Classic Hummus

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

          Drain chickpeas, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.  Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, adding reserved liquid until desired consistency is reached.

TIM'S NOTES:  I like this recipe, but am not sure I would add the full amount of ground red pepper, if at all.  I made a double batch of this and only added three pinches of ground red pepper.  I ate this with raw veggies:  Cucumbers, carrots, and especially good with red bell peppers.  You could eat it with crackers, pita chips, or whatever you like.  It would be good with jicama, too.

Hearty Mexican Chicken Soup

4 dried ancho chiles, wiped with a damp cloth
2 cups boiling water 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 pound skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (3 cups)
1 can (15 oz) no salt added pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds, toasted

1. In a heatproof bowl, combine chilies and water.  Let soak about 30 minutes.  Reserve soaking liquid.
2. Bring broth to a simmer in 2 quart saucepan.  Add chicken, and simmer gently, covered. until chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.  Transfer chicken to bowl with slotted spoon, and let cool; shred.  Reserve broth.
3. Stem and seed chilies, and transfer to blender.  Add reserved soaking liquid, onion, garlic, oregano, and pepper.  Puree until smooth.
4. In 5 quart pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until it simmers, then carefully add chile puree (it will splatter) and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 minutes.  Add reserved broth, zucchini, and beans.  Simmer, covered, until zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in cooked chicken, salt and lime juice, and simmer, just until chicken is heated, about 2 minutes.  Top each serving with a generous teaspoon of pumpkin seeds.  Makes about 10 cups.

Tim's Notes:  After stemming and seeding the soaked chilies, be sure to strain the reserved soaking liquid to remove chile seeds.  Pumpkin seeds can be toasted in a 350 degree oven for about 3-5 minutes.

Pineapple and Avacado Salsa

This recipe came with a recipe for Chicken Quesadillas.  The quesadilla recipe was okay, but what I really liked was this great pick-me-up for purchased salsa.  It was good with sour cream on the quesadillas, but it would probably go any place you would use regular salsa.

1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
juice of 1 lime

Pour Salsa in medium bowl.  Gently stir in diced avocado, crushed pineapple, and lime juice.

Italian Sausage Soup

1 pound hot Italian sausage (mild can be substituted) casings removed and sliced
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can garbanzo beans with liquid
1 teaspoon dried sage
Salt and Pepper
1 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, saute sausage until browned.  Remove and set aside.  Drain off excess grease.  Add butter to pan.  Add carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms and saute in butter over medium low heat for 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

Return sausage to pan and add parsley, chicken broth, garbanzo beans with liquid, sage, salt and pepper.  Simmer 30-40 minutes.

To serve, sprinkle individual servings with Parmesan cheese.

TIM'S NOTES:  If you can get the Italian sausage in bulk, it will save cutting the sausage out of the casings.  I also didn't add any salt or pepper.  The sausage, cheese and chicken stock are salty enough, and if you use hot Italian sausage, you won't need pepper.

New South Cornmeal Dumplings

Pam Cooking Spray
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup stone-ground yellow corn meal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon finely minced onion
1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh herb, such as sage, or basil, or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
Unbleached all purpose flour for coating the dumplings
3 to 4 quarts water or any well flavored chicken or vegetable stock

1. Spray a small, very heavy pot with the Pam, and in it bring the 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil.Gradually whisk in the cornmeal, salt, and paprika, slowly stirring, then beating like crazy.  Turn down the heat to very low and cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, about 3 1/2 minutes.  By this time the cornmeal should be a very thick paste, so solid you'll have to scrape it from the pot.  Remove the pot from the heat, beating the batter to cool it slightly.  After about one minute, beat in 1 egg, then the other.  Beat in the onion and chopped fresh or crumbled dried herb.  let the batter cool until lukewarm.
2. Fill a plate with flour.  Roll the batter into small, marble-sized balls of equal size.  As each ball is shaped, drop it onto the flour-filled plate and roll to coat it on all sides.  Set the floured balls on a sheet of waxed paper until ready to cook.
3. Bring the stock or liquid of choice to a full boil in a large pot, then lower the heat so the liquid boils gently.  Drop 8 to 10 balls into the liquid and cover the pot.  Let the dumplings cook undisturbed for 9 minutes exactly.  Scoop out the cooked dumplings with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to a warmed Pam sprayed pot or casserole dish.  Cover the casserole to keep the dumplings warm.  Cook the next batch.  Serve as soon as possible.  Makes about 30 small to medium dumplings.

TIM'S NOTES:  The author suggests serving these like gnocchi, with butter, Parmesan cheese, and freshly ground pepper, or a dab of pesto.  If you want to make this recipe gluten free, just use another kind of gluten free flour to coat the dumplings instead of all purpose flour.