Hummus

When my Mom flew in later in the evening this week, I thought that this Hummus Recipe from Good Things Catered would be a perfect little snack once we got home. Katie warns you that there is no "recipe" for hummus and that it may take several attempts at Hummus before mastering the correct flavors. For my first batch I thought it was pretty good! I will probably cut down on the garlic next time and would love to try a roasted red pepper variation too. It was a good use of the tahini I had left over from my Sesame Noodles and when served with fresh veggies and toasted pita bread, hummus is always a delicious and healthy snack to munch on.  

Hummus

Adapted from Good Things Catered

Ingredients:

1 can of chick peas 

1 - 2 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 teaspoons + of Tahini (Sesame Paste)

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

Drain the water from the can of chick peas into a small bowl and reserve. In a food processor (or blender) mix together the chick peas with the rest of the ingredients, being careful to add the second half of the lemon juice and tahini slowly as you stop to taste.

Slowly add in some of the reserved liquid from the beans and a bit of water for correct consistency until a smooth, slightly fluid paste is formed.

Refrigerate for at least 3o minutes before serving. This changes the taste of the hummus by allowing the flavors to form together.

Note: To dress the hummus up for the table, add an extra drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle paprika and chopped parsley on top. 

Turnip Mashed Potatoes

I've made these turnip mashed potatoes once before and the hubby loved them. Since I only had 2 potatoes but a lot of turnips on hand the day I made Perfect Pot Roast I decided to have a second go at them. This is most definitely not the healthiest side dish. It is, after all, from Paula Deen the Queen of Cream and Butter. But having Pot Roast without mashed potatoes is absolutely unacceptable. These mashed potatoes are fabulously easy, super creamy and it's a great twist on classic mashed potatoes.

Turnip Mashed Potatoes

from Paula Deen

Ingredients:

6 large red new potatoes, skin on (I used two large brown potatoes)

2 large turnips, peeled (I used several small turnips)

1/2 cup cream, heated (I used fat free half and half and 1% milk)

1 stick butter, melted (I used all of this!)

1/2 cup sour cream (Didn't have on hand, so omitted)

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Slice potatoes and turnips 1/4 inch thick. Cook in boiling water for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain. Whip unpeeled cooked potatoes and turnips with an electric mixer until moderately smooth. Don't overbeat them; a few lumps are nice. Add hot cream, butter, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whip again until blended. Adjust thickness by adding more cream if desired. 

Perfect Pot Roast

When I made my 30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30 I asked my hubby if had any requests. "BEEF!" He responded, particularly pot roast.  The poor guy doesn't get to eat much red meat. Both he and I ate Pot Roast as kids and I had never tried making my own Pot Roast, so put it on the 30 Before 30 List. I remember coming home from church and  smelling my Mom's Pot Roast cooking in the oven and enjoying it several hours later. 

One of my favorite cooking bloggers, The Pioneer Woman, posted her Pot Roast recipe recently because she made it for her recent appearance on The Today Show. I was excited that this recipe is very simple and that you just let it cook for several hours. I guess that is the magic of a Pot Roast! The meat just fell apart, that's how "perfect" this Pot Roast is. Very moist, flavorful, and colorful with the mushrooms, onions, and carrots! I served  Paula Deen's Turnip Mashed Potatoes alongside this dish because potatoes are a MUST with Pot Roast. Hubby was very happy and (I'm hoping) felt like a manly man eating all that meat and potatoes. :)

Perfect Pot Roast

From The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 4 to 5 pound Chuck Roast

2 whole onions

6 whole carrots, peeled and sliced into 2 inch pieces

1 container button mushrooms

4 cloves garlic, sliced

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 cup red wine

2 to 3 cups Beef Stock

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh rosemary (dried is also fine!)

Directions:

Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cut the onions in half and the carrots in slices. When the oil in the pan is very hot, but not smoking, add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate. Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so. Remove them to a plate.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate. With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef  broth, about 1 cup, to deglaze the pan. Scrape the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up. When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan. Add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onions and carrots, as well as 3 or 4 fresh sprigs of rosemary and 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275 oven for 4 hours. 

Michigan Pasties

My lovely and talented Aunt Chris shared this recipe for Pasties with me. I was excited to make these because they remind me of my home state, Michigan. Every time my friend Beth and I would drive up to visit our friend Neile in Northern Michigan, we stopped on the way home for a Pastie.

 If you are not from Michigan or Wisconsin, you may have no idea what a pastie is, so I did a little research to find out more about the famed Pastie to share with you. I came across this description on Mackinaw Pastie and Cookie Company's Website. "Made originally as a meal for the miners of Cornwall, England, Pasties date back about 800 years. Wives would bake meat and vegetables in a crust and wrap it in many layers of linens or newspapers for their husband's lunch. It provided a warm and filling meal in the cold, damp mines. Pasties arrived in Michigan over 150 years ago with immigrants who came to work in the iron and copper mines in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The Pastie provided a hot and nutritious meal that had good holding capacity and could be eaten anywhere. This full-bodied flavor soon became a favorite with locals and visitors alike. A trip to Northern Michigan is not complete without a Pastie."

The best way I can describe it is a pot pie that you shape yourself. I decided to modify the recipe to make it vegetarian. I still served them with gravy because a Pastie is no good without gravy! 

My Pasties do not look at pretty as I would like, but they tasted incredibly authentic. I am very proud of myself for making these because they require you to make your own dough, something I've never done before. Another bonus is that I get to cross another item off my "30 Things to Make Before I Turn 30." Yippee! 

Marquette Pasties

Special thanks to My Auntie Chris

The Dough

Ingredients:

3 cups of flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 cup Crisco

3/4 cup cold water

Directions:

Sift the flour and salt. Cut in crisco. Add water and blend with a fork until it holds together. Shape into a ball. Chill until the rest of the ingredients are prepared.

The Filling

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pound ground chuck (I omitted this)

4 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 onions diced small

1 rutabaga, peeled and diced 

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Mix all filling items together throughly. Diving into 6 roughly equal servings, about 1 cup each. Add a teaspoon of butter on top of each before adding it to the dough. Take the dough out and divide it into 6 pieces, slightly oblong. Roll each on a floured board and add the filling. Seal the edges with water, folding or crimping the edges. Take a sharp knife and slit the top. Flute the edges and bake on a lightly greased pan for 12 - 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

Note: The great thing about these is you can add your own touches. I added in garlic, oregano, and mushrooms since mine were vegetarian. Some people use round steak cut into quarter inch cubes instead of ground chuck, and chicken is also another option. In cubing the meat and potatoes, be sure to use small, uniform pieces. 

Turkey Meatloaf

Turkey meatloaf was one of my favorite meals as a kid. The best part of having meatloaf at our house was that my mom used the leftovers to make meatloaf sandwiches, with ketchup, mayo, and a slice of American cheddar cheese. I have such clear memories of sitting on the beach and eating a meatloaf sandwich with my mom and little brother after our swimming lessons. I can still taste that sandwich today. Although my swimming lesson days are over, I still love meatloaf. It's one of those comfort foods for me. Using ground turkey is a very healthy alternative for ground beef. This recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, is unique because you saute onions with Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. You also cover the top with ketchup before baking it and I'm a huge ketchup girl when it comes to meatloaf, so this recipe is perfect for me. The original recipe calls for 5 pounds of turkey but I only wanted to use 1 pound so I adapted the recipe. 

Turkey Meatloaf

modified from Ina Garten's Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 pound ground turkey
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
Ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saute pan over medium heat cook onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until the onions are translucent, but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature. 

Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular shape on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.

 **A pan of hot water under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking. I tried this and it really works!**