Hummus (Chickpea & Tahini Purée)

The Captain and I are embarking on a new lifestyle of healthier eating, although we will still indulge in those sinful foods that we love.  And I will still post those sinful recipes . . . but I'm looking for healthier alternatives and will share them as I discover them.

I have recently discovered hummus!  It is a healthier alternative for snacking since we love potato chips with sour cream dip.  We have found a selection of crackers at the grocery store that are low in fat and sodium and quite tasty.  Great with hummus!

19-oz. can chickpeas, or 1 cup dried chickpeas that have been soaked and cooked until very tender 
1/2 cup tahini (sesame-seed paste) 
1 clove garlic 
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 
Kosher salt to taste 
Olive oil for drizzling 
Cayenne for sprinkling 

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If using canned chickpeas, drain them, reserving the liquid, and rinse them. If using dried, cooked chickpeas, drain them and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Purée all the ingredients in a food processor until very smooth, adding the reserved liquid as needed. You should have a medium-thick paste (if it's still too thick, thin it more with water).

Season with salt. Transfer the hummus to a shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with cayenne. Serve with pita bread or raw vegetables.

From Fine Cooking CWF SIP, pp. 59

January 1, 2004

Chicken Cutlets with Bell Pepper Ragout

Although this recipe calls for sliced chicken breasts, I love the convenience of chicken tenderloins that come frozen in a big bag.  After defrosting, what I usually do is pound them down.  Another variation I would make to this recipe is leave out the capers and I would add sliced mushrooms.

1 1/4 lb. ripe plum tomatoes (6 to 8), cored, halved lengthwise, and seeded 
1 medium red or orange bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces 
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces 
1 small yellow onion, cut into medium dice 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
1/4 tsp. piment d’Espelette or 1/2 tsp. cayenne 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 medium clove garlic, mashed to a paste with 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, sliced into cutlets  
2 Tbs. nonpareil (small) capers, rinsed and patted dry

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Position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high.

Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with foil. Put the tomatoes cut side up on one side and the peppers and onion on the other side. Drizzle everything with 3 Tbs. of the olive oil and sprinkle with the piment d’Espelette, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Toss the peppers and onions. Broil until the tomatoes are collapsed, about 7 minutes. Flip the tomatoes, toss the peppers and onions, and broil until the tomato skins have large black spots and the peppers and onions are tender, about 5 minutes more.

Use tongs to pull the skins off the tomatoes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a cutting board. Put the peppers and onions in a large bowl; add the garlic paste. Chop the tomatoes and add to the bowl with the other vegetables. Mix well, season to taste with salt and pepper, and keep warm.

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Put the flour in a shallow pan. Season the chicken with 1-1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper; dredge in the flour. Working in 2 batches, cook the chicken, flipping once, until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving plates. Wipe out the pan. Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and fry the capers over medium-high heat until they pop open and become crisp, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle them over the chicken. Serve with the ragout.

From Fine Cooking 111, pp. 72


photo: Scott Phillips

May 5, 2011

Oreo Brownies

This recipe comes from my files of newspaper and magazine clippings, swapped recipes from friends and I have no idea of the original origin . . .


1/2 cup butter
3 ounces baking chocolate
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon double acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup Oreo cookies, crushed
2 cups brown sugar

Melt butter and chocolate in the top of a double
broiler. Cool slightly. Beat in remaining ingredients
by hand.

Pour into a greased 8 x 12-inch pan. Bake at
350 degrees F until set, approximately 30 minutes.

Yields 12

Stove Top Tamale Pie

I have no idea where this recipe came from, but I found it in one of my notebooks of recipes I want to try out . . . quick and easy!


1 t. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 14-oz. can black beans, undrained
1/2 C. water
1 3-oz. can chopped green chilies, undrained
1 1.25-oz. package taco seasoning mix
1 8-oz. package corn muffin mix
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 C. sliced green onion

In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, place the olive oil and onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the ground beef and brown; drain the fat.

Stir in the tomato sauce, black beans, water, green chilies and taco seasoning mix. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.

Prepare the corn muffin mix according to package directions. Drop small spoonfuls of batter over the meat mixture in the skillet; don't worry if there are some small uncovered places. Cover and cook over medium heat 15-17 minutes until the batter is cooked through.

Sprinkle the mixture with the cheese and green onion. Recover and cook 3-4 minutes over low heat until the cheese melts.

Serves 4-6