With only 5 or so weeks left of this pregnancy, I’ve reached the point where I can’t eat 3 large meals a day. Instead I need to snack. As much as I want to snack on Oreos, french fries, potato chips and a host of other things that I dreamed of eating day and night while pregnant, the truth of the matter is I should be eating stuff that is a little bit healthier. Something that satisfies my need to snack as well as my tummy. This protein packed, spicy hummus does just that.

Not only is this the perfect food for a snacking pregnant woman, it also happens to be a really good party dip. Whether it be a super bowl party, world series party or a night with the girls. It really is a crowd pleaser, just make sure you keep an eye on the heat. I used two chipotle peppers and it was a tad bit spicy. If you like things a little less spicy use 1 pepper.

While this dip would be great with veggies or pita chips, I actually decided to fry some flour tortillas and sprinkle them with salt and cumin. It was a nice twist, and super easy to do. Just slice the flour tortillas into triangles and fry them until golden, 1 – 2 minutes.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

You will need:

• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, 3 tablespoons of the liquid reserved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 – 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest

1. Combine garbanzo beans, reserved liquid, olive oil, chipotle peppers, paprika, cumin, lime juice and kosher salt in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
2. Transfer the hummus to a bowl, sprinkle with lime zest. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Serve.

Enjoy!

One of the things I see a lot of when October rolls around is recipes for pumpkin butter.  After a few years of seeing the recipes, but never actually trying it,  I decided to give it a shot.  You will find many of the traditional ingredients in this recipe that you find in many other pumpkin butter recipes but in the spirit of the belief that “chocolate makes everything better”, I add a bit of dark chocolate for a twist.  The result is a butter with all the tastes of fall that also happens to be perfect for breakfast or dessert.

I want to thank everyone for participating in the Le Creuset Giveaway last week. And thank you for all of your kind words about the anniversary. While I wish I had an “in” with Le Creuset so I could give each of you one of the French ovens unfortunately I could only choose one winner. I’ve contacted the winner via email and once I have confirmed that the email address is valid and I am able to ship to them, I’ll post the winner on the giveaway post.

I really do appreciate each and every one of you and while you might not win the giveaway, this dark chocolate pumpkin butter might help you feel a bit better.

Makes about 2 cups

You will need:

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine all ingredients together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slight boil. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes or until butter thickens.
2. Allow to cool to room temperature, spread on toast, crackers or use as a dip for fruit. Store any leftovers in a covered container for up to a week.

Enjoy!

Football season is back. I can’t say that I’m all that excited to watch the games, however, as I have mentioned before, I am quite excited for football season because it means football food. It mean’s chicken wings, guacamole, chips and potato skins. And it means that I get to cook all of this food and share it with family and friends which is my favorite part. Although eating it, especially when it is as good as this dip, isn’t half bad either.

I got this idea from a friend who always makes a black bean dip for her parties. I never got her recipe, but I remembered the flavors pretty well and decided to give it a whirl with a few twists of my own. I added some jalapenos and habanero salsa because I love heat as you probably know. And then I sprinkled some pepper jack cheese over the top and baked the whole thing until bubbly. It’s cheesy, spicy, black bean goodness.

If you like hot dips but want a non-vegetarian version try this Hot Chorizo Dip. It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser too.

Serves 4

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons habanero salsa
• 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, jalapeno and onion to the pan and cook until softened. About 5 minutes.
2. While you are cooking the jalapeno mixture, pour the black beans into a bowl and mash slightly with a fork.
3. Once jalapeno mixture is softened, stir in black beans, chili powder, cumin, salt and salsa. Cook 3 – 5 minutes or until bubbling.
4. Spoon the dip into an oven proof baking dish. Sprinkle pepper jack cheese over the top. Place under the broiler and broil for 5 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
5. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

If you’re not quite ready to give up summer yet, here is one recipe that you have got to make while blueberries are still plentiful at the farmers market and grocery stores. It really couldn’t be any easier. With just 2 ingredients and a little time you can have a condiment that is perfect for a variety of dishes like waffles, pancakes and ice cream. It is also the perfect way to curb a pregnancy craving for blueberries. And surprisingly I’m not talking about myself.

I have come to think that pregnant women aren’t the only people that are susceptible to pregnancy cravings. You see, the way that Ryan has been downing blueberries lately I wondered if he too was experiencing them. I am not kidding we bought 2 pounds of blueberries and before I had a chance to develop any recipes with them he ate them all. I haven’t even eaten that much of anything, and I am the pregnant one. I suppose there are worse things to be eating though so I can’t complain too much.

After he ate the first container I decided to buy another one but this time I was quick on the draw so that I could make sure I got a recipe or two out of them. The first one, an ice cream pie, didn’t turn out like I wanted so I’m still tweaking that one. This recipe however turned out splendid. I only used two ingredients: blueberries and sugar. I hear a little orange juice and zest also add a lovely flavor. Maybe I’ll try that next time, provided Ryan doesn’t eat all the blueberries.

Makes about 1 cup of sauce

You will need:

• 2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed, dried and picked over
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Combine the blueberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Allow to cook until blueberries break down, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
2. Serve chilled or warm.

Enjoy!

If you are looking for the perfect recipe to jazz up your summer repertoire then this is it. It’s quick. It’s easy and it makes a delicious addition to a variety of meals giving them a burst of garlicky lemon flavor. You would think that with a description like that that I would have been loving scapes since I was a little one. The truth of the matter is I just discovered them. And frankly…I’m in love.

I love finding ingredients that I am not familiar with. When I was at the farmer’s market last weekend I came across a stand that was selling these curly things I had never seen before. I stopped to ask the farmer what they were and how to use them. He explained that they were garlic tops, or scapes and he’d seen them most often used in stir fry  or simply sauteed. I bought a bunch and headed home. I wanted to do something a little bit more interesting then adding them to a stir fry so I took to twitter to ask what people used them for. Someone suggested that I use them to make a pesto and I thought what a great idea! Now, I will say that it is a little different then regular pesto. It’s a bit chunkier but the flavor is amazing.  I enjoyed this served over pasta and stirred into cream cheese as a cracker topping. Give it a try.

Makes about 1 cup

You will need:

• 2 cups chopped garlic scapes
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil

1. In a food processor combine the garlic scapes, cheese, kosher salt and lemon juice. Turn the food processor on.
2. With the food processor on, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Process one minute. Serve.

Store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap. Use within a couple of days.

What do you like to dip your fries in? There are so many options. I know people who are strict ketchup users. Then there are the ranchers. Then the BBQ sauce people. The mayo people. The sriracha people. And the fancy sauce people. You know, that ketchup, mayo combo that some people swear by.  While that is a good combo, I must say that a combo of ranch and sriracha is currently topping my list of favorite things to dip fries in.

Ryan actually came up with the idea for sriracha ranch dip. On nights when I make french fries or tater tots Ryan always makes his own dips. He’ll get three bowls. One for ketchup, one for ranch and one for sriracha ranch. Usually he’ll get a bowl of whatever bottle of ranch dressing that we happen to haven in the fridge and add a couple of squeezes of sriracha to it. Mix and serve. That works just fine but I thought why not make it from scratch. It’s just as easy, plus I like homemade ranch a whole lot better.

Makes 1/2 cup

You will need:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 – 2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Serve with fries, tots or veggies.

Enjoy!

I might be a getting a bit of ahead of myself here. This is definitely more of a summer dish. But the sun came out yesterday. I even rolled my window down while driving around. Something about this kind of weather makes me start craving food with a little bit of a Latin flare. This avocado salsa satisfied that craving.

I heart avocados. I heart avocados like I heart mozzarella cheese, which is definitely saying something. I eat them for lunch sometimes with just a little bit of salt and lime sprinkled over the top. For this reason it should come as no surprise that my favorite thing about guacamole is the fact that it is made with creamy, melt in your mouth avocados. This dish can best be described as a deconstructed guacamole. So not only do you get all of the lovely flavor of the tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and lime but you also get big hearty chunks of avocado. There are few things in this world as delicious.

Serves 4 – 6 as an appetizer

You will need:

• 2 large avocados, removed from skin and diced
• 2 tomatoes, seeds removed, diced
• 1 small shallot, chopped small
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, chopped small
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Serve cold with tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

One of my favorite things to get when Ryan and I go to a local sushi place is, no not the spicy tuna roll, although that is up on the list, but the salad. Funny huh? Well it’s because the salad comes with a tangy, sweet ginger dressing. It is beyond delicious. I find myself taking extra garnishes or even my finger and slurping up whatever is left over on the salad plate. It might not be the most lady like thing to do but oh well what’s a girl to do?

This dressing is so easy to make. I personally think that it tastes better if you let it set for a little while before serving to give the flavors a chance to mingle. It works well over any salad greens but I prefer it if the mixture of salad greens has a bit of cabbage in  it. And if you find a little left over after your salad is done, don’t be afraid to dip your finger. I won’t judge.

Makes 3/4 cup

You will need

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil

1. Whisk first 4 ingredients together in a bowl. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Set at room temperature until ready to use.
2. If the dressing settles, whisk once more before serving. Refrigerate any unused portion and use within a few days.

Enjoy!

While browsing the pre-made items in the grocery store the other day my eye caught sight of artichoke hummus. Genius! I was literally 2 seconds away from putting it into my basket when I thought to myself “I wonder if I could make this at home?” A quick glance at the ingredients and I realized that I had just about everything that they used in their hummus hiding in my pantry and refrigerator. Score!

I have experienced with a few different kinds of hummus before. First there was the roasted garlic variety, then edamame and black bean and most recently white bean and rosemary. I don’t know why, but until I saw that package of it at the store, artichoke hummus never really crossed my mind. It was a nice twist. The artichoke added a nice flavor to the dish. I used frozen artichoke hearts because I like the taste of them better than canned. If you can’t find frozen canned should work.

Makes 2 cups

You will need:

• 8 oz package frozen artichoke hearts
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (2 tablespoons liquid reserved)
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients (including 2 tablespoons reserved garbanzo bean liquid) except olive oil in a food processor. Blend until smooth.
2. Transfer to a plate. Make a small well in the middle and drizzle in the olive oil. Serve with pita bread and vegetables.

Enjoy!

Cleaning out the pantry and the refrigerator is something that I do pretty often. Not just because I like to get rid of the bad, but also because I like to see what kind of concoctions I can make from what I’ve got on hand. This dip is one of those. I’ve been shifting the same can of white beans around to different sides of the pantry for a couple of months now and finally decided that I had to use it. I also had some rosemary that was looking like it wasn’t going to be around for much longer. So I decided to mix the two together. And with a bit of lemon, garlic and little last minute addition, this one’s a keeper.

This dip wasn’t going to be a hummus initially. At first, I set out to make a simple white bean rosemary dip. But after I combined it all in the food processor and grabbed a spoon to taste it I just felt like it was missing something. I thought about it for a minute and decided that it could use a little nutty kick. Where would I get that nutty kick? Tahini of course. One quick stir and a bite later and I knew I found what the dip was missing.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

You will need:

• 15 ounce can white beans, drained but 1 tablespoon of liquid reserved
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine all ingredients together in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
2. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for an hour.
3. Serve with veggies, tortilla chips or pita bread.

Enjoy!