apple crisp yogurt parfaits

After making my vanilla chai spiced granola the other day, I couldn't stop thinking about making some yummy fall treats with it.

The beautiful fragrant spices in the granola remind me so much of apple crisp that I decided to combine them into breakfast.

(Not that I don't just eat apple crisp for breakfast if I have it...  because I do!)

This parfait is perfect with homemade applesauce...  but you can also use finely chopped fresh apples tossed with brown sugar if you don't have any applesauce on hand!

Apple Crisp Yogurt Parfaits

Ingredients:
1/4 cup homemade chunky apple sauce
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup chai-spiced granola

Directions:
Layer the ingredients in order in a small dish.

This makes one serving.  Adjust accordingly!

white bean & basil hummus pasta

I found some beautiful White Bean & Basil Hummus at Trader Joe's yesterday, and as I was munching on it with my usual rice cracker dippers I couldn't help thinking how great it would be on pasta!

I actually couldn't stop thinking about how good any hummus would be on pasta, and I plan on making some mediterranean hummus pasta soon with my Copycat Trader Joe's Mediterranean Hummus Recipe!

Since this hummus already has basil in it, I decided to load up the pasta with more fresh basil.  And then... since we all know I can't leave well enough alone... I drizzled in a bit of garlic-infused olive oil (also from Trader Joe's!) and topped it with lots of freshly grated parmesan!

YUMMM!!!

I especially love that in the midst of my carb-loaded comfort-food meal, I'm also getting some great protein.  It's a two-fer!

White Bean & Basil Hummus Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:
1lb package of noodles (whatever kind you like!)
1 cup (or 1 8oz package!) hummus of your choice (TJ's white bean & basil is YUMMY!)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (garlic or regular!)
freshly torn basil (if using white bean & basil hummus...  parsley otherwise!)
salt & pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, optional

Directions:
Cook the noodles according to package directions and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water just before draining them.

In a small saucepan, warm up the hummus, olive oil & seasonings.  Toss in the noodles and as much -pasta water as needed to thin out the hummus and coat the noodles.  (You may need the whole cup!)

Taste for seasonings again and then toss in the herbs and cheese, if using!

(You could also toss in some toasted pine nuts...  That would be amazing in a regular hummus version!)

(If you want to try making your own White Bean & Basil Hummus... click here for a link to a great-looking recipe by weelicious!)

oven roasted beets - a photo tutorial...

When we signed up for our first CSA, every week the box had beautiful beets inside.  A few months (yes, months) later...  Andrew happened to come home early one day to find roasted beets just coming out of the oven.

He excitedly remarked, "Oh cool!  We got beets in the box this week!"...

I had to sheepishly admit to him that there had been beets in every box we had gotten...  they had just never lasted until he got home from work!  :o)

After getting a few questions from some friends after posting on facebook that I was going to roast some beets the other day, I realized that not everyone is as in love with beets as my family is...

And that some people are not even comfortable with them at all, for that matter!

I think the biggest problem is that they can be a tad intimidating and people tend to be most familiar with seeing them in pickled slices on their favorite all-you-can-eat salad bar!

Roasting your beets is a simple, delicious way to enjoy beets.  Especially if you have an abundance from your garden or CSA box... try this out!

Oven Roasted Beets Tutorial

First, wash your beets and cut off the tops and bottoms.

Place the beets on a double layer of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and top with lots of salt & freshly ground black pepper.

Wrap up the foil into a nice little package, place on a baking sheet to catch any accidental drips, and bake in a preheated 400ºF oven for about an hour - depending on the size of the beets, or until you can easily stab a beet with a fork.

Peel the roasted beets with a spoon or your hands (be careful of staining!!), cut up and serve with more salt & pepper, if desired!

Aren't they gorgeous little gems??  How could anything so pretty not be great?!

creamy lemon pasta with mushrooms & asparagus

Spring is finally here!!  We've had a few days of sunshine, and when I went to the store the other day, I found these beauties...

This is not my picture...  I grabbed it from here.  But I promise my asparagus looked just like this!  :o)

I was so excited to see beautiful, thin, tender asparagus...  I just couldn't wait to get home and start cooking!

What I came up with is a creamy, bright pasta dish...  perfect for showcasing fresh spring veggies.

You could easily substitute fresh broccoli for the asparagus...  and I would probably add chicken to this, if I wasn't making it for just myself.  :o)

Creamy Lemon Pasta with Mushrooms & Asparagus Recipe

Ingredients:
1 lb short pasta (penne or rotini work well!)
3-4 tablespoons butter
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 lb asparagus, cut into 1" pieces
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream
salt & pepper, to taste
juice of one large lemon
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook the pasta, according to package directions, until al dente.  Scoop out about a cup-full of the pasta water and then drain the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking...  in a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and then sauté the mushrooms until golden.  Toss in the asparagus and sauté until just tender.  Stir in the garlic and cooking for about a minute.

Turn off the heat and stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Continue to stir until smooth, adding in the cooked pasta and a  bit of pasta water, 1/4 cup or so at a time, until everything is nicely coated.

Top with more fresh parmesan, if you'd like, and serve with garlic bread!