Creamy Hummus Pita Pocket

Ciao everyone!

What is your favorite food-genres?

Creamy or crunchy?

Salty or sweet?

Light or heavy?

There are so many! Haha just thought of that today... and it's a very curious thought!

Anyways, this recipe came about via making a to-go dinner with the family, when we had our Father's Day trip to see Kari Jobe in concert!

She is a marvelously gifted artist, and it was a blessing to see her in concert.

This recipe was made up really fast and tested on-the-fly... but even still approved! That's always fun:)

Creamy Hummus Pita Pocket

Ingredients:

1 pita (normal size, preferably of a healthier variety such as whole grain, or GF)

Good handful spinach

About 1/3 cup Greek yogurt

2-3 tablespoons of your favorite hummus

Cumin

Black Pepper

Cayenne

Dash of Salt

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Oregano

Directions:

1) Open pita by cutting a small slice off one end and opening inside

2) Mix together yogurt, hummus, and spices (feel free to play around with those)

3) Layer spinach well on bottom of pita

4) Scoop in filling and spread around carefully

5) Create another good layer of spinach over top (the layers are to keep the filling from soaking/breaking through sides of pocket..which would be bad on a car trip!)

6) Enjoy

Ciao for now

-TheRedLady-

Black Rice, Roasted Garlic, Bean Balls, and Tomato Sauce

Ciao everyone<3

So, not gonna lie, this is a delicious recipe..

By  delicious, I mean vveerryy delicious..

By vveerryy delicious, I mean everyone in my whole family LOVED it as much as I did!

Let me tell you, with meat-loving, non-strictly-health-only family members, that first statement above can be a wonderful feeling of accomplishment.

Especially when you know how extremely packed with nutrition the meal is!!! Happy times:)

So, I don't know what you were thinking for dinner plans tomorrow night.. but I have an idea for you..

Black Rice with Roasted Garlic, Bean Balls, and Tomato Sauce to die for..

(OK, please don't risk your life for the sauce.. but definitely plan on making it soon!)

 Also, this meal is also excellent when paired with a simple spinach salad for hungry guests, which you can add some olive oil and balsamic vinegar to, with oregano and basil, and topped with olives..)

Ingredients:
Black rice
Roasted Garlic
Chunky Tomato Sauce
Bean Balls

Directions:
1) Start with making the black rice:
Cook according to packaged directions.. I used a blend of black and mahogany, because it was on sale;)

This will be your simplest part of the dish, as the only thing you will be adding is some roasted garlic, to complement the explosive flavors of the bean balls and sauce!

2) Next, get the roasted garlic going:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and set out a piece of tin foil. Take 2-3 bulbs of garlic and shed the outer layer of skin, and pull out the stick in the middle. Cut off the tippy tops of the cloves. Set bulbs on tin foil, close together. Fold foil like a pouch over cloves and set in oven to cook for 35-40 minutes (less time for roasted-soft, more time for smushy-soft).

3) Now, start those bean balls!
Take the following ingredients and throw them into a food processor:
1 (15oz) can pinto or great northern beans, rinsed and drained; 4 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast; 2 teaspoons worcestershire; few squirts soy sauce/tamari; black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, basil, tarragon, paprika

Grease a tin foil lined baking sheet

Form bean batter into 15 balls, onto sheet; bake for 12 minutes in the oven with the garlic, turn and bake for another 23 minutes

4) On to the tomato sauce:
You can use whatever one/recipe you like... but this is the one I love:
Take 1 can of no salt added, diced tomatoes and about 1/3 cup water; add to a pot and turn on high heat. Add in fresh basil and parsley, along with onion powder, a good amount of black pepper and dash of salt. Continue to boil and stir while other things are cooking. Your sauce should be cooking at least 15-20 minutes by the time everything else is done.

5) Assembly and serving:
-Peel some of the garlic cloves, tear apart, and stir into rice. Scoop into serving dish.
-Put the rest of cloves on a dish to serve (to be eaten with meal, like roasted chestnuts).
-Pour sauce into a serving dish.
-Stack bean bealls in a serving dish (optional-pre-pour some sauce over them)
-You're ready to fly!!


ENJOY<3
-TheRedLady-

Chickpea & Green Bean Salad

Ciao everyone!!

What are your plans for tomorrow??

Perhaps just the usual... one thing to the next, going coming, yada yada..

If so, then maybe consider adding this salad to your lunch or dinner plans for tomorrow!!

Something different to look forward to can be a fun thing:)

This recipe came together as a random open-the-fridge and use-it-up moment, but it was really great!

Chickpea and Green Bean Salad

Ingredients:

Chickpeas (mine were from a can, so they were just rinsed/drained)

Green Beans (preferably sauteed in a little olive oil and chopped garlic)

Grape Tomatoes (you could use diced or canned)

Chia Seeds (yay for chia!)

Rosemary

Paprika

Black Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Throw it all in a bowl and enjoy:)

Ciao for now

-TheRedLady-

Socca

Ciao Everyone!

So...it's been a while.

So I realized it is probably about time to get back to blogging!

I hope your thanksgiving holiday time was beautiful...

We are now into the next crazy holiday season!

Christmas is 22 days away....

22 DAYS!!

Oh my goodness!

I don't know about you, but I am DEFINITELY already feeling the business of the season!

Two things on that note:

1) Please please PLEASE do not let the craziness of scheduling and the list of 5 million and 4 things to do throw you off and distract you. This season is all about celebrating the Savior of the world... The God and King of glory who came down as a baby, in the humblest of circumstances, to save unworthy sinners. It is a beautiful and awe-some thing.

2) I will try to keep you updated with a list of joyous stress-relieving posts and fun to think about recipe posts to keep you moving!

This post is a recipe post:) (I promise...we're getting there. Haha)

It may be the easiest thing I have ever made...

Like it's crazy...

It's also extremely versatile, making it a great tool to keep in your mind's recipe tool box!

It is like a Mediterranean flat-bread type of idea...

It hails from the South of France, which makes it sound even cooler in my opinion;)

I'll list the basic recipe first, but be sure to check out the pics and ideas at the bottom!

 SOCCA

(ingredients listed are for 1-2 servings, but it lends beautifully to altering amounts!)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chickpea flour (which you can easily make homemade by grinding dry garbanzo beans in

                                        a good food processor)

1/4 cup water

Salt (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Optional: whatever spices you like! I love adding rosemary, black pepper, and garlic powder

Directions:

1) Mix together in a bowl; Let sit for about 15-20 minutes (to give the flour time to soak up a lot of the water...if making a larger amount, you may want to let it sit for an extra 10 minutes or so)

2) Spray a cooking pan with non-stick spray (or coat with olive oil)

3) Set pan on stove on high heat. When hot, pour batter in and cook like a tortilla or pancake

4) Enjoy!

Ways to enjoy socca:

- By itself or alongside soup or salad

- Toasted and then enjoyed like a pita bread, flatbread, or (if you toast it for longer) chips!

- With cheese like a yummy grilled cheese sandwich (*personal favorite! For a classic, use american cheese..but mozzarella, tomato, and fresh basil make a lovely dish as well)

 Another way I have yet to try is to use it like a tortilla, and make a burrito and/or wrap.


I would like to note that for the sandwiches, I used a slightly smaller pan so it stayed a bit thicker; if you use a larger pan and help the batter spread, it would lend better to the flatbread/wrap idea.

Have fun with your creative mind! If you try any of these variations or your own, let me know! I would love to hear about it:)

Ciao for now:)

-The Red Lady-

Vegetarian Delight

Ciao Everyone!!


Have you ever watched a food documentary??


I will tell you that if you ever do so, you must prepare yourself in two ways:

1) After reading the basic outline, write down why you love your favorite foods so much
2) Be prepared for slightly grossed out jitters periodically over the next hour or so......


No, I am not a vegetarian. However, if you ever decide to watch Forks Over Knives, you will want to be prepared for at least a slight change of mind about where your main sources of protein come from.... Haha:P



But there was a very nice thing that has come out of it!!!! I made it tonight for dinner with a very sweet friend. She is a very good cook, and it was a very fun time experimenting in the kitchen with some great ingredients!!! :)

Vegetarian Delight

(original creation)

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small-medium white onion

At least 4 cloves garlic

1 medium-large eggplant

Balsamic vinegar

Black pepper

2 cans diced tomatoes (preferably the no-salt-added variety of basil, oregano, garlic Del Monte cans)

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained

1 large spaghetti squash, steamed in the microwave

Assorted spices (basil, lots of garlic powder, few shakes of oregano, parsley, dash of ginger)

Lots of water (to add periodically, whenever it looks needed)

Optional: salt, hot sauce, crushed red pepper

Directions:

1.) Put thinly sliced onion, chopped garlic, olive oil, and a little water in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until onions are transparent.

2) Add diced and/or sliced eggplant and tomato cans; stir. Add desired amount of balsamic vinegar and pepper.

3.) Add beans and squash; combine very well. Add as much of the spices as you wish and stir. Allow to cook until eggplant is tender and it smells amazing. 

4) Enjoy!!:)

Ciao for now

-The Red Lady-

Mediterranean Mountain

Ciao Everyone!!!


I have a great idea for you... and when I say great, I mean like Fantastic;)

You should go make yourself a Mediterranean Mountain:)

Why???? Because it's DELICIOUS<3

Mediterranean Mountain

(An original creation)

Ingredients:

Grilled Eggplant

Plain non-fat Greek yogurt

Olive oil

Red wine vinegar

Black pepper

Optional: crushed red pepper

Directions:

 1.) Spread yogurt as base on plate.

 2.) Layer lots of delicious eggplant on your yogurt.

 3.) Drizzle olive oil and vinegar, and shake on some pepper:)

Just in case you were wondering... Here is possibly one of the tastiest grilled eggplant recipes ever:

Grilled Eggplant

Ingredients:

Eggplant

Red wine vinegar

Garlic powder

Basil

Parsley

Cumin

Thyme

Directions:

 1.) Slice eggplant in thick rounds as your indoor grill pan is heating up over high heat.

 2.) Place eggplant on pan and drizzle vinegar over all of it, and sprinkle on your desired amount of spices. Allow it to cook for a few minutes to get some grill marks on the under side; then add water all around it.

 3.) Cook for a few more minutes on this first side until eggplant is beginning to get tender. Flip each piece, add water, and allow to cook until water is gone and the new under side has grill marks as well.

 4.) Enjoy alone, as part of a Mediterranean Mountain, or in any other way your creative sense leads:)

Here is something else that is amazing:

 Steaz sparkiling green tea!!!!

It is root beer flavored, which is great...... On any day.... For any occasion.... Given any reason....

WITH ONE EXCEPTION

If you're like me, and like A LOT of crushed red pepper on your meal, you may want to avoid this as a simultaneous event. Because it will BURN THE INSIDE OF YOUR MOUTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR SKULL.

(Fizzy drinks+spicy food=NOT GOOD)

But for any other time, it's great:) 

I sincerely hope you have had a marvelous day, reader.

"May the Lord bless you and keep you.."        (Numbers 6:24)

Ciao for now!!!!

-The Red Lady-