July Theme: cooking with BASIL (heidi)

Basil Lime Sorbet

recipe serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 20 fresh basil leaves, minced

Directions

1. Make a simple syrup by bringing the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan; allow to boil 1 minute; remove from heat.
2. Combine the syrup, lime juice, and basil in a blender; puree. Pour the mixture into a container and cover; store in freezer until completely frozen, about 2 hours.
3. Break the frozen mixture into pieces and place in the blender; blend until smooth. Return to the container and cover. Store in freezer until ready to serve.

June Theme: cooking with GARLIC (sarah)

Middle Eastern Pita Pizza with Hummus

Hummus:
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
chopped fresh parsley

Middle Eastern Pita Pizza
4 pitas
Hummus
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 sm onion sliced
Fresh spinach
1 large tomato chopped

Spread hummus on the pita and put on onions and cheese crumbles. Broil for a couple minutes. Then top with spinach and tomatoes.

June Theme: cooking with GARLIC (amanda)

20-40 Clove Garlic Chicken

The Ingredients.
serves 6

3-4 pounds chicken
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
20-40 garlic cloves, peeled, but intact

The Directions.

I used a 6 quart oval slow cooker. Place onion slices on the bottom of the stoneware insert. In a large mixing bowl, toss chicken parts with olive oil, salt, paprika, pepper, and all of the garlic cloves. Pour into slow cooker, on top of the onion.

Do not add water.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. The longer you cook chicken-on-the-bone, the more tender it will be. If you use drumsticks, the ones on the side will brown and may stick to the sides of the crock, burning a bit. If this bothers you, you can rearrange them with tongs an hour before serving.
I cooked our chicken on low for 7 hours, then kept it on warm for another 2.

Serving Ideas: with a salad, mashed potatoes, corn, and green beans or quinoa and asparagus.

June Theme: cooking with GARLIC (heidi)

• Bruschetta Bread

  organic cherry tomatoes

  

  garlic

  sweet onion

  fresh basil

  salt

  freshly ground pepper

  red-wine vinegar

  extra-virgin olive oil

  baguette or french bread

  (slice into small portions)

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Chop everything finely and toss tomatoes with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast until broken down, 30 mins - watch carefully and stir often so it does not burn
  3. Butter and then Heat baguette until warm. Place mixture on bread and enjoy!
  4. alternative option: butter bread and add mixture on top - bake altogether! (this is a little bit messier to eat!)

May Theme: Cooking with Beans (heidi)

Here are two easy recipes that I made for the evening since I was hosting.

Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans (or you can buy 15 ounces canned)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp garlic salt

Preparation:

Cook dry beans in crockpot on high for 6-8 hours. Puree all ingredients together in a food processor or blender, scraping the sides as needed. You may need to add a bit more water to get the consistency that you prefer.

Refried Beans

Ingredients:

• dried pinto beans or black beans or a mix
• chopped onion and garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• cilantro
• cumin
• jalapeno or green chilis (if you like spice)

Preparation:

Cook dry beans with garlic and onions in crockpot on high for 6-8 hours. Puree all ingredients together in a food processor or blender, scraping the sides as needed.

May Theme: Cooking with Beans (sarah)

10 bean soup

-2 cups of 10 bean dry beans from Sunflower
-5 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water
-1 onion finely chopped
-2 cloves of garlic minced
-16oz can of diced tomatoes (pick a flavored one if desired)
-1 pound spicy sausage

Rinse beans and soak covered in cold water overnight. Re-rinse beans and place in a large stock pot or crock-pot, add all other ingredients and simmer for 2-3 hours, or until beans reach desired softness.

May Theme: Cooking with Beans (amanda)

I promise you that you HAVE to try them before you run away from the name of it. Yes, they contain black beans but they are SO AMAZING! I often request that Amanda to make them for parties and game nights!

Black Bean Brownies

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black or pinto beans, drained
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup instant coffee
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 large free-range eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 11-by-18 brownie pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler until smooth. Put the beans, half of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and several spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Process for about 2 minutes, or until thick and smooth.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the remaining walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, instant coffee, and salt. Mix well.

4. In another bowl, beat the eggs until light with an electric mixer, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well.

5. Combine the two chocolate mixtures and stir.

6. Reserve 1/2 cup of the egg mixture, and add the rest of the egg mixture to the chocolate. Mix well, and then pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect.

7. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares.

8. Chill to firm, then serve.

Note from Amanda: I often leave out the coffee and stir in some chocolate chips just for good measure :)