Chipotle Pepper Hummus

When we have extra cans of chickpeas in the pantry, I can't help but think: hummus. We tried our hand at baked falafel (not bad, but not great), and roasting them is on my "To-Cook" list, but hummus is always my go-to. Especially considering I had some delicious chipotle peppers left over from Shredded Beef Tacos just calling my name from the fridge. They're not exactly an easy ingredient to incorporate into other things, but hummus? Hello blank slate! They add a great smokey flavor without too much heat.

I posted a basic hummus recipe a few months ago, and of course you could just add a couple peppers to that one, but we also had tahini paste chilling in the fridge, so I altered the recipe slightly to use it.

Oh, I also did this.

I had some time so I squeezed those little peas right out of their casings (I mentioned this in my first hummus post but didn't take the time to do it). The process is really easy; just squeeze a chickpea gently between your thumb and forefinger, and the casing will slip right off. Some might even come off when you rinse them. I have to be honest though, peeling all these chickpeas took me at least 30 minutes, which is a lot of time to spend on something so simple. But the benefit is silky smooth hummus, just like you'd buy off the shelf. Plus the process gives you the same kind of reward that rubbing dry dough off your fingers does, or peeling glue off your hands.

Chipotle Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
24 oz canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and peeled
3-4 Tbsp tahini
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Juice from half lemon
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4- 1/2 cup water

Directions:
1. Place the garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor and process until minced.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, except the water.
3. Process until the consistency is thick but smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. Add half the water and process. Continue to add water until you reach your desired consistency.

Recipe Notes:

• I like my hummus a little thicker, so I only added about 1/4 cup hummus.
• Leaving out the chipotle peppers will give you a great classic hummus.
• Peeling the chickpeas is optional. Leave them just as they are from the can and you'll still end up with a delicious hummus. It will just have more texture.

Confetti Cookies

I'm not exactly sure what possessed me to make these cookies. As cookies go, sugar cookies aren't really my favorite. I'd say they're not even in the top three. But there's just something about them. I think it's the sprinkles.

Everything's better with sprinkles. Now, these aren't the kind of sugar cookie you decorate. They're more like the perfect chewy sugar cookie. Buttery, soft, sweet, with that extra special flare of being rainbow colored.

I may have eaten more than three my fair share of these before I even had dinner today. If you need me I'll be in a sprinkle-induced sugar coma.

Confetti Cookies
Yield: 18 cookies

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar with the paddle of an electric mixer on medium speed, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue to beat on med-high speed until incorporated. Don't worry if it looks a little separated.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix on low until almost fully incorporated. Add the sprinkles and mix until all ingredients are incorporated together.
5. Divide the dough into 1 oz balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Arrange them on the sheet pans, leaving about 2'' of space between each cookie. Dampen your fingers and lightly press on the dough to flatten to about 1/2'' thick.
6. Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown. Rotate the sheet pans halfway through baking. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheets.

Recipe Notes

• No sprinkles? Leave them out and you still have an amazingly delicious chewy sugar cookie.
• Looking for something easy to bake for Valentine's day? Replace the rainbow sprinkles with red and pink ones and voila!

Chicken and Kale Baked Pasta

Hey, you. Yeah you. You need this pasta in your life. It's creamy, and cheesy, and comforting, AND chocked full of healthy things. Which means this totally fits into your New Years Resolution diet. 

No really, I'm not kidding. Multigrain pasta? Check. Protein-packed chicken? Check. More than a pound of healthy greens? Check!

Seriously, have you gotten on this kale thing yet? If not, what are you waiting for?? It's super healthy, easy to cook, and tastes rich and delicious.

Still not convinced? I swear, this is the perfect vehicle to introduce kale into your world. The flavor definitely takes a back seat to the nutty Parmesan, creamy ricotta, and bright lemon. And the texture blends right in to the rest of the pasta.

It's a great way to get in those healthy veggies with the added bonus of comforting carbs and cheese. Seriously, is there anything better? I think not.

Chicken and Kale Baked Pasta
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 box (14.5 oz) multigrain rotini pasta
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lb kale, tough stems and ribs removed, coarsely torn or chopped
1/3-1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cut into pieces
48 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
Zest of two lemons
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and return to pot or very large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large high-sided skillet or another deep pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant, another minute.
3. Add the kale along with 1/3 cup chicken stock. Cover and allow the kale to steam for 2-3 minutes. Uncover the pot and stir, adding the additional chicken stock if the pan is too dry. Continue to cook, covered, until the kale is just tender, another 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the kale and onion mixture to the cooked pasta along with the chicken, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Stir to combine.
5. Pour the pasta into a 9x13'' baking dish. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake 30 minutes or until the cheese is just starting to brown. Let rest 5 minutes. Serve warm, topped with additional grated Parmesan.

Recipe Notes:

• I'm not sure why my box of pasta was only 14.5 oz instead of the usual 16, but you could definitely use a full pound with no other changes necessary.
• If all of the kale won't fit in your pot at once, add just as much as will comfortably fit, adding more as the kale cooks down. Add the chicken stock more gradually to ensure it doesn't steam away before all the kale is cooked.
• Obviously this is an easy dish to make vegetarian. Just leave out the cooked chicken, and substitute vegetable broth or water for the stock. 
• If you're really not a fan of kale and I can't convince you otherwise, you could always substitute in fresh spinach or another leafy green.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart