Avocado Hummus

Hummus is one of my favorite snacks,,,,and it is so simple to make fresh at home!....I added some avocado to this batch and it is very good, everyone really enjoyed it!......Here is what I did....Enjoy!!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

1 can Garbanzo beans (drained)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons Tahini paste

1-2 cloves garlic

1-2 avocados

salt and pepper

olive oil to add while blending

you can add a squeeze of lime to prevent avocado from browning, if you are not eating right away

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Place garbanzos, olive oil, tahini and garlic in blender, start pulsing add avocado and salt and pepper. blend until smooth adding more olive oil until desired consistency

serve with pita or veggies and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Individual Pistachio Dessert

Years ago I used to make a Pistachio dessert where you made your own shortbread in a 9 x 13 dish and then add a cream cheese filling, pistachio pudding and cool whip, It was always a big hit!......Well I was looking for a way to make this as an individual dessert in my little dessert glasses, and I  I couldn't bake the shortbread like in the original, so I thought about using a cookie instead and decided to use Pecan Sandies, and it worked out perfectly. This is now my go to dessert, I have been making them for years now, and everyone looks forward to and enjoys them!!,,,,I found some cute little cappuccino spoons to serve with them!...So now with these cute little glasses and spoons, the ideas are endless of what I can make. I also use these for my Spumoni and Holy Cannoli trifles. But it is fun to come up with new ideas!....Here is what I did....Enjoy!!


 

 

WHAT YOU NEED

 

Pecan Sandies cookies

 

Pistachio Pudding (make as directed)

 

Cool Whip

 

Layer in this order and refrigerate until ready to use!

The cookie will soften to make your shortbread crust!

Eggplant Pizzas

I just love eggplant!...and one of my husbands favorite thing I make is my eggplant parmesan. So I knew he would love these,,,,They were very good and super easy to make!....Here is what I did,,,,Enjoy!!

 

 

 

WHAT YOU NEED

 

Eggplant

Salt

Pizza Sauce

Shredded Mozzarella

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Wash and slice eggplant (about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch)

 

Place on parchment lined cookie sheet

 

Salt each slice

 

Top with pizza sauce

 

Add Mozzarella

 

Bake at 350 until cheese melts

 

 

Chopped Tomato Cucumber Salad

Lately when I go to a restaurant and order a salad, I ask them if they can chop it. They usually will and it just makes it so much easier to eat!.....Well this tomato and cucumber salad is one of my family's favorites, so I figured why not chop that too! You could even add a can of Tuna to this and make a meal out of it!.....It turned out great, this is what I did....Enjoy!!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

2 Cups diced tomatoes

2 Cups diced cucumber ( I used 1 English cucumber peeled)

2 Tablespoons diced shallot (you could use purple onion also)

4 Tablespoons olive oil

4 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper (to taste)

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mix

Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat!

Roasted Ranch Potato Wedges

I was looking for a way to make potatoes as a side dish for the crock pot ribs we were having for dinner,,,,I came across some recipes that used ranch dressing powder and they diced the potatoes,,,I came across some other recipes that wedged potatoes, so I decided to combine a couple of different recipes to make these, They turned out amazing and everyone loved them, I will be making them this way a lot now!,,,Here is what I did,,,,Enjoy!

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

5  Idaho potatoes

1/4  Cup Olive Oil + more to drizzle

1 package Ranch Powder

salt

 

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Wash and scrub potatoes......cut in half and then 2 more times lengthwise

Place 1/4 cup olive oil in gallon size zip bag, add ranch powder then add potatoes

Zip bag and mix around to coat

Line up on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 450 check after 30 minutes and cook until golden brown,,,,,towards the end of baking I drizzled with olive oil and added salt then continued to bake until desired browness

Crock Pot Ribs

Usually when we make ribs in the summer, I precook them in the oven with my rib rub and then my husband will finish them off on the grill then brush them with our home made barbecue sauce! Once summer is over we usually don't make ribs, well now with making them in the crock pot we can make them more often!,,,,I read up on a lot of different ways to make them in the crock pot and a lot of the recipes had them cooking on low for 6-8 hours!....We found ours to be pretty done at around 4 1/2 hours,(thicker ribs may take longer)  I then removed the ribs and the crockpot liner replaced with a new liner and then added some sauce and the ribs,,,I cooked on low for another hour with the sauce on and they were fall off the bone ready! About the crockpot liners....this was the first time I used them and I highly recommend for this recipe!( you can find them by the plastic wrap and foil) I actually used 2, 1 at the beginning when cooking the ribs, there will be a lot of liquid once done you toss that liner  I added a new liner placed some sauce on bottom add ribs and cover with more sauce, replace lid and continue to cook for another hour if you aren't ready to eat them yet just turn crockpot to warm, that is what I did. You can also use your favorite sauce for this recipe I used Sweet Baby Rays plus my husband added a little open pit, they were very good! Next time I may try with my home made sauce!
We will definitely be making these often this way!,,,,Here is what I did....Enjoy!!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

 

2 slabs ribs (I used baby backs)

1 bottle Sweet Baby Rays sauce

salt and pepper

2 slow cooker liners

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat crock pot to low

 

1. Prepare ribs by removing any fat you can and on bone side we remove the skin or membrane that is over the bone

2. salt and pepper the ribs

3. add liner to crock pot

4. add ribs meat side out, bones toward the center

 

Cover and check after 4- 4/12 hours, if done remove ribs to a plate

toss the liner, add new liner and add sauce, then add ribs and cover with sauce

cook for another hour on low

 

 

**Note...All crock pots are a little different so the first time you make them there may be some trial and error as far as timing goes

 

 

Acorn Squash w/ Apple Stuffing (gluten free)

One thing I always missed being Gluten Free is Stuffing!!......So a couple of years ago I decided to try to make my own, I found this Tapioca bread at the grocery store, so I cubed it up , toasted it and made my stuffing out of it, It turned out really good!.....So when I saw this apple stuffing recipe I wanted to try it and stuffed in an acorn squash it made such a nice meal....My husband actually called it a pleasant dinner. He really enjoyed it!.......So you could take any stuffing recipe you like, prepare it with these gluten free bread cubes and not have to miss out on the stuffing for the Holidays!.....Actually when I make it with my traditional stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving some people actually chose it over the regular!.....Here is what I do...Enjoy!

 

INGREDIENTS

 

2 Acorn Squash

 

+

 

 

STUFFING RECIPE

 

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 small onion (diced)

3 celery ribs (diced)

1 granny smith apple (peeled and diced)

1 cup dry cranberries

4 Cups cubed and toasted bread (I cubed and toasted the whole loaf of  theTapioca loaf..you will have extra you can save)

1 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 cup chicken broth + more if needed

here is the bread I use (I stack and slice both ways to cube) it is very dense so it is perfect for this

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Cube loaf of bread place on a cookie sheet and toast in 350 oven until browned

remove and set aside

 

Prepare squash

I heated in microwave one at a time about 2-3 minutes until soft enough to cut in half

scoop out seeds drizzle with olive oil  and place on a cookie sheet flesh side down

bake at 350 for 20 minutes

 

Prepare stuffing by melting butter in a dutch oven or large pan add onion, celery and apple

cook until translucent add cranberries, spices and bread pour broth over and mix together

 

Spoon stuffing into each squash half , add a pat of butter on top of each  then bake for another 20 minutes