Spicy Pasta and Spinach

Gary loves loves loves Italian food.  He would eat pasta or pizza every day if given the opportunity.  We (I) got tired of the same old spaghetti so I spiced it up and snuck in a little spinach for good measure. He loved it!!!  "This recipe is a keeper" he said and then asked if we could have it at least once a week, LOL!

PRINTABLE RECIPE
What you'll need


16 oz of your favorite pasta, cooked
1 lb of lean ground beef
1 jar of Arrabbiata pasta sauce
1/2 of an onion, diced
1 brick of cream cheese
spinach
red pepper flakes
canola or olive oil


First dice up the onion and saute for a minute or two.  Then add in the ground beef and brown. Once it's done be sure to drain off grease.

Next add in the pasta sauce and cream cheese.  Keep sauce over medium heat stirring occasionally until the cheese is melted.  Taste.  Add in a small amount of red peppers until you get the heat you like.

Now for the sneaky part, SSHHHH!  Add in a few handfuls of spinach and let it wilt down into the sauce. Oh man it's really coming together now!

Throw in your cooked pasta and toss.

Voila, you're done!  (Be prepared to make this often :-) )

                          

Creamy Hummus

Hummus is one of my favorite snacks.  I enjoy it with veggies, pita bread/chips, and sometimes even spread on a sandwich.  My favorite store bought brand is Sabra.  So creamy and dreamy!  After buying it for years I finally decided that I would give it a try at home.  Here's what I came up with.

First of all who knew that Garbanzo beans and Chickpeas were the same thing? Obviously not me.  I went to the grocery in search of chickpeas and they didn't have any.  What?!?  No Chickpeas how could they not have chickpeas.  Determined to figure this out I came home and did a little research about chickpeas and learned chickpeas and garbanzo beans are one in the same.  So back to the store to buy the garbanzo beans :-).   I love learning new things!  Don't you?

PRINTABLE RECIPE

What you'll need

1/4 cup tahini

1 lemon juiced
1 19 oz can garbanzo beans or chickpeas drained, reserve liquid
1/4 cup or so of reserved chickpea liquid

1 to 2 TBSP canola or olive oil

salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 or 2 cloves garlic 

The secret to a really creamy hummus is blending the tahini and lemon juice together first.  Throw em in a blender or food processor and give it a whirl.  A food processor works best but just use what you have.

By the way.  This is the BEST lemon juicer I've ever had.  I highly recommend it.  I have one for lemons, lime, and oranges.  It gets ALL the juice out!  See how it turns the lemon almost inside out.  Oh my, this photo is making me crave homemade lemonade!  Focus, Focus! Back to the hummus.

Ok, so next add in half of the reserved liquid, 1 TBSP canola oil, dash of salt, cumin, and about half of the chickpeas.  Blend until smooth.  Add in the rest of the chickpeas and a little more reserved liquid to reach the consistency you like.  Blend.  Taste.  The beauty of hummus is that you make it to taste.  Just keep tasting until it's how you like it. I like to refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let all the flavors blend together, but you can serve right away.

Now pour it in a bowl.  Make a little indentation on the top and add a splash of canola oil.  Optional toppers would be minced garlic, parsley, cilantro, paprika, or pine nuts toasted in the oil.

Yummo!  How easy was that?