Archive for ‘Snacks’

April 29, 2011

Tortilla Chips & Hummus

I am the Chip Queen.  I love crunchy stuff. 

And so does my belly. 

But the last time I had some potato chips I felt sick.  I dare not pick up another chip again.

This leaves me to be a bit creative to please my inner snack junkie, and my snack junkie’s partner in crime, the Cookie Monster.   After all, junkies need companions.

Baked Tortilla Chips & Hummus
Yields 6 – 8 servings 

8 flour tortillas
4 cups chickpeas, cooked or canned
4 scallions, trimmed and roughly chopped
3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
¼ cup of fresh oregano, roughly chopped
¼ cup of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp caraway seeds
1 tsp paprika
¼ cup of olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Water 

Preheat the oven to 430F.  Cut the tortillas into small wedges with a knife or kitchen scissors.  Lay them out on a baking sheet.  In batches, bake for 6 minutes until crispy.  Remove from oven and let cool.  They will harden more as they cool.

Heat a non-stick skillet over high heat and toast the cumin, caraway and paprika until fragrant.  Set aside.

Blend the chickpeas, scallions, garlic, oregano, parsley, cumin, caraway, paprika and olive oil in a food processor.   Add salt and pepper to taste.  Process well by adding ¼ cup of cold water to help thin the mixture without adding more oil.  Adjust with salt and pepper.  Serve in a large dipping bowl with the tortilla chips on the side.

Chip Queen, out.

June 16, 2010

Blueberries, Grapes & Nuts

Easy. An adjective defined by the act (or no action at all) of little labour or effort. 

Easy is like Grade 7 math when I used to be able to whip through 10 exercises in half an hour and finish watching music videos before Mom got home from work.

Easy is like sleeping in until 10am on Saturday morning and rolling out of bed to for some cheerios and a cup of joe.

Easy is like throwing down your bags and keys after you get home and just sitting down on the soft couch to watch some Hell’s Kitchen.

Easy is like working hard all day long and coming home to a husband who says to you, “wanna go out for dinner?”

Easy is like falling asleep after a long hot shower and it’s -30C outside in the middle of a pitch black winter.

There are not a lot of these moments but I if I can count them all I’d say I was doing pretty good with getting some easiness into my life.  I can’t keep it all to myself though.  The world is happier if we all shared, right?  Here’s some easiness for you from me.

Blueberries, Grapes & Nuts
Yields 1 serving.

¼ cup of fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
¼ cup of fresh green seedless grapes, rinsed and dried
1 tbsp of walnuts, crushed
10 plain almonds, skin on or off
A dollop of plain fat free yogurt (optional)

Toss the blueberries, grapes, walnuts and almonds in a small bowl.  Whip the yogurt quickly with a fork until fluffy and smooth. Top the fruit and nuts with the yogurt and serve.

For those of you who are sugar fanatics, sprinkle a bit of brown sugar over top of the yogurt. If you wait a few minutes the sugar will melt and become a syrup right before your eyes!  Another option is to drizzle honey over the top and serve.  This easy recipes makes for a simple dessert or a great snack.

Cheers to easiness as that is what love, food and cooking should be about.

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