Yogurt Sauce

This sauce is great on hummus sandwiches, but it is also good served with grilled chicken, or as a light salad dressing.

Ingredients

1 cup plain yogurt (regular or Greek)

1 cucumber, peeled, de-seeded, and finely chopped

*2 teaspoons dehydrated onion flakes, rehydrated in some water

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (or more, to taste)

dash of salt and pepper

Directions

In a sealable container, combine all ingredients, except cucumber and onion, stirring to combine well. Drain the water from the onion flakes, and then fold in the onion and cucumber.

Taste for correct seasoning, then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the flavors to marry well. (Note: I like this to be fairly salty, but use caution when adding salt to this recipe, as it intensifies its flavor in cold food.)

*If you prefer to use fresh onion, oh-so-finely mince ¼- ½ of a white onion, depending on the onion strength desired.

Yummy Hummus

I love hummus! It’s a great, high-protein snack or dinner, and it is a good spread to have on hand for lunches throughout the week.

Ingredients

1 can of garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained

1-2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame seed butter –I found it at Giant Eagle)

1 whole garlic bulb, roasted*

1 large lemon

1 4.5 oz can of chopped green chilies

1 cup of coarsely chopped carrot

½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, plus additional for garnish

olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions

*To roast a garlic bulb:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the top of the garlic (opposite the stem end), to expose the tops of the garlic cloves. Place bulb in a garlic roaster (small crock-type device, which I do not own...yet) or place on a doubled piece of foil. Drizzle top lightly with olive oil and seal up with foil. Roast for 35 minutes. Remove foil and allow to cool until easy to handle. Garlic cloves should now be soft and creamy, and you can just squeeze the garlic from the bottom of each clove's skin. Flavor is enhanced, yet it has less of that raw garlic bite.

To make hummus:

In food processor fitted with the “S” blade, place garbanzo beans, dash of salt (optional), 1 tablespoon of tahini, 3-6 roasted garlic cloves (or more, if you like!), chilies, carrot, ½ teaspoon of paprika, and juice of ½ of the lemon (to extract as much juice as possible, roll the lemon on your counter before cutting it). Place lid on processor and turn it to “on” (not pulse), to combine everything well.

While processing, drizzle some olive oil in the top (about a tablespoon or so). After everything is combined, check the consistency. (I prefer my hummus similar in texture to pudding, some like it more runny—add more olive oil or water to get the texture you desire.)

If it isn't creamy enough, add more tahini. If it tastes too nutty (from the tahini) add a little more of the juice from the second half of the lemon, then pulse a few times and taste again. Add a dash more salt, if necessary, and pepper, as desired; pulse a few more times to combine well.

Once the taste and consistency are to your liking, put the hummus in a sealable container, sprinkle with paprika, and refrigerate until serving.

This is great slathered on unleavened bread, topped with sliced cucumbers, thinly sliced red onion, and crumbled feta cheese, and yogurt sauce. It is also great as a dip for veggies.

Five Ingredient Meatloaf

This delicious meatloaf is easy to double, quick to mix and pop in the oven. It takes 1 to 1 ½ hours to bake, depending on the pan you use and how hot your oven runs. I have made this in an 8 x 8 glass dish when I’m pressed for time (since it’s thinner, it cooks quicker). Although it isn’t dry when cooked that way, I do prefer the texture and moistness of baking it in a loaf pan. (If you are feeling creative, you can customize this meatloaf easily by adding your own touches. I would recommend lightly sautéing any veggies before adding, just to be sure they soften enough during baking.)

Ingredients

2 pounds extra lean ground beef, or ground turkey

1 box of Stove Top stuffing mix (any flavor you prefer, I use Savory Herbs)

1 can of French onion soup

2 eggs

ketchup

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well by hand and place in baking dish, shaping into a square or rectangle with a flat top. Tuck your fingers down the sides of the dish to pull the meatloaf away from the edges so it will cook more evenly. Coat the top and sides with ketchup, as desired. Bake for 1 – 1 ½ hours, until no longer pink in center. (To test this, after baking for an hour, I cut the meatloaf into servings and gently lift out a center piece to check doneness. Remember that the meatloaf will continue cooking some in the pan, if you are not transferring the slices to a separate serving dish.)

This is great served with macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. And leftovers make great sandwiches, served on hearty bread or buns with whole-grain mustard.

Enjoy! :)

Chops and Rice

Here’s a great recipe that not only tastes good and has few ingredients, it is easy to double (or triple). Feel free to substitute chicken breasts for the pork chops, but I personally love the flavor of the pork in this dish.

Ingredients

6-8 thick pork chops (boneless or bone-in, both are good)

1 can of French onion soup (I use Campbell’s®, of course)

water as needed

1 cup basmati rice

Olive oil

salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat a skillet to high heat. While it’s heating, salt and pepper your chops, if desired. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan and add your chops. Cook on med-high to high heat for roughly 4-5 minutes, on both sides, to get a good sear. (Note: I use a big cast iron pan for this, so I can keep the heat up pretty high and not burn anything. If not using cast iron, adjust accordingly.)

While second side is searing, pour your soup into a measuring cup and add enough water to make 1 ¾ cups. When searing is finished, add the soup/water combo and turn down heat. Add the rice and shift around the pork until all the rice is under liquid. Cover your pan and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. (Give it at least 20 minutes before peeking.)

(Another note: If you use a cast iron pan, when the cooking time is done you will find that the rice has developed a wonderful seared crust in some places, giving it a slightly toasted, nutty flavor, in addition to the onion flavor from the soup.)

Serve with some steamed broccoli, and you’ve got yourself a great meal. :)

(One more note: If you are a purist and don’t want to use canned soup--sear your pork, remove it to a separate dish, caramelize a medium, thinly sliced, Vidalia onion in some olive oil, use 1 ¾ cups beef broth to deglaze the pan, put the pork back in the pan, then proceed with the above directions. But that takes the “quick & easy” part out of this dish, to be sure.)