Hummus-Spinach Dip

This is so good, it's dangerous. Like, I almost feel sorry for posting it. How easy and how delicious, it just shouldn't be allowed! I apologize in advance. The original recipe made the hummus from scratch, but until I get a food processor, I won't be doing that.

Ingredients:
Hummus (16 oz container)
Spinach (about 2 big handfuls, roughly chopped)
3/4 cup Cheese (I used mixed Mexican, but you can use your favorite)
.......That's seriously it. I told you, I'm bad!

I am eating this with middle eastern-whole-wheat flatbread but you can use chips or lavosh or pita or veggies, the sky is the limit here. Let's get started!

Hummus in the bowl, check!

Spinach in the bowl, check!

CHEESE in the bowl, CHECK! (oops sorry, I get so excited when cheese in involved!) Only put 1/2 cup in now. The rest goes on later.

Now mix it all up like your life depends on it. While singing Tegan and Sara. Oops, nope that's just me again :)

Press in a casserole or baking dish. Use the rest of the cheese sprinkled on top.  Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.

I'm sorry.

I really am...

Potlucks will never be the same again! Muahahaha. And in the grand scheme, this DOES have less fat then the typical artichoke-spinach dip made with cream cheese. Right? Forgivable?

Yea, forgivable. :) Eat up!



From my heart to yours, enjoy!

End of the world Latkes! (Baked)

So today, the world was supposed to end, or something. It was actually a beautiful day here in Long Beach, but alas, no Apocalypse. 

Truth be told, if it WAS the end of the world, I'd deep fry these like there was no tomorrow! (Ha, excuse my geeky humor) But I baked these, to make it healthier.

Also I want to dedicate this post to my Daddy, who taught me about Latkes, and Challah, let me light a Menorah next to the Christmas tree when I was kid. I had an interesting, mixed childhood. 

So here goes!

Ingredients: (this recipe makes a muffin tin with 12, you can double or triple it if you have more hungry people!)
1 large potato
1/2 Onion
1 TBS Flour
1 Egg
Salt and Pepper to taste

Applesauce to garnish
Plain Greek Yogurt for garnish (typically sour cream, but this is a HEALTHY.....ish blog)

Peel the potato and grate it up along with the onion Drain the water out best you can. Then add flour, egg, salt and pepper. 

 Olive oil up a muffin tin and distribute evenly.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Then let them cool for about 5 minutes before taking them out. I couldn't decide between Apple Sauce and the Yogurt.....so I picked both!

YUMM.

Ready for another close up?

And that's it. Thanks Mom and Dad for feeding me delicious things from your backgrounds, and exposing me to all kinds of delicious foods.

Happy Holidays everyone, from my heart to yours, take care!!

<3

Alex's Pre-Spartan Race Lasagna

I know I've made lasagna before, but this one is better. So I don't care :) I'd blog lasagna everyday if I could!

Tomorrow the boyfriend is running in the Spartan race. Is he crazy? Probably. Am I going to watch? YES!

So to help him carboload before the big event, I made lasagna (his fave). Only whole wheat. With veggies. Mmmmm.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat, no boil lasagna noodles
Grated Mozzarella cheese
Skim-Ricotta
About 2 cups veggies (I used mushrooms and yellow squash. Why? They were in the fridge)
About 2 cups spinach (optional)
About 1 cup Morningstar veggie crumbles
Marinara Sauce (whatever kind you'd like)
1/2 onion
Garlic
Olive Oil (surprise, surprise)
Butter, dairy or vegan, doesn't matter because this recipe isn't vegan, but I prefer vegan butter. 
About a tablespoon of pesto (I threw this in last minute so it isn't pictured, sorry!)

Preheat oven to 450. Then gather your ingredients.

Heat up the butter and Olive Oil

Chop up onion and garlic...

Throw in to heat up, this is always my favorite part because it smells sooooooo good.

Chop up veggies..quick! You can do this earlier, but I like the suspense..

When super fragrant, throw these in too. And the morningstar crumbles. Stir for a few minutes, then put in spinach. And Pesto.

Maybe I'm a cheater because this makes everything delicious, shhhh.

Back to the cooking!

Warm until barely wilted. Barely.

Take off heat. Start layering up! Little bit of Olive Oil at the bottom and then noodles, then sauce.

Veggies.

Cheeseyyyyy

Continue until out of veggies, I don't want to say how many times because maybe your pan is wider than mine. I don't know. Finish up with cheese on top!

See you later, gorgeous! Bake for 40 minutes, covered, then uncover and bake for another 20. Oh boy.

The lighting isn't that great, but here it is plated, with a glass of sparkling apple cider (can't drink before running a race!)

This is my way of wishing the very best of luck to my crazy love in the Spartan Race tomorrow!
(By the way, I got the Spartan stamp of approval!)


From my heart, to yours!

-Sharon Jeanette