April 22- Hummus

I'll admit it. I am a hummus snob.

When we were college students, my husband and I each had the opportunity to travel abroad and taste delicious, authentic, made-with-love hummus. Store bought hummus just hasn't been the same ever since. We were thrilled when I found this recipe.

Authentic, easy, delicious hummus, created with ingredients purchased at the local middle eastern market.

Hummus

1 16oz can chickpeas

1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas

3-5 tbsp lemon juice (vary for taste)

1 1/2 tbsp tahini

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

Drain chickpeas, saving some liquid. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend/pulse on low until smooth. Serve in a bowl, topped with a sprinkle of paprika, additional olive oil, and parsley. 

April 20-Spiced Chicken Pitas

This started out as one recipe and evolved into something completely different. While browsing Barnes & Noble yesterday I stumbled across a treasure; a cookbook of Middle Eastern cuisine for $10. For those of you who know my husband and I, we are obsessed with Middle Eastern food. Having both been to the region, we now make it our goal to try every ethnic restaurant in the area in search of the most authentic. I was SO excited about my new cookbook that I immediately began to create tabs to mark the recipes that I wanted to try first.

I came across a recipe for Palestinian Chicken w/sumac and I wanted to give it a try. Until I realized that the average grocery store is limited on its stock of spices, tahini, and other necessities. Epic fail.

Okay, plan B....I still have pita, hummus, pickles, and amazing olive oil from the Arabic market waiting for me at home. The craving will be fulfilled someway, somehow.

Inspired, I created these Spiced Chicken Pitas. I used the original recipe for inspiration with some of the spices, but made a few improvisations. The recipe is a work in progress. It was good,  but not perfect. Too much cinnamon, not enough....something? Either way, it passed as a good meal. Until next time!

Spiced Chicken Pitas

2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1.25lb chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

2 tsp Moroccan seasoning 

1/2 tsp allspice

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp lemon juice or 1 lemon, squeezed

salt and pepper

flat leaf parsley, chopped

pita bread

(somewhere in the mix after tasting a sample I added a dash of cumin and chile)

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and stir in the onions. When the onions begin to cook, add garlic and sauté until the onions are golden. Add the chicken and stir fry 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the seasonings and the lemon juice. Cook until chicken is done. 

2. Warm pita pockets. Fill each pita with the chicken mixture. Garnish with parsley.

3. Serve with hummus, pickles, and/or tatziki. 

April 1-Skillet Pork Chops Florentine

Another winner from Campbell's Kitchen! We'll be adding this one to the repertoire of weeknight favorites for sure.

Skillet Pork Chops Florentine

2 tbsp olive oil

6 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (about 1 1/2lbs)

1 medium onion, diced

1 jar (24 oz) Prego Marinara Italian Sauce

1 package (10oz) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and well drained

4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heath. Add the pork chops and cook until the chops are browned on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil. Add the onion and cook until tender-crisp.

3. Stir the sauce and spinach into the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the pork chops to the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the chops are cooked through. Sprinkle with cheese.