Ina Garten's Classic Hummus with Veggies {Perfect Quarantine Snack}!

As a bean lover, I almost always have lots of canned and dried beans on hand, especially chickpeas! Hummus is one of my favorite things on earth and I do not discriminate. Sure, I love a luscious and velvety hummus made from scratch like Yotam Ottolenghi makes, but I also love a quick puree made with canned chickpeas, like this Ina Garten recipe.

Luckily, this week I received lots of fun colorful veggies in my Misfits Market box. This meant I was able to throw together a classic hummus with lots of veggies for dipping.

If I were to offer any tips regarding the sourcing of ingredients, it would be this: This is the perfect time to take advantage of companies like Misfits Market (who deliver fresh organic produce direct to your doorstep) and it would also be the perfect time to sign up for a CSA or your local farmer's market!

I have been receiving my Misfits Market box every single week during quarantine and it has saved me. I am able to put together lots of different meals with the staples in my pantry, such as beans, pasta, grains, and eggs. In addition to Misfits, I have also signed up to order weekly from a local farmer's market.

I recommend that everyone try to source a local farmer's market that is practicing good social distancing.This is a direct source, and a sure way, to keep getting quality ingredients on your table!

Each week my farmer's market publishes a list of goods online. I've seen a wide range of goodies on there each week, pretty much everything one would NEED to live. Seriously, it is fabulous! I place my order online and when I arrive everything is NO CONTACT! I simply pop my trunk and someone (who is wearing a mask and gloves) places everything in my trunk and I drive away with all my fresh goodies. It's as simple as can be!

Then I am able to make fresh dishes like this hummus with veggies and feel good about my choices!

This is a classic everyday hummus and one I can see myself making over and over again, due to the ease. The recipe does call for hot sauce, which I thought a little odd, but I went ahead with it. I have to admit that I like my hummus pretty classic so I would skip the hot sauce next time around. If you like the heat then you would probably enjoy it.  I just prefer pure unadulterated hummus.

I am quite fond of serving hummus with pita, but right now I'm really trying to be healthy and pack in some vitamin C. Lucky for me, I received some baby bell peppers and just three of them have a whopping 260% of your vitamin C for the day. I also enjoyed this with thinly sliced mini cucumbers and the other classic veggies, such as carrots and celery. This made for a wonderfully delicious and healthy snack to keep in the refrigerator!

Classic Hummus

Adapted from Food Network

by Ina Garten

Makes around 2 cups

4 garlic cloves

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved (this is equal to one can)*

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup tahini

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

2 tablespoons water or liquid from can of chickpeas

8 dashes of hot sauce, if you like*

Veggies, pita, etc. for serving

 Notes: This recipe calls for one 14.5 oz. can of chickpeas. I love hot sauce, but I did not care for it in this recipe, so if you like a more classic hummus than feel free to omit it. I would definitely omit it the next time around. I love to garnish hummus with many different things: drizzle of olive oil, reserved beans, sumac, za'atar, herbs, feta cheese, and especially buttered and toasted pine nuts (my all-time favorite). I also love to serve hummus with pita, baby peppers, carrots, celery, cucumber, etc. Jazz it up and make it color because then it is very hard to resist!

Turn on the food processor or high speed blender and drop the garlic down into it and process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor (or blender) and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed (this is your personal preference - I processed until it was very smooth). Taste, for seasoning, and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Cooking what we can during Quarantine @ IHCC

Retro Recipe: Ruth Reichl's Baked Cheddar Olives

Ruth says, "These standbys of 1950s bridge club hostesses are worth resurrecting. They're good - crisp on the outside with a briny surprise inside. And they can be made with ingredients no kitchen should lack."

I have to agree. In fact, I'd say these little devils are more than good. I found them to be extremely delicious and quite addictive. I could barely stop eating them. The outside of these little treats is crumbly, like a cheesy biscuit dough, that crisps up on the outside and reminds me of the very popular cheese crackers everyone knows and loves. The inside is a briny salty delight. These wowed me big time!

Quite often I feel as though we go all out when entertaining, spending into the hundreds trying to impress our guests. These remind me that there is really no need for that. It's nice to take a step back and see a recipe such as this. Inexpensive, but totally delightful, these delicious bites will impress all your family and friends.

I can already tell you these will be at the top of my Ruth Reichl faves and they will definitely make my list of all time favorite recipes this year. Make them and see for yourself!

Baked Cheddar Olives

Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

Makes 20 Hors D'Oeuvres

1 cup coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (about 4 ounces)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

20 small pimiento-stuffed green olives, drained and patted dry

Notes: The dough was very crumbly and hard to work with. I had to add at least another teaspoon or so of butter to get the dough to come together.

Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 400F.

Stir together cheese, flour, and cayenne in a bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until a dough forms.

Drop tablespoons of dough onto a sheet of wax paper and place 1 olive on each piece of dough. Lightly flour your hands and wrap dough around olives, enclosing each one completely. Transfer olives to a baking sheet with sides and bake until pastry is golden, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Spicy One-Skillet Lasagna

 I had a chance to get caught up on some of my cooking shows over the holidays and created yet another list of recipes to try. High on that list was this Spicy One-Skillet Lasagna that I watched on an episode of Giada Entertains. It seemed quick and easy and as soon as she said "one-skillet" I was sold. 

Giada's Spicy One-Skillet Lasagna uses jarred sauce, spicy Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, red pepper flakes for heat, a pound of fresh mozzarella, heaps of Parmesan, and a touch of Gruyere. There is no ricotta, and with all the other cheeses, you definitely won't miss it! 

This lasagna is delicious with a slight kick of heat that is tempered by a lot of oozing cheese. It's definitely a winning recipe for cheese-lovers and we really did enjoy it. I especially liked the addition of the broccoli rabe and found it was a nice way to sneak some veggies in. I would definitely make this again!

Spicy One-Skillet Lasagna

Adapted from Food Network

by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1-1/2 pounds spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

3 shallots, finely minced

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/2 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, depending on desired spice level

1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

salt and pepper, to taste

One 25-ounce jar marinara sauce

8 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles

1-1/2 cups grated Parmesan

1 pound fresh mozzarella, dried well and torn into large chunks

1/2 cup grated Gruyere

Preheat oven to 375F. In a 12-inch high-sided skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and browned, about 7 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until translucent and slightly fragrant, another 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and red pepper flakes and cook for an additional 2 minutes to toast. Stir in the broccoli rabe and salt; cook until the rabe is wilted, 2 minutes. Remove the mixture to a medium bowl and return the pan to the stove over low heat.

Spoon a small amount of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the skillet. Mix the remaining marinara with the sausage mixture in the bowl. Layer half of the lasagna noodles on top of the marinara, breaking them up as needed to fit the pan. Cover with half of the sausage mixture. Add 3/4 cup of the Parmesan and half the mozzarella. Layer with the remaining noodles. Cover with the remaining sausage mixture and top with the rest of the Parmesan and mozzarella and the Gruyere.

Bake until bubbly and golden on top, about 40 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

Olivia's Tomato Soup with Rice & Pesto

My daughter is absolutely in love with tomato soup. It's her new obsession and after many, and I do mean many, trips to Panera (where she enjoys it in a bread bowl like the carb queen she is) I finally planned to make some at home. While looking through recipes I found this one that my sweet friend Deb made awhile back, Tomato Soup with Rice. Since I'm not a fan of crafting a bread bowl I figured the rice was a suitable carb replacement. My daughter agreed. All was set to get cooking, until I managed to blow out both of my 40 year-old knees jazzercising. 

Luckily, the recipe was very simple and my daughter was willing to make it for me while I supervised in a nearby chair. She didn't like chopping the onion because it made her cry, but she enjoyed prepping the rest. She seemed to take great enjoyment in stirring the pot and adding the rice (like she is in the picture below). She was really interested in how much liquid the rice absorbed and how thick the soup became.  It was a tasty lesson for her and one that the rest of the family enjoyed.

We served Olivia's Tomato and Rice Soup with a dollop of pesto and Parmesan cheese. On the side, some fresh toasted bread with a Parmesan Pesto butter. It was a delicious reminder that teenagers can indeed be sweet from time to time.

Tomato Soup with Rice & Pesto

Recipe adapted from Deb @ Kahakai Kitchen

Originally from Recipes and Dreams From An Italian Life

by Tessa Kiros

Serves 5-6

  5 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 medium cloves garlic, chopped

1-3/4 lbs very ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

12-15 basil leaves or pesto

5 cups hot water

1 scant cup short-grain white rice

Parmesan cheese for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and saute the onion until nicely golden and a bit sticky. Add the garlic and when it smells great, add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper. Tear in about seven of the basil leaves and simmer for about 5 minutes or so, squashing down most of the tomato lumps with a potato masher. Add the hot water and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Add the rice and simmer for another 20 minutes or so, putting the lid on at the end to prevent too much liquid from evaporating. It should be quite thick, but if it seems too thick just add a little hot water. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Serve in wide bowls. Tear a couple of basil leaves in half, or top with swirls of pesto, and add to each bowl. Scatter a heaping tablespoon or so of Parmesan over each and drizzle with a little olive oil. Grind a little black pepper over the top and serve.