If you read my Facebook page, you know that it’s raining cats and dogs here in LA and I”m taking the opportunity to create a couple of recipes. Quite a few of my friends made it obvious they would love to know how they turned out. Actually, they’re terrific and I’m happy to share them with you. Try them yourself and let me know what you think!
Artichoke Hummus:
Artichokes are low in calories and add a wonderful flavor to this. The recipe calls for 2 garlic cloves, but I LOVE garlic so I used 4. You should be glad you’re reading this instead of talking to me close up, as I just had some of this with sliced cucumbers and celery pieces. I don’t have the nutritional breakdown, yet, but how bad could it be?
1 15 oz can of artichoke hearts in water, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
juice of 1/4 lemon or to taste
1/8 cup of EV olive oil, might need to add a touch more, depending on how smooth you like your dip
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
pepper to taste
Put everything in a food processor and have at it! Make sure the sides are scraped so it gets thoroughly mixed. Adjust seasonings to your taste. I don’t add salt, but you might want to. Makes a little over 2 cups.
Pumpkin-Pear Crostini:
Olive Oil Spray
3-4 shallots, minced
12″ long crusty, thin Italian bread
1 14 oz can of pureed pumkin
6 oz of Fontina Cheese or low fat Havarti (I can’t find a low fat Fontina!)
1 Comice pear, ripe, cored and thinly sliced
12 basil leaves, chopped small
1/2 tsp each cinnamon and allspice
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium saute pan sprayed with oil, saute shallots over med-low heat until translucent. Take off heat and put to the side. Slice the bread in half, lengthwise and toast. Spray toast with oil. Meanwhile, mix pureed pumpkin, spices and shallots together in a small bowl. Spread on toast. Sprinkle the basil leaves over the pumpkin, then layer the pear on top. Cover all with slices of cheese. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven until the cheese melts. You can also put it under the broiler, if desired. Sliced into 12 pieces for hor d’oeuvres and serve immediately.
I made that yesterday and had it for lunch. It’s got a riot of flavor. I used the Fontina cheese, but next time I’m trying it with the low fat havarti. If you try it with a different cheese, let me know how it turns out.
Happy cooking! Talk to you later.
Rona
