Hummus

About a year ago my family bought a Vitamix, which comes with a cookbook full of recipes that you can make in it. One of the recipes is Hummus, which is a Middle Eastern spread made of chick peas and tahini. You can dip vegetable or pita bread into it or put it on top of salads. Hummus is an easy healthy recipe that is sure to impress. I hope you enjoy my recipe for Hummus.

Ingredients:
2 cans chick peas, 1 drained, 1 with liquid
3 tablespoons tahini
1 garlic clove
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt

First, place chick peas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, and salt into the Vitamix or the food processor in the order listed and blend together until it is a smooth puree. 

Then place the Hummus into a bowl and serve with vegetables like carrots or with some warm pita bread. 

Enjoy!

Strawberry Jam

Ever since I was little my mom and I would go to the local farm, where you can pick your own fruit. We usually go strawberry and blueberry picking during the summer months. We leave with baskets and baskets full of fresh fruit and we never know what to do with all of it. We either make pies out of the strawberries or we make jam. Jam is super easy to make, and lasts for ever! I hope you enjoy my recipe for strawberry jam.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of strawberries per two 8 ounce jar.
1 1/2 tablespoons pectin per two 8 ounce jar
1 cup of sugar per two 8 ounce jar

Sterilize jars and lids by boiling for 10 minutes. Take out and put to the side.

Cut the tops off the strawberries and wash them. I used about 6 cups of strawberries to make 6 jars of jam.

Put the strawberries into the pot and mash slightly with a potato masher. Add the pectin to the strawberries.

Bring the pectin and strawberries to a boil, while stirring constantly. Once the mixture has come to a boil, add the sugar, I used about 3 cups of sugar to make 6 jars of jam. Bring this to a boil and let it boil for a minute. Skim off any foam.

Ladle into the jars, filling about a half inch from the top. Wipe the tops with a wet paper towel to make sure there isn’t any jam on the rim of the jar.

 Place the lid on the mason jar, then screw the band on loosely. Place gently the mason jars into a pot of boiling water. The water should cover the tops of the jars by about 2 inches. Boil for 10 minutes and remove carefully. Check lids for seal after 24 hours, the lids should not flex up and down when the center is pressed. The preserved jam lasts for about a year. If you would not like to boil the jars, you ladle the jam into the jars and refrigerate. The non preserved jam lasts for about 2 weeks.

Quick Cream Sauce

A while back I made Ricotta Gnocchi for the blog and tonight I made it again. This recipe has become a family favorite and we keep testing out new sauces. This is one of my favorites. It is salty and creamy at the same time and is so easy to make. In 5 short minutes you can create a sauce that is not only easy to make but delicious too. I hope you enjoy this recipe for Quick Cream Sauce.

Ingredients:
3 slices of Bacon
1-2 cloves of garlic (depending on the size of the garlic)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

First add the bacon to the pot and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until crispy. Then add the garlic to the pot for about 30 seconds, then add the heavy cream, black pepper, and salt to the pot and stir for about 30 seconds. When ready to serve add the parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese dissolves.

Serve over Ricotta Gnocchi or Penne.

Enjoy!

Homemade Granola Parfait

At Au Bon Pain they sell already made parfaits for people on the go. These parfaits are very bland and have no flavor. So a few days ago I decided to make my own granola. It turned out to be amazing and so easy to make, the parfaits tasted flavorful and had a crunch to it. Making the granola is so easy, it only takes about 45 minutes to make and lasts up to two weeks. I hope you enjoy the recipe for my Homemade Granola Parfait.

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats (not instant)
2 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup cranberry raisins

Parfait:

1 cup greek yogurt

1 1/2 cups of homemade granola

1/2 cup cut strawberries

1\2 tablespoon honey

First pre heat the oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit. Then in a bowl mix together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, and salt. In a spate bowl mix together the honey and the canola oil. Add the honey mixture to the oats and mix together until the oats are thoroughly coated. 

Place the granola on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread it out as thin as possible.

Bake for 15 minutes, then stir the mixture and cook again for 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. 

Add the cranberry raisins, and watch the mixture for about 20 minutes and stir occasionally. Let the granola sit for about an hour before use.

layer the greek yogurt, honey, granola, and strawberries, repeat 1-2 more times or until the glass is full.

Enjoy!