Spicy Pickled Vegetable Hummus

As someone who really loves hummus, it’s kind of hard for me to believe that I’ve never made it before. Honestly, I think it’s mostly because, in my pre-dishwasher days, the idea of washing all 784 parts fo the food processor by hand made me die a little inside… and there is no hummus making without the food processor! (This is making me want to go lovingly caress my dishwasher, seriously.) Anyways, now that I have a machine to wash my dishes, using the food processor is no big deal – which means making hummus is about to become a regular occurrence in my household. So many flavors to try, so little time!

Spicy Pickled Vegetable Hummus
makes about 3 cups

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup hot pickled vegetables (giardiniera), drained
2 – 4 T pickled jalapeños
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 T olive oil

1.) To start, you want to remove the skins from the chickpeas. It’s a little tedious, but it’s really not that bad – just grab each chickpea, give it a little squeeze between your thumb and forefinger, and the skin will slide right off! You can skip this step, but I highly recommend it, as it results in a much smoother hummus.

2.) Throw everything but the olive oil into the food processor, and process until it’s relatively smooth, about 2 minutes. (I’d start on the lighter side with the jalapeños – taste as you go, and add more if you want more heat!)

3.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Start the food processor again, and slowly drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube, as the processor runs. Continue processing until the hummus is nice and smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl again if necessary.

This hummus can be used in so many different ways – spread it on to a sandwich instead of mayo, serve it with pita chips, or (my personal favorite) dip your favorite cut up vegetables into it! It’s got a good bite from the vinegar, nuttiness from the tahini, and a spicy kick from the hot vegetables and jalapeños – hummus perfection, if you ask me.

(This hummus will last about a week in the fridge – just put it into an airtight container, or cover it with plastic wrap!)

What kind of hummus will I make next?
Tina

Cheesy Beef Cups

Well, I’m sure you’re here today because you’re in need of a delicious appetizer to make for this evening’s National Championship basketball game… and lucky for you, I am ON IT. I strongly believe that it’s impossible to cheer your team on to victory on an empty stomach – so make sure you have some delicious snacks on hand as you cheer for the Wolverines tonight!

Hands down, my friends and family request this dish more than any other dish I make. These little meat muffins are just SO delicious, they are irresistible! My aunt was the original creator/maker of these – though, I remember her making them in full size muffin tins, so a couple of them was actually dinner, instead of an appetizer. I got the recipe from her probably 15 years ago – used it a couple times, lost it, and then just kept making them from memory (so surely the recipe has morphed, over the years). Once you’ve made them, they will become a staple for any gathering you attend, I guarantee it.

Cheesy Beef Cups
makes 24 mini cups

1lb ground beef (I use 90/10)
1 T yellow mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sweet barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 can refrigerated biscuits (make sure it’s a variety that says “flaky layers”, or similar)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook and crumble your ground beef, seasoning it with the salt and pepper. Once the beef is cooked through, add the mustard, brown sugar, and barbecue sauce, and stir to thoroughly combine.

2.) Give your beef a taste test – it should be noticeably sweet, but not overly so. If needed, add another tablespoon or two of brown sugar. Additionally, the mixture should be a little saucy (but not wet) – if it seems too dry, add a bit more barbecue sauce. When the beef mixture is done, remove it from the heat, and set it to the side.

3.) Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Remove your biscuits from the can (if you have to have someone else open the stupid pressurized can, just know that I’m not judging you – I HATE those things). Take each biscuit, and separate it into three layers (this is why it’s important to buy the biscuits that say “flaky layers” – otherwise separating them into layers is impossible). Press one biscuit layer into each of the mini muffin cups.

4.) Add a spoonful of meat to each biscuit cup, and top with shredded cheddar.

5.) Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown, and the cheese is nicely melted.

These things are seriously addictive. The slight edge of sweetness in the meat mixture sounds kind of weird, but it’s the best part of the whole dish (especially paired with the sharpness of the cheddar cheese)! These are quick to make, and a nice change of pace from the usual spread of dips on the appetizer table! You can make these up to a day ahead, too – just completely assemble them, but DON’T bake them. Cover the muffin tin tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them!

GO BLUE!!!
Tina

Penne with Roasted Cauliflower and Bacon Parmesan Cream Sauce

For those of you who hate cauliflower: just relax. You can take it out of this recipe if it truly offends you that much. However, I wouldn’t recommend it, because it’s a big part of what makes this recipe so delicious. So… proceed at your own risk.

Penne with Roasted Cauliflower and Bacon Parmesan Cream Sauce
Serves 4-6

1 lb penne (I prefer Barilla Plus)
half a large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
6 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan (plus more for the topping)
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper

1.) Preheat your oven to 400°. On a foil-lined baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with a couple teaspoons of olive oil and half a teaspoon of kosher salt. Allow the cauliflower to roast while you make the sauce and the pasta.

2.) Get your pasta water heating. Once it’s at a boil, add a generous handful of salt, and add the pasta in. Cook as directed. In a heavy-bottomed pot, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon, and pour off all but about 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

Bacon makes everything better!

3.) Add your onions to the hot bacon grease, and saute until they’re very soft and beginning to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

4.) Add the heavy cream and grated parmesan to the pot (this is a good time to use the pre-grated stuff from the store, rather than freshly grated). Lower the heat to medium low, and allow the cream mixture to come up to a gentle bubble. Let it bubble for 5-8 minutes, until it thickens just slightly. Stir in about half a teaspoon of freshly grated black pepper. (At this point, you can taste the sauce to see if it needs salt; with the bacon grease and the parmesan, it will likely only need a small pinch. If the sauce tastes a bit bland, it’s because it needs salt!)

5.) When the sauce is ready, the cauliflower and pasta should be, too. Turn your broiler on high, and then add the drained pasta, the roasted cauliflower, and the cooked bacon back to the pot, and stir to combine everything well. Pour the entire mixture into a large baking dish. Top with the panko, and some freshly grated parmesan, and a light mist/drizzle of olive oil.

6.) Place under the broiler for about 2 minutes, until the breadcrumbs and cheese are nice and golden brown.

This pasta is GOOD. I mean, it’s hard to go wrong with a sauce made of heavy cream, bacon, and parmesan cheese – but this dish didn’t taste heavy AT ALL, somehow. I think that skipping a traditional bechamel sauce (flour + butter + milk or cream, cooked into a thicker sauce) in favor of cream thickened just enough to coat the noodles, really helped keep it from being super heavy. Additionally, the combination of the nutty cauliflower and parmesan cheese, plus the salty and smoky bacon, and sweet onions? RIDICULOUS, I tell you. A (somewhat odd) flavor combination made in heaven, I swear.

If you really hate cauliflower that much, you can omit it and use broccoli instead… just know that I will feel sad that you’re missing out on all the cauliflower goodness. Also, you could make this a day ahead, if you wanted – cook everything as directed, and place into the baking dish, but don’t add the panko and parmesan cheese topping. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate; when you’re ready to serve it, place it into a cold oven, and turn the heat on to 350°. Once the oven has reached 350, let the dish heat for another 5 minutes or so, then top with the panko and parmesan, and broil for 1-2 minutes.

Seriously, just embrace the cauliflower – it’s good for you!

(For any March Madness fans out there… I assume you’ll be cheering for my Wolverines this Saturday night?? GO BLUE!!)
Tina

Homemade Caesar Dressing

I know it will sound really, really boring to a lot of people – but I love a good caesar salad. A good caesar dressing contains many of my favorite things: garlic, parmesan cheese, lots of acidity (lemon juice and vinegar), and a good bit of salt (from salt itself, and also salty anchovies). A few years ago I started making my own caesar dressing, and despite the fact that I often forget about it for long stretches of time, it’s one of my very favorite things to make. A giant pile of romaine, topped with garlicky homemade croutons, big shavings of parmesan cheese, and delicious caesar dressing? Yes, please!

Homemade Caesar Dressing
makes about 1 – 1.5 cup

1 T anchovy paste*
2 T whole grain mustard
2 t worcestershire sauce
2 cloves of garlic
2-3 T red wine vinegar
juice of one lemon
zest of half a lemon
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
healthy pinch of salt
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

*Do not be afraid of anchovy paste. It is not fishy in the least, and it just adds a nice salty nuttiness to the dressing (this is coming from someone who hates anything even REMOTELY fishy). You can buy it in a tube, near the canned tomato products – it’ll usually be alongside tomato paste in a tube, crushed garlic in a tube, etc. Just do it, and thank me later.

Add all ingredients (except olive oil) to a blender (or a tall cup, if you’re using an immersion blender). Blend until everything is well-combined (scrape down the sides, and make sure all the garlic has been blended), about a minute.

With the blender (regular or immersion) running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Once it’s all been added, give the dressing a taste to check for seasoning. Adjust as necessary, and blend once more.

Toss with chopped romaine, croutons of your choice, some shavings of parmesan cheese, and some grilled chicken if you’re making a meal out of it. Enjoy! (This dressing will last in the fridge, in an airtight container, for about a week.)

I realize anchovies look creepy, but they TASTE delicious,
Tina