Roasted Garlic Hummus

Approximately halfway through the first quarter at my Superbowl party... It was gone by halftime.

Oh hummus, how I love thee. Few things are not made better when slathered in hummus. Crackers, pitas, veggies... Spread on sandwiches... Tossed with pasta... Made into ice cream (OK, maybe not that...)

Up until a few years ago, I always picked up my hummus pre-made from the grocery store, in some tidy little plastic tub with an ill-fitting lid. BUT NO MORE, READERS! NO MORE!

Having read the ingredient list on the side of those containers of store-bought hummus, I decided I'd rather control what went in. So here, after much experimentation, is my hummus recipe!

• 2- 16oz cans chickpeas, drained and washed
• 1/2 cup tahini (sesame) paste
• 2 whole heads garlic, split in half through the equator
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
  
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Place garlic cut-side up on a sheet of tinfoil. Drizzle with olive oil. Wrap fully in foil and roast for 45 min-1 hour, or until garlic is soft and browned. Open tinfoil and let cool until you can handle them.
3. In food processor, combine chickpeas, tahini, and lemon juice. Add roasted garlic (cloves only, not paper), cayenne, salt, and black pepper to taste.
   
4. Turn food processor on. Drizzle in olive oil until hummus forms thick, smooth, uniform paste. Serve immediately, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
   

Ratatouille Dip - Healthy and Delicious!

Veggies roasted, ready for the food processor!

When most people think "Superbowl", they don't think vegetables.

This dip should change your mind. It is my interpretation of a recipe given to me by our dear family friend Barbara. Thanks BZ!

Delicious and a whole lot healthier than it tastes, this dip is easy to prepare and perfect served with pita chips, potato chips, or, (lordy) more vegetables.

• 2 medium eggplants, peeled and cubed
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• Olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Add all vegetables in as few layers as possible. Spray with nonstick spray, and season lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
2. Roast vegetable for 30-45 minutes, until they achieve good color and are evenly roasted. Stir vegetables if necessary to achieve even roasting.
3. Remove from oven and let cool. Transfer vegetables to food processor. Add tomato paste. Process until smooth. If necessary, drizzle in olive oil to achieve smooth consistency. If your veggies gave up most of their water while roasting, you may need to do this. Taste and season as necessary.
4. Refrigerate and serve.
   

Classy Nachos... Really.

OK folks. There is not a single person out there who can tell me they don't like nachos. Everyone likes nachos. Even people who've given up carbs, dairy, meat, and fun love nachos. It is social food at its best: Simple, accessible, and communal.

Which makes these nachos the perfect thing to serve at your Superbowl gathering!

What's that you say? You're worried about chili dripping on your hand-knotted Tibetan rug?

FEAR NOT! There is no chili in these nachos. In fact, really, these are barely nachos. What they are is classy and excessively easy. Two ingredients easy. Really.

• 1 bag sweet potato chips (I prefer the Terra brand)
• 1 tub Blue Cheese crumbles

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Pour chips into oven-safe container (I use either a 9x9 Pyrex or 13x9 Pyrex, depending on the amount of chips).
3. Spread cheese evenly over chips, making sure some gets into the bottom layers of chips.
4. Bake for ~10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Yes. Seriously. It is that easy. And tasty.

OK, if you absolutely have to make it more complicated, I suppose some caramelized onions would be delish. But that's it!

Holy Guacamole!

Guacamole. Is there a more perfect marriage of fruit, vegetable, and corn chip? I think not.

And yes, I said fruit. Avocados are fruits, just like olives.

The Haas avocado is a wonder to behold. Their good fats lower your bad cholesterol, they can handle savory or sweet applications, and you can substitute them for fats in some recipes.

But, in my opinion, they are used to perfection in their (probably) most popular application, guacamole.

Now, I like my guacamole chunky, but the chunks are gained primarily from onions and peppers. The avocados should be fairly smooth, but not pureed.

• 4 ripe Haas avocados, flesh removed from skin and seed discarded
  
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• scant 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin

1. Place avocado flesh in bowl. Using either a pastry cutter or a fork, work the the avocado until it is a fairly smooth paste. Add lemon juice and mix until smooth.
2. Stir in onion and bell pepper. Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Mix to combine. If taste is off, adjust accordingly.
3. Serve with tortilla chips, veggies, or on Mexican fare.

**To store left-over guacamole, refrigerate, covered, with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to minimize oxidation.**