Garlic and Artichoke Dip

This dip is served warm with pita chips or toasted bread. It satisfies if you have a craving for warm, gooey and cheesy. And it's great for that Fantasy Football Draft Party!

4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 green onion, cut in several pieces
1/3 C Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1/3 C low fat mayonnaise
1/4 C low fat cream cheese
1 T lemon juice
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts in water

Chop garlic and onion in food processor. Add cheese (reserving a couple tablespoons for topping), mayonnaise, cream cheese, lemon juice and pepper flakes. Process until nearly smooth. Add artichoke hearts and process until a few chunks remain. Place mixture in 1 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes until bubbly.

Pasta e Fagioli

This is a traditional meatless Italian soup. Fagioli can be pronounced as it is spelled or even closer to "fazool" depending on the Italian dialect.

4 T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 16 oz. can canellini beans, drained
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 C zitti or penne pasta, uncooked
parmesean or romana cheese, grated

Heat pan and add olive oil. Sauté onion, carrot, celery and garlic until tender. Add beans, tomatoes and rosemary, 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove half of the soup mixture to a food processor and process until smooth. Return to pot. Add pasta and 1-2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until pasta is tender (10-15 minutes).

Spoon into bowls and top with romana or parmesean cheese. Serve with crusty slices of Italian bread.

Blueberry Muffins

Muffin Mixture
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/4 Cup Water
8 oz. Yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1 Cup Sugar
3 Cups Flour
1 T Baking Powder
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Salt
1 1/2 Cups Blueberries

Crumb Topping
3 T Butter, softened
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Flour
1/2 t Cinnamon

Mix together oil, water, egg, yogurt and sugar. In separate bowl, mix together flour, powder, soda and salt. Stir dry mixture into egg mixture until just moistened. Carefully fold in blueberries.

Mix together ingredients for crumb topping until mixture is the consistency of small peas.

Spoon muffin mixture into greased muffin tins. Top each muffin with a spoonful of crumb mixture. Bake in preheated 375 oven for 20-25 minutes until slightly browned.

Makes 12 muffins.

Guacamole

Now that it is finally summer in Chicago...

2 large ripe avocados
2 green onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 plum tomato, seeded and diced
1-2 serrano peppers, diced
juice of 1/2 lime
Cilantro, chopped (optional)
salt to taste

Mix together and serve with corn chips. Yummy!

Key Lime Martini

Perfection! At last!
It took a while to recreate this favorite, but I think it's finally right.

1 T Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 t Sugar
2 Lime Wedges
3 oz. Vanilla Vodka
3 oz. Key Lime Liqueur
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
1 oz. Heavy Cream
Crushed Ice


Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar, smashing crumbs with back of a spoon until fine. Run lime wedge over rim of martini glass and roll rim in crumbs to coat. Shake vodka, key lime liqueur, pineapple juice and cream with crushed ice until cold. Pour into martini glass and garnish with remaining lime wedge.