Beet and Cannelloni Hummus

In Maryland this weekend for my nieces dance recitals and my bro's bday ... so, today I made zis in my bro's kitchen! Beet and Cannelloni Hummus - it is a hummus made without tahini paste.

Ingredients:
3/4's of a can of cooked beets
1 can cannelloni beans
1 or 2 garlic cloves
olive oil
a pinch of coarse salt
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
1/2 of a lemon, freshly squeezed

Put in a food processor and process .... bon appetit! 

It suggested to serve it with sliced fennel, so I did. I also served it with baby carrots, red and orange bell peppers, fresh broccoli and celery!

**I think I would put a bit more salt in the next time I make it.

Hotel Room Chef

It's hard to be a chef when you're traveling and do not have access to a kitchen. Tonight I'm in Maryland with the folks to see my nieces dance recitals and ... well ... this ain't bad for hotel room cooking! :o)

One of my aunts posted it on Facebook a few weeks ago ... tasty and cute. One day I'll have to make the olive penguins and these ladybugs at the same time! :)

Ingredients:

Cherry Tomatoes (cut in half, and a small slice in one end)

Fresh Basil

Fresh Mozzarella (cut in slices)

Black or Kalamata Olives 

(It said to use black, but being in a hotel room and not having a can opener, I got some Kalamata olives from an olive bar.)

To assemble, lay a basil leaf on top of a piece of the mozzarella cheese. Take an olive and cut the end off of it to create the head of the ladybug. Make small pieces of the remaining olive bits to "decorate" the back of the bug with it's traditional black spots.

Too cute. Super Delicious! Easy to make, even on the go!!!

Zucchini & Black Bean Quesadilla

What I learned by making a quesadilla .... put cheese on both sides of the tortilla so that as it melts and both sides "adhere" to the tortilla. ;o) 'Twas a tasty morsel of a case-uh-dill-uh! 

Here's the recipe I followed:

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20509747_11,00.html

Frittata Thursday!

On vacation -- in my own home today -- and decided to make myself a nice Frittata for breakfast! YUMMO!!! I do so love eggs and omelets and frittata's, oh and a good strata ... mmmmm! A few years ago my folks gave me a frittata pan and I've used it a good number of times, this morning included.

Ingredients:

approx. 2 tbsps. olive oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)

3 garlic cloves (I'm a garlic lover)

3-4 eggs (depending upon how hungry you are and or how many peeps are eating said frittata)

approx. 1/4 cup milk, half-n-half or heavy cream (today I used heavy cream 'cause I be on vacaaaaaa yo!)

1/4 of a fresh red pepper (sliced and chopped)

4 or 5 fresh mushrooms (sliced)

1/4 of a red onion (sliced)

1 baby red potatoe (sliced)

cheese of your choice (chunks)

capers

salt and pepper to taste

How To Make It...

Place your frittata pan  on the stove, add olive oil, garlic cloves (sliced, crushed or finely chopped, whatever your pleasure) and turn stove on  low. Let the garlic start to cook and when you can smell it add   a layer of baby red potatoes slices. Place the  frittata pan lid and let cook - on low heat - for approx. 5 minutes. Add sliced onion and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes or so. While onions and potatoes are cooking, in a small bowl beat your eggs and heavy cream. Pour egg mixture into the pan and place rep pepper, mushrooms, capers and cheese on top of the egg mixture. Add freshly ground pepper and salt to taste on top. Cook each side of your frittata (yay awesome frittata pan) for approx. 5 minutes  -- until it is solid and the egg has slightly browned up.

Once your frittata is done, remove it from the pan -- place on a large cutting board. Cut it into severing sizes needed/desired and server it up!

My First #Fail...Stovetop Pizza

This delicious mess is what happens when you buy all the ingredients for a Stovetop Pizza recipe you found on line, and are more than half way through the cooking process when you FINALLY realize that it is a recipe for a SPECIFIC type of pan (only available - at the moment - in New Zealand and Australia) ... yikes! Here's the video of what I was attempting to make. Looks like I'll have to enlist my Kiwi friend Lisette into sending me one of these ... LOL

Funny thing is, though I now have a thin crust pizza crust stuck to the bottom of my pan (I sure hope I can get it out), the resulting semi-gooey-upper-dough mixed with the great toppings I used, and the tomato sauce was extremely tasty!

It does signify one of the only times I can recall truly failing at what I was trying to make in the kitchen ... but though I failed, I failed with a delicious verve I dare anyone to rival! ;)

The toppings I used were: bottled sauce; fresh mozzarella cheese; red onion; red bell pepper; mushrooms; capers; kalamata olives; and fresh purple basil. The pizza soup I made was a tasty one! :)

Anyone out there think I can market "Pizza Soup" ??? LOL

Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie

Two words: Orange Dreamsicle! #YAS!!! Especially after a long day, and the need to go grocery shopping in order to really "cook" something, I present to you the extreme deliciousness that is the Orange Dreamsicle Smoothie!  

I used the fat-free half-n-half, because I had it in my fridge, and it worked out fine. Though I mistakenly put a few more ice cubes in after it was initially blended, and I didn't blend them enough ... it's still de-lish and stupid easy to make (as long as you have a blender)! 

Mint Green Tea

Guys, I've just discovered Mint Green Tea (Twinings of London) ... it's so good!

I've known and love Twinings Teas for years.

I've known and love Mint tea for years.

I've enjoyed most Green Teas for years.

Put'em'all'together and have you got ... awesomeness (hot or cold)!!!