Hummus

D and I have long said restaurants are a certain kind of special if they can mess up hummus.  And we have had bad restaurant hummus.  Also we have noticed that hummus is getting more and more expensive in restaurants (seriously, $10+?), so it isn't something we eat out a lot.

However, we have it at home.  It is easy to make; it takes a long time for tahini to go bad, and you can vary up the flavors.

I was craving it this past week, so we made some on Saturday.  I remembered a picture on Sunday when we were attacking the leftovers, so it isn't a great or pretty picture.

But the hummus was good.  Most of this recipe is just by taste.

Hummus

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
2 15 oz cans Chickpeas (or whatever that normal size can is in the grocery store)
6-8 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/4 C Tahini
Lemon Juice from 2 lemons
2-3 tsp Kosher Salt
3-4 TBSP Olive Oil

Preparation
Drain the chickpeas, reserving 1/4 cup of liquid.

Rinse the chickpeas.

Put the chickpeas, garlic and tahini into a food processor, and pulsate for a few minutes.

Add the reserved liquid, along with the lemon juice and the Kosher salt.

Process until smooth, while adding the olive oil.

Taste and adjust seasonings, to your satisfaction.

Serve in a bowl, with pita chips.

Pork Chile Verde with Red Chile Salsa

So D and I went to a Hatch Chile Festival earlier in the month. We ended up buying some bags of chiles.  And we found a beef chile and a pork chile.  So this is the pork chile.

The verde part of the chile was really good.  The Red Chile Salsa...well that part was just odd.  It was made with honey.  On the front of your mouth you got a sweet, but when swallowed it was a bland flavor of nothing.  The salsa was kind of gross on its own.  However, if you stirred it into the green chile chili, then it was good.

I'm not really sure if we would have again.  We have a Homesick Texan Green Chili that we both enjoyed better.  Still this was different, and I'm glad we tried it.

Pork Chile Verde with Red Chile Salsa

Photo by ALB

From BON APPÉTIT
YIELD:  13 1 Cup servings

ACTIVE TIME: 1 hour
TOTAL TIME: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients
3 cups (or more) chicken broth, divided
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, cut into 1/2-inch wedges, divided
1 bunch green onions, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups (packed) fresh cilantro with tender stems
Olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 4- to 4 1/2-pound pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
3/4 cup diced roasted peeled seeded mild green chiles (such as Hatch or Anaheim)
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 pound yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes chopped
Fresh cilantro
Red chile salsa (below)

Preparation
Puree 2 cups chicken broth, 1/4 of tomatillos, green onions, cilantro with stems, and garlic in blender. Set salsa verde aside.

Brush heavy large pot with oil; heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add pork to pot; cook until browned, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot (add oil if needed).

Add onion to pot; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle cumin seeds over; cook until onion is golden and cumin is toasted, about 2 minutes. Add remaining tomatillos; cook until tender and browned in spots, stirring occasionally and reducing heat to medium if browning too quickly, about 8 minutes. Return pork and any juices to pot. Add 2 cups reserved salsa verde, 1 cup broth, chiles, and oregano.

Cover; simmer over medium-low heat until pork is tender, about 2 hours.

Add potatoes to pork. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in remaining salsa verde; bring to simmer. Thin with additional broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide chile verde among bowls. Top with cilantro and dollop of red chile salsa.

Red Chile Salsa

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 2-ounce package dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, coarsely torn
3 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation
Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add chiles; fry until fragrant and chiles turn light orange, stirring often, about 2 minutes.

Transfer to plate; cool. Heat same skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup water; remove from heat.

Puree chiles, garlic-water mixture, honey, and cinnamon in blender, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if too thick. Transfer to bowl. Season with salt.

Grilled Polenta with Spicy Steak

So now that D and I know where to find polenta, we decided to try it again.

We both liked this meal.  However, it was small.  We have been trying to eat the correct portion sizes lately, except for salad.  Salad sucks, but it fills you up (it is horrible as a left over though, and I won't do it).

So anyway, this was really good.  But  the portion is too small for the next day.  So I have to figure that out.  When we have again, we have to have a side that isn't salad, that I can take to work the next day.  Such issues...

Grilled Polenta with Spicy Steak

Photo by ALB

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1 (18-ounce) tube of polenta, cut into 8 slices
1 ripe peeled avocado, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled queso fresco
1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa
Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation
1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine 1 teaspoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cumin, chile powder, and pepper; rub evenly over steak. Add steak to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

2. While steak rests, brush remaining 1 tablespoon oil over both sides of polenta slices; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add polenta to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Arrange 2 polenta slices on each of 4 plates; divide avocado evenly among servings. Top each serving with about 3 ounces steak, 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, 2 tablespoons queso fresco, and 2 tablespoons salsa. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 397; Fat: 19.2 g; Sat fat: 4.6 g; Mono fat: 10.1 g; Poly fat: 2.6 g; Protein: 28.9 g; Carbohydrate: 24 g; Fiber: 5.1 g; Cholesterol: 41 mg; Iron: 3.1 mg; Sodium: 739 mg; Calcium: 70 mg

Cooking Light, JUNE 2010

Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken

D and I have long given up getting 4 meals from any Asian dish made by Cooking Light.  It never seems to happen, despite us weighing out and measuring every ingredient, before and after cooking.

So we were surprised that this one did.  And big servings at that (although we did use a 9 oz package of rice noodles, because it was all we could find, and what the heck are you going to do with 2.25 oz of dry noodles besides take up room in the pantry).

We both really liked the dish but both felt it needed to be spicier, which is just our preference.

We would have again.  We had with broccoli.

Spicy Asian Noodles with Chicken

Photo by ALB

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)

Ingredients 
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste)
1 (6.75-ounce) package thin rice sticks (rice-flour noodles)
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation
1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic to pan; cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Place in a large bowl. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon oil, chicken, and next 6 ingredients (through sambal).

2. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain. Cut noodles into smaller pieces. Add noodles to bowl; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 381; Fat: 8.1 g; Sat fat: 1.5 g; Mono fat: 3.2 g; Poly fat: 2.7 g; Protein: 27.5 g; Carbohydrate: 47.1 g; Fiber: 2.3 g; Cholesterol: 60 mg; Iron: 3.1 mg; Sodium: 614 mg; Calcium: 55 mg

Cooking Light, MARCH 2009

Pappardelle With Pork Sugo And Hazelnuts

This one was a weird one.  First what is a Sugo, and second how does Nutella tastes with pork?  Well, that's what I initially thought when I saw Hazelnuts.  It turns out, hazelnuts can be used in other foods besides on waffles.

D made this on Sunday.  It was very good.  An Italian Pulled Pork, basically.  Because Kroger didn't have any tomatoes in stock, we used canned San Marzano tomatoes (thankfully we were at the fancy Kroger). He thought it needed more of a tomato flavor.  I thought it tastes just fine. We also used Penne and not Pappardelle because Kroger charges $5/8.8 oz of Papparedelle, and I think that is ridiculous for some wheat, eggs, and water.

I have no idea if it was easy or hard...he seemed to be in the kitchen a lot.  I would have again.  We had with bread.

Pappardelle With Pork Sugo And Hazelnuts

Photo by ALB

SERVINGS: 8
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients
5 large plum tomatoes, quartered (Used canned San Marzano tomatoes since Kroger decided not to sell fresh ones on Sunday)
7 garlic cloves, 1 finely grated, 6 left whole
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper
½ cup blanched hazelnuts
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), fat trimmed, cut into 8 pieces
4 large shallots, quartered
2 cups red wine
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
5 sprigs oregano, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped
5 sprigs thyme, plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces Grana Padano cheese, finely grated, plus shaved for serving
1 pound fresh or dried pappardelle (used 1 lb of penne, because 8 oz of pappardelle was $5).

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°. Toss tomatoes, grated garlic, and 1 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange tomatoes, skin side down, in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. Roast until browned around the edges, about 25 minutes. Set aside. 


Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Toast hazelnuts on another baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Let cool; coarsely chop. 


Reduce oven temperature to 275°. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium-high. Cook pork in batches, turning occasionally, until brown, 8–10 minutes; transfer to a platter. 


Add shallots and whole garlic cloves to same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add wine, scraping up any browned bits; bring to a boil and cook until wine is reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Return pork to pot and add milk, broth, and reserved tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Tie oregano and thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine; add to pot. Cover and transfer to oven. Braise meat until very tender, 2–2½ hours. 


Remove from oven; discard herbs and use a potato masher or pair of forks to shred pork and mash vegetables into medium-size pieces. Gradually add butter and grated cheese, stirring as you go to fully incorporate into sugo. 


Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, transfer to a platter, and toss with half of sugo. Serve topped with hazelnuts, chopped oregano and thyme, and more Grana Padano.


Do Ahead
Sugo can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool; cover and chill, or divide in half and freeze up to 3 months.

Nutritional Information (My Fitness Pal)
Calories: 679; Total Fat: 29 g; Saturated Fat: 9 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 89 mg; Sodium: 414 mg; Potassium: 762 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 57 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Sugars: 10 g; Protein: 36 g

Sausage and Kale Sauté with Polenta

This recipe was mailed to me by Cooking Light.  I haven't tried polenta in about 10-12 years, so I decided maybe it was time to retry it.  D said ok.

That led to the issue of where to find polenta.  We both thought tubes were sold in the produce refrigerated section at the Kroger.  It wasn't. Or with the gourmet cheese and hummus.  It seemed it wasn't anywhere to be found.  On Facebook, there were a lot of Italian Section suggestions...it kind of made me laugh, because our Kroger doesn't have an Italian section, unless you are counting pasta and sauce.  The "fancy" Krogers intown sell San Marzano Tomatoes and tomato paste in a tube, but that's about it.  At the 3rd Kroger I decided I wasn't leaving until I found this stuff.  Surely, I wasn't the only person in Atlanta who wanted the Kroger to sell polenta in a tube. It is in the Organic Shelf Section with the Mac and Cheese boxes, on the bottom shelf (I have since found it in the same place at the first 2 Krogers).  There you go.

So back to the review.

It turns out that if you add sausage to anything, it tastes good.  D thought it needed more kale, I thought the kale needed to be cooked a little more, but both of us liked it. And the polenta was good too.   We would have again.  We had with a Caesar Salad.

Sausage and Kale Sauté with Polenta

Photo by ALB

Leftovers from this one-dish hit make for an easy, delicious breakfast--simply reheat and top with an over-easy egg.

Yield: Serves 4 (serving size: 2 polenta slices and about 3/4 cup sausage mixture)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces sweet pork Italian sausage, casings removed
8 ounces prepared polenta, cut into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices (more like 19 oz to get 8 1/2-inch slices)
6 ounces prechopped kale
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce (such as Dell'Amore)
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into small pieces

Preparation
1. Preheat broiler to high.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook 3 minutes, stirring. Remove sausage. Add polenta to pan; cook 5 minutes. Remove polenta. Add kale, 1 tablespoon water, and pepper to pan. Cover; cook 2 minutes. Uncover; stir in sausage and marinara. Nestle polenta, browned side up, into sausage mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Broil 2 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 260; Fat: 16.6 g; Sat fat: 5.7 g; Mono fat: 6.6 g; Poly fat: 1.6 g; Protein: 10 g; Carbohydrate: 18 g; Fiber: 3 g; Cholesterol: 33 mg; Iron: 3 mg; Sodium: 408 mg; Calcium: 79 mg

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2014

Bacon, Cheddar and Beer Risotto

This has been on Pinterest for awhile.  I'm always hesitant about beer in food (besides a chili) because if you don't use the right beer, it can give it a weird flavor.  Anyway, we seem to have a plethora of styles of beer in our fridge right now, so we tried this recipe.

It was rather comforting.  Kind of like a savory oatmeal, if you must.  The calories are higher than on Emily Bites.  This is due to using real bacon and butter.

I would have again.  D thought it would be better with smoked paprika instead of cayenne.  I couldn't tell you.

We had with a chopped salad.

Bacon, Cheddar and Beer Risotto

Photo by ALB

Yield: 8 (1 CUP) SERVINGS
Adapted from Emily Bites

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
12 oz bottle of beer (Used Smuttynose Brown Ale)
6 cups fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
3/4 cup sharp shredded cheddar cheese (Used Kroger Sharp)
2/3 cup 2% reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (Used Sargento 2%)
4 slices cooked bacon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation
Make sure your bacon is cooked.

Place the butter in a large sauté pan and bring it over medium-low heat until butter is just melted. Add onions and cook 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until garlic is fragrant. Add the rice and stir to combine. Cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring throughout.

Pour in the beer and turn the heat up to high until the beer begins to simmer. Reduce heat back to medium-low and add ½ cup of the chicken broth. Stir until the liquid dissolves and then add another ½ cup. Repeat until all the broth has been added and the rice is creamy and al dente.

Remove the rice mixture from the heat and add the cheeses, bacon and cayenne pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined and serve.

Nutrition Information (MyFitnessPal)
Calories: 308; Total Fat: 11 g; Saturated Fat: 6 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 0 g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g; Trans Fat 0 g; Cholesterol: 39 mg; Sodium: 710 mg; Potassium: 175 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 41 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugars: 1 g; Protein 15 g