kind of experiment, but it's just to make sure you have an even, nice, and fluffy frittata. Here's the last process, below!

Last process, I added a 16 ounce bag of shredded cheddar cheese, and a small amount of Mexican style cheese...you can add in place of this, shredded mozzarella, Swiss, or just grated Parmesan cheese. Also, you can variate the vegetables, and the spices, but in this case my grandchildren were eating this, and I had to be careful not making it too spicy for them. You can top this off with a nice salsa, and serve it with crusty bread. This dish served 4 adults, and 4 young children. Satisfaction guaranteed!