Spicy Roasted Pepper Hummus

I really wanted to try my hand at making some hummus, and since my Bountiful Basket came with a few of the ingredients I needed, I decided to give it a whirl.  I have now successfully made two batches, and I wanted to blog about it so I remember how I made it - it is yummy!  The first batch I made with roasted red peppers, and the second batch I used roasted orange and yellow peppers.  Both varieties were delicious.  Many recipes call for tahini - I had no clue what this was so I had to google it.  It is a sesame paste.  Some recipes used peanut butter instead, so that's what I used in mine because I always have it in stock at home.
 
We have been using the hummus as a dip for pretzels, and I also spread some on a tortilla and rolled it up for a snack.  Many people also use it as a veggie dip.  It is an incredibly nutritious dip to make, and it is a nice source of protein and fiber. 

Spicy Roasted Pepper Hummus

2 bell peppers, de-seeded and cut in strips
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling peppers
6 cloves of garlic
2 - 15 oz cans garbanzo beans, drained
1 lemon - juiced
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup water
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp dried parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place strips of bell pepper on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 10 minutes (will be brown around edges).  Remove and let cool.  In a blender or food processor, chop garlic cloves.  Add garbonzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, peanut butter, 1/4 cup of the water, crushed red pepper, salt, paprika, cayenne pepper, and parsley.  Blend until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape sides of blender/food processor.  Add roasted pepper strips a few at a time, as well as the remaining water, until mixture is blended well.  Transfer mixture to a bowl or storage container.

Cabbage and Bacon Crockpot Soup Recipe

I was looking to use up a few grocery items and came up with this crockpot recipe. It was yummy! My six year old (who thinks she is allergic to vegetables) exclaimed after eating it, "Even though it had vegetables, I ate it anyway, and it was good!" I served this soup with buttered toast on the side.

Cabbage and Bacon Soup

1 small head of cabbage
1 bell pepper
1 15 oz can pinto beans - drained
1 onion
4 thick cut bacon slices - cooked and chopped into small pieces
6 cups water
6 chicken bouillion cubes

Chop vegetables and place in crockpot. Add the beans, water, and bouillion cubes. Stir in the chopped bacon pieces. Optional - to add more bacon flavor, add the leftover bacon drippings as well. Cook in crockpot on high for 5-6 hours.

Easy Mexican Bean Casserole

This is a really easy recipe for a Mexican style bean casserole that can be used as a side dish or a main dish. I usually use it as a main dish myself. You can throw it together pretty quickly for a convenient, easy dinner. This recipe will feed my family for one meal, it can easily be doubled if you want to have seconds, or leftovers, or just need a bigger main dish (just use a 9x13 pan instead). Enjoy!

Mexican Bean Casserole

4 1/2 cups Corn Chex cereal
2 cans kidney beans, drained, or 2 cups pre-cooked kidney beans
2 cups shredded cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bottom of 8x8 square baking dish, spread 2 1/2 cups Corn Chex. Next, spread kidney beans evenly across the top of the cereal. Then sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top of the beans. Spread salsa over the cheese. Place the remaining 2 cups of cereal over the top, then finish topping with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes.

Black Bean Enchilada Recipe

I'll admit it, the first time I looked at this recipe, I thought it sounded gross. But it's not, it's actually pretty good. We have served this recipe to many different guests over the last few years, always to rave reviews. This recipe I adapted from a recipe in a cookbook pamphlet called "Bean Cuisine".

Bean Enchiladas

2 cups cooked black beans or kidney beans
3 cloves minced garlic or 3/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I probably use more than that, enough to cover the enchiladas)
1 can corn, drained
2 cups salsa (I think I use slightly more than this)
Corn tortillas

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic 2-3 minutes. Add beans, corn, cumin, and 1/2 cup salsa. Cook 3-4 minutes. Spoon mixture into individual tortillas and roll up. Spoon 1/2 cup salsa into 11x7x2 baking dish. Arrange tortillas seam side down, top with remaining salsa. Add cheese, and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

I have just a few other notes and tips about this recipe. In order to make clean-up easier, I always spray my baking pan with some non-stick cooking spray. It helps prevent a baked-on mess in the pan. Also, I always heat up the tortillas in the microwave for a few seconds before stuffing them, this helps them to be more flexible and less likely to fall apart. This recipe usually makes about one 11x7x2 pan full, plus an 8x8 pan full when I make them. Enjoy!

thethriftyhousewife

Beans Are Economical and Nutritious

Tonight we had black bean enchiladas for dinner, yum! I will post the recipe sometime in the near future, but our dinner brings us to the subject I would like to address today: beans. Beans are a great staple to keep around. You can buy them canned and already cooked, but they are more expensive than buying dried beans, and contain added sodium. I used to think it was a pain to use dried beans because of the preparation it takes to get them cooked. There was the soaking, then standing over the hot stove for an hour or two while they cooked. Time consuming and hot!

I tried a new method of cooking beans that I much prefer. It is energy saving, and I do not have to stand around waiting for them to finish cooking. I still soak them overnight, but first thing in the morning, I put them in my crockpot with lots of water, then cook them on high. By the afternoon or early evening, they are ready to use. Many times what I do is put them into plastice storage containers and freeze them, so they are ready to use when I need them. Then I pull out a container to use when I am making chili, enchiladas, soup, or whatever else I might need some beans for.

While searching online for bean nutritional information, I happened to see that the vegetable of the month at the CDC is beans. Beans are a very nutritious vegetable, being a good source of iron and protein. Here is the link for the CDC's information on beans: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/beans.html

Another big advantage of using dried beans is the fact that they are cheap, and one 16 oz bag can be used to make several meals. Most bags of beans cost less than $1.00. That is quite the bang for your buck! Our personal favorite beans are black beans. If you have overlooked beans as a dietary staple, give them a try! There are lots of good recipes out there on the web that are full of flavor and delicious.

thethriftyhousewife