Artichoke Hummus
I have a confession, but you have to promise that we can still be friends, okay?
Up until a day or two ago, I had never had hummus.
Hello? Are you there? Please don’t go away just yet, because I have a delightful surprise for you. Nicole over at Pinch My Salt posted a recipe for Artichoke Hummus a few weeks ago and, due to my obsession with artichokes, I decided to give it a try. See the picture-proof above? Okay. Good. Friends?
Because Oh. My. Laws. This is absolutely fantastic. I looked in 3 grocery stores before I found “tahini paste” buried with the organic peanut butter so I will agree with hummus-lovers that this stuff is bonafide Health Food. Now, someone needs to tell me what to eat with hummus besides the six two whole-wheat tortilla’s I had in the fridge. Seriously. Because if you don’t help I’ll just end up eating this stuff with a spoon…not that there is anything wrong with that. (Note: I added a bit more garlic and a bit more salt–this post has those adjustments.)
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
I have been craving Red Velvet Cupcakes for a couple of weeks, which is bizarre because I don’t think I’ve ever actually tasted Red Velvet Cupcakes. How is that even possible? Both the craving and the never having tasted. A quick recipe search brought up Paula Deen’s recipe and I my mouth started watering. I read through all the comments and decided to make a few adjustments, which I will post here.
These cupcakes are deliciously moist, but not oily; dark and rich without being too chocolatey; and a fantastic, deep red color. Hey, they’re practically patriotic! I have been blessing America, land of Red 40, all week long because My Goodness, these are delicious!
Pasta Fantastico
I both love and hate going out for Italian food. There are dozens of restaurants with wimpy pasta dishes smothered in weak sauce. Last time I made one of my favorite pasta dishes, Rosemary Chicken, it occurred to me that I already had the bones of a fantastic white sauce recipe. With a little tweaking, it could be The Most Amazing Pasta In The World–or, Pasta Fantastico.
My friends, I have had this dish for about 5 meals in a row (meal-sized leftovers for one person tend to last quite a while) and I am still not sick of the stuff! I will admit, up front, that this dish will dirty three different pans–but it will be one of the more amazing things you have ever cooked. I think you could easily barter chef responsibilities for dishwasher responsibilities and everyone will be happy; Pasta Fantastico is just that good.
French Bread
I grew up on home-made bread and when I was six or seven my mom & my aunt teamed up to teach five little girls how to make bread. Admittedly, as an adult I have not ever made a loaf of bread. However I still have the giant-sized recipe card with my seven-year-old penmanship scrawling out the instructions. I need to frame that, I think.
My first attempt at French Bread was scary, to say the least. The dough was extra dense and the loaf was incredibly flat. But Round II brought lovely results, and I think I’ve got a few tips to share that will help you make amazing bread the first time around.
Coconut-Ginger French Toast with Almond-Maple Syrup
Lately I have had some major coconut cravings, and the idea of coconut for breakfast just seemed too divine to pass up. So I concocted this delicious treat from a basic French Toast recipe and I don’t think I can ever go back to “regular” French Toast again.
Also–if you are using bottled, store-bought syrup, please stop it immediately. Syrup takes about 3 minutes to make and it is so much better–it’s not thick and nasty (and cold!) like that Butterworth stuff. Seriously–homemade syrup will change your life, and I’m including the recipe after the break.
heidikins cooks 