1/2 cup of olive oil
1 tsp butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup onions choped
1 large can whole peeled tomatoes
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 cup vodka
salt and pepper to taste
In a sauce pan, add oil, butter onions and garlic. Saute until onions are clear.
Add vodka, tomatoes and parsley. Slowly mix in the cream.
Salt and pepper to taste, add pasta, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Hummus, by Claire C.
I am embarrassed to admit that I've never tried to make my own hummus. I just grabbed the nearest plastic package and threw it in my grocery cart. Ridiculous, because it is so easy to make! If you use dried garbanzo beans (aka chick peas) bought in bulk, you can save a ton of money as well. For the money you save be preparing your own you can go 100% organic without breaking the bank. Using dried beans certainly takes longer, but it more than makes up for it in easy final preparation of the dish.
Making your own hummus also gives you the freedom to experiment with spices, herbs and anything else that strikes your fancy. This recipe explains how to prepare fresh garbanzo beans, but you can substitute with canned if you prefer.
Tools:
Mortar and pestle or food processor. The processor speeds things up quite a bit and gets that familiar consistency, but the mortar and pestle can be very satisfying to use. It's up to you.
Ingredients:
2 cups garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas)
1/3 cup hot water (approximately)
1 large lemon
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup tahini
olive oil
salt
ground red chili
If using dried beans: Soak dried garbanzo beans overnight to save a lot of prep time. Remove floaters. Cover with water in large pot and bring to simmer over medium heat (make sure all beans are covered) until bean is soft (between 3-4 hours). Bean is soft enough if it disintegrates into a pasty consistency in your mouth when chewed. If it's still crunchy or super grainy, continue to simmer. To save time you can soak more than you need and freeze the extra to use next time.
Drain chick peas, rinse well, and put them in processor or mortar bowl. Juice lemon, making sure to remove seeds. Begin to process/pound, adding hot water in small amounts to make a light, spreadable consistency. Add the lemon juice, garlic, tahini, oil and salt. Both the oil and salt are to taste, so just add slowly and enjoy the tasting!
To serve, make a mound of the spread into a serving bowl and make a shallow depression in the middle. Fill with olive oil and garnish with ground red chili. In the interest of keeping things authentic, I usually serve mine with Naan. Naan is a type of oven baked flatbread that is common throughout the Middle East, so it's the perfect compliment to hummus. It is now commonly found in grocery stores, including organic varieties. My personal favorite is Tandoori brand's garlic flavored.
Suggestion on olive oil: Olive oil is one of those products where you really do get what you pay for. With all the money you'll be saving by avoiding the expensive pre-prepared supermarket stuff, treat yourself to some first cold pressed organic oil. Cooking with the cheap stuff may be fine, but if you are garnishing or dipping, the difference in taste is well worth the price hike.
