Back in September at the start of the (Jewish) new year, I started a new project – compiling my recipes into a book for my daughter and daughter-in-law. The project posed several challenges – many of my “recipes” were just scribbled suggestions of ingredients while some were not written down at all. Still others were actual recipes that I had found over the years – except that I didn’t follow any of them as written and had not noted down my modifications.

So …. I have embarked on a year-long (or possibly longer) journey which involves making each recipe and writing down the ingredients and directions for all the items I cook. In addition, at the request of my daughter-in-law, I am taking pictures so that she knows what the finished recipe looks like.

I thought it would be fun to share my journey with my Shomrei family as well. This, then, is the first in a series of posts about my recipes. I welcome comments about the recipes and hope that some of you will share your recipes too.

I’ll begin at the beginning …. with a few starters.

Hummus

This is a very creamy version of hummus. Using some of the reserved liquid from the chickpeas and less olive oil gives a lighter hummus. And I use lots of tahini. You can make the hummus plain (pictured) or add some parsley. Another alternative is to add a small cooked beet.

INGREDIENTS
1 can (15-16 oz) chickpeas, drained with liquid reserved
½ cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Dash of ground cumin
Sesame seeds 

DIRECTIONS
Put the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, & cumin in food processor.  Blend together until smooth. Add some of the reserved liquid, a little at a time, and continue blending to get the desired consistency.

TO SERVE: Spread the hummus in a shallow plate. Spread 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

SERVE WITH pita cut into wedges or pita chips.

Guacamole

The recipe is from a friend of mine from my doctoral program days at City University of NY. It has become a standard at our home for Superbowl Sunday. A few days beforehand, the avocados magically show up on our counter to ripen. (Did I mention that Lou is the one who does the food shopping?)

INGREDIENTS
2 avocados, peeled and coarsely mashed
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tablespoons lime juice (1 lime)
OPTIONAL – ¼ cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Combine the other ingredients in a bowl with the mashed avocado and mix together.

SERVE WITH taco chips.

Some years ago we joined Costco. Since then, we have not been without a large jar of marinated artichokes in the pantry or fridge. It’s a frequent addition to our salads but here is a non-salad use.

Artichoke Squares

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons marinade from the artichokes
1 small onion, chopped (4-5 ounces; ½ cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
4 eggs, beaten
¼ cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parley (or 2 teaspoons parsley flakes)
8 ounces Swiss cheese, grated (2 cups)

DIRECTIONS

• PREHEAT oven to 350°.
• GREASE a small rectangular baking dish (8 inch x 10 inch).
• Heat the marinade in a pan. Add the onion & garlic; sauté until onion is transparent, about 5 minutes. Mix together the cooked onions with the artichoke hearts, eggs, bread crumbs & parsley. Add the cheese and mix to combine. Spread the artichoke mixture in the baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes, until set.

NOTE: This recipe can also be made as a crustless quiche. Spread the artichoke mixture into an 8-inch or 9-inch pie pan. Bake for 30 minutes.