Hummus

This is a recipe that my brother and his wife taught me when they were home 2 years ago. It is ridiculously easy and you'll wonder why you spent so much money buying pre-made stuff...

Ingredients:

1 can of Garbanzo Beans (chickpeas)
Olive Oil
Salt
Garlic Powder
Lemon Juice (or fresh lemon if you prefer)
Tahini (you can also use sesame oil and some sesame seeds)
Turmeric

Directions:

Drain beans and dump into blender. Add at least 1 Tbsp olive oil, the juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 Tbsp), 1 Tbsp of tahini (or about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp sesame seeds and a couple drops of sesame oil). Add salt and garlic to taste, and a dash of turmeric. Blend until smooth. Chill for about an hour.

Serving Suggestions:

Cut up a couple pita pockets into wedges or strips and split in halves, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with garlic powder and pop under the broiler until lightly toasted. Dice up some fresh tomato, cucumber, and onions. Toss veggies together. Scoop hummus onto the pita chip, top with veggies and enjoy!

You can fill a pita with about 3 Tbsp of hummus, and top with veggies of your choice.

You can dip your carrots and celery and eat it that way.

You can enjoy it with Tostitos Multi-Grain Tortilla chips, or spread it onto bagel chips.

I prefer to make mine up before bed, put it into a tightly sealed container and let it sit overnight in the fridge to blend the flavors.

The ration of ingredients is totally up to you and you can add some roasted peppers or use a flavored oil instead of plain olive oil.

Grandma M&M's Cranberry Salad

1 bag fresh cranberries (you can also use fresh frozen berries)
1 Small box raspberry jell-o
1 Cup sugar
2 apples peeled, cored, and diced (I like to use Honeycrisp. They contrast beautifully with the tart cranberries)
1 C. chopped walnuts (optional...Grandma always makes one with and one without nuts)

Put cranberries in the food processor & chop until fine. Stir sugar into cranberries & let dissolve. Prepare jell-o according to package directions less 1/2 cup of water. Combine all ingredients & pour into 8x11 glass dish. Refrigerate until set, preferably over night.

"Legendary" Fruit Casserole

Thus named for the restaurant I worked in during my late teens/early 20's. We served this & it was a HUGE hit. Most people were offset by the idea of a warm fruit casserole, but if you think of it like a cobbler it's much easier to deal with! And this is not for the diabetic among you!

4 C. Crushed Pineapple (canned)
4 C. Diced Peaches (canned)
4 C. Brown Sugar
4 C. Crushed Club Crackers
1 Stick Melted Butter or Margarine

Drain fruit. Layer 2 C. of each fruit, followed by 2 C. brown sugar, then 2 C. cracker crumbs. Drizzle 1/2 the butter over top and repeat. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold (I prefer warm).

This makes enough for a pot luck dinner or a large group. While we served it as a side dish, it's excellent served with vanilla ice cream as a dessert.

Steamed Potatos

Last night, I made my family's favorite potato dish. This is so easy and yummy! The leftovers are good cold and reheated.

1 Large Russet baking potato cut into a 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice
1 Large Sweet potato cut into a 1/4 to 1/2 inch dice
1 Small yellow onion coarsely chopped
3 pinches Renaissance Rub
EVOO

*I found this three years ago at my local H-E-B grocery store. They no longer carry it, but I still have at least 2/3 of the tin left. A little goes a long way!! The $6 price tag did alarm me at the time, but it has been a great investment.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add EVOO. I probably use three tablespoons for this recipe. Put the potatos and onion in the pan. Sprinkle the Renaissance Rub over the entire concoction. Stir it around. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low to low. Let cook until the potatos are done but not soggy (for me this means about 15 minutes).

I have to say this. I hate sweet potatos and very nearly did not try this dish when it was presented to me several years ago. I am so glad that I did. My husband is also a sweet-potato hater, and he didn't want to try this, either, but I talked him into it. We both love the dish. It is super easy to throw together in a hurry and is now one of our go-to sides. I even made this at Thanksgiving to rave reviews!

Company Carrots

My friend, Kathryn, made this for one of her "get Sara married off" dinners. While the eligible bachelor didn't prove to be a success, this side dish was indeed a delicious success. I've made it many times. I don't imagine it would freeze well, but it does reheat very well in the oven on an oven-safe plate covered with foil.

Time: 10-15 minutes prep, 45 minutes baking
Serves: 4-6 adults
Degree of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
4-5 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2"x1" matchsticks
1/3 cup real mayonnaise
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
salt and pepper
coarse wheat or spelt bread crumbs*
butter

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat a medium sized pot about half full of water on the stove to almost boiling. Peel and cut up carrots according to above description. Put carrot pieces in water and let cook for about five minutes.

2. Meanwhile, chop up your onion and place in a small mixing bowl with mayonnaise. Drain carrots and add them to onion mixture. Stir well, and add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Smooth mixture into an ungreased 5.25"x9" glass baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. (I use a generous amount, making a 1/4" covering over all.) Drop small pats of butter randomly across the top.

4. Cover with foil. Bake in 350 oven for 30 minutes covered, and 15 more minutes uncovered. Remove, let cool a minute or two, and then serve. Goes great with any roast meat dish, mashed potatoes, and a green vegetable.

*I make my own bread crumbs with leftover pieces of my bread. I simply slice the bread, put several slices on a cookie sheet and stick it in a 350 oven for about five minutes each side. I turn it once. Then I break it up into pieces, toss it in my food processor with the regular blade, and pulse until the crumbs are fairly smooth and uniform. I store it in a ziploc freezer bag in our freezer, and always have some handy for any recipe. This is a great way to use the last of the bread if it's a bit stale or if you just want to make a fresh batch (or if you have kiddos who refuse to eat the heels).