Classic Humus from McCormick Spice

I'm lifting this recipe directly from McCormick's Page. I think it's also printed on the large Cumin bottle. I hope they don't mind.



Keep a can of chickpeas in your pantry for when you have unexpected guests. You can easily prepare hummus, a Middle Eastern chickpea dip.

Makes 10 (2-tablespoon) servings.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS

• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas
  
• 1 tablespoon McCormick® California Style Minced Garlic made from Fresh Garlic (I didn't have garlic, so I used a tsp of Garlic Salt instead)
  
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Cumin, Ground
  
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Red Pepper, Crushed or 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Red Pepper, Ground (I used Cayenne Pepper, because it was the only red pepper I had. It turned out a bit spicier than I wanted (though certainly nott terribly hot), so next time I'll use less.)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (I left this out because I used Garlic Salt above)
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• Garnishes such as chopped green onions, chopped olives and chopped tomato (optional)
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Drain chickpeas, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid. Place chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, red pepper and salt in food processor; cover. Process until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Add reserved liquid; process until smooth.
   
   
   
2. Spoon hummus into serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with toppings as desired. Serve with pita chips or warm pita wedges. Store hummus in airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 days. (I put the oil in the blender with everything else, since I don't like to see or feel the fat in my foods (though I do like to taste small amounts). I served it with torn up tortillas, though it's also good if you spread it on a tortilla or some other flatbread and roll it up)
   

Tips
Test Kitchen Tip: Prepare as directed, substituting 2 teaspoons McCormick® Garlic Powder for the Minced Garlic. Add 1/3 cup reserved chickpea liquid.

Tahini Hummus: Stir in 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste).

Bruschetta with Hummus and Roasted Red Pepper: Spread Bruschetta Toasts with hummus. Top each with a shaving of Manchego cheese and a strip of roasted red pepper.


NUTRITION INFORMATION
per serving
Calories: 38
Fat: 2 g
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 120 mg
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 1 g

Apple Cheddar Turkey Meatballs - slow cooker

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it, but I found a website full of slow cooker recipes that are GF. Many of the ones that we've tried are really good. Here's one we had last night that we served over rice. I just copied and pasted, so the directions come from the crockpot365 blog.

--1 1/2 pound extra lean ground turkey

--1 egg

--1 tsp kosher salt

--1 tsp ground black pepper

--1 tsp onion powder

--1 green apple, peeled and shredded

--1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

--1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

The Directions.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the ground turkey with the ingredients. I used my hands.

Make golf-ball sized meatballs, and drop them into your crockpot. I used a 6 quart crockpot, but you could use any size over 3 quart, probably. These made enough meatballs to feed our family of 4 for dinner, with 8 leftover for breakfast and lunch. If you have a large family, or would like to cook enough to freeze, double or triple the recipe. You can definitely stagger-stack the meatballs on top of each other.

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 5-9---the cooking time will depend on how many meatballs are in the crock, and the size of your machine. The more full it is, the longer it will take to cook.

I cooked 1 1/2 pounds of meatballs in a 6 quart for exactly 4 hours on high. I could have left them in a bit longer to brown the ones on the very top, but we were hungry.

While they cook, juice will collect on the bottom of the crock, and the meatballs will start off getting bright white and slimy looking. Don't be alarmed---they will continue to cook and will begin to brown. They (miraculously enough!) don't seem to stick together in a big blob---you'll be able to separate them

Cavatelli and Broccoli

I didn't add the cavatelli when I made this and it was great.

1 head fresh broccoli, cut into florets

2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 pound cavatelli pasta

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot of boiling water, blanch broccoli for about 5 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until lightly golden, being careful not to burn it. Add the broccoli. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Broccoli should be tender yet crisp to the bite.

Meanwhile, cook cavatelli in a large pot of boiling salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and place in a large serving bowl. Toss with the broccoli, and season with salt and hot pepper flakes. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Instant smoothie

Mix half and half cinnamon applesauce and peach cranberry juice. (Or whatever fruit juice you  have in the fridge.) It's really hot and humid here in Dayton right now, this was just the thing. Also a lot cheaper than buying a smoothie.

Kung Pao Chicken

This is a GFCF recipe that Rachel's sister, Deb, sent us. Very delicious! (the recipe calls for pork, but we use chicken)

1/3 c water

1/4 c soy sauce

2 1/2 T sugar

1 T lemon juice (or 1/2 T vinegar)

2 T cornstarch

1/4 t dried crushed red pepper (we use cayenne)

2 T oil

3/4 lb meat cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2-4 large garlic cloves

1 red or green pepper cut into thin strips

1 small onion chopped

1/4 c unsalted roasted peanuts (optional)

Hot cooked rice

Combine water, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch, and cayenne in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth; set aside.

Pour oil into wok or large skillet, turn on to med-high heat until oil is very hot. Add pork and garlic; stir-fry about 3 min or until meat is cooked. Add pepper strips and onion; stir fry 3 min just until veggies are tender.

Stir in soy sauce mixture; cook, stirring constantly 1 min or until thickened. Stir in peanuts. Serve over rice. Makes about 4 medium servings