Garlic Rosemary Chicken Bake

I love one dish dinners.  They look fancy, they're so easy to make, and less dishes for me to wash!

This one was a big hit with my boys.  They love anything chicken or bacon, and this has both!

The best part was that I only needed about 5 minutes of prep before I had the whole dish finished and stuck in the oven, but the boys still thought it looked fancy and impressive.  

I don't have a million photos of this like some other dishes, but I'm probably going to make it again pretty soon, and I'll add more photos then, okay?  :)

Garlic Rosemary Chicken Bake

serves 3

Ingredients:

• 3 whole chicken breasts (I used frozen ones, no thawing needed!)
• 3 russet potatoes
• 1/4 Cup garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 branches rosemary
• 3 strips bacon
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Drizzle 1 teaspoon olive oil onto the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish.  
2. Slice the potatoes into medallions and lay them flat in the dish.  Lay the chicken breasts on top of the potatoes.  Slice the bacon into 1" pieces and lay the pieces on top of the chicken and potatoes.  Sprinkle the garlic cloves over the bacon, and lay the rosemary branches down as well.  Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and slide into the oven.  
3. Bake for 60 minutes, or until the bacon and chicken are fully cooked.  

Buddha bowl

Can I just say, Buddha bowls are THE BEST?!  What's a Buddha bowl you ask?  Well, its essentially a bowl full (like a Buddha belly) of veggies, greens, beans, and grains.  It is a delicious  single bowl balanced meal, full of color and flavor.  All you need mixed together in a beautiful melody of food.

If you were very lazy you could throw in some chopped raw veggies, but I like to roast as much as possible to bring out flavor and texture.

Even if you are being lazy, this recipe is so simple a monkey could make it.  Really.  Cut up some veggies, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and throw them in the oven.  That's the most difficult part of this whole recipe.  Seriously.

The combination shown here is my favorite, but you could easily prep tons of veggies, grains, and beans and mix n' match a week's worth of meals, easy.

Buddha bowls are great because you can make them with whatever you have on hand.  No rice?  Use quinoa, couscous, barley, etc.  So many possibilities!

There are many options for protein too.  Buddha bowls are generally plant based, so I use beans mostly.  Garbanzos, white beans, lentils.... I could go on and on.

Last on the list are the greens.  I like lettuce.  Something fresh with a nice crunch.  Broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, etc.  all good options too.

Roast some veggies.  I like to make plenty for us.  Leftovers are my friend. :)  Cauliflower is always my go-to roasted veggie.  It is so versatile and can blend in with any seasoning you choose.

Sweet potatoes, red onion, and red bell peppers.  Yum.

A batch of roasted BBQ garbanzo beans fits right in with the bowl.  A bit of heat, sweetness, and a touch of savory flavor too.

 This bowl is so chock full of yum you can't even see the rice or the red onion.

Some Buddha bowls have a gentle sauce drizzled over top.  It isn't necessary, and with all the seasonings in the garbanzos I didn't see the need for one.  A lack of sauce saves calories, and prevents everything from getting too goop-y.  IT's also tidier for kids to eat.  They make enough of a mess on their own!  :)

 Buddha bowl
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice, cooked
• 1 head of cauliflower, in florets
• 1/3 red onions, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped
• 1/2 small head of butter lettuce, chopped
• salt
• black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 batch roasted BBQ garbanzo beans

Directions:

1. Make a batch of roasted BBQ garbanzo beans.  Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Cut up the cauliflower, red onion, bell pepper, and sweet potato and place on parchment covered baking sheets.  Sprinkle lightly with salt, black pepper, and olive oil.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through for even cooking.
3. Meanwhile, make a batch of brown rice, set aside. 
4. Chop the lettuce and set aside.
5. When all pieces are ready, fill the bowls evenly with a little of everything.  Dig in and enjoy!

note:  If you have any leftovers, place everything but the lettuce in tupperware together and refrigerate.  Reheats really well in the microwave.

pasta and garbanzo bean soup

I totally love this soup!  Not only is it really easy and healthy, but its super kid friendly (Liam's favorite soups all have pasta and beans), but you can make part of it ahead of time!

I made the first half of the recipe while the kids were napping and I had some free time.  Then the boys and I went swimming, and when we got home I only had about 15 minutes of cooking before it was all ready.  No fuss, little mess, healthy and filling.  Jeff and the boys loved this soup, and one bowl (plus a few pieces of obligatory "soup bread" to dip) was very filling.

If you're looking at the soup and wondering how it could be so healthy, look no further.  The soup is full of veggies!  I roasted and pureed them before stirring them into the chicken broth (low-sodium of course).  That made the broth thick, flavorful, and creamy.

I roasted a pan of carrots, red bell pepper, and cauliflower with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper until the tops were golden and fragrant, then I pureed the veggies with some of the chicken broth.  I did all this ahead of time and then stuck the liquid in the fridge until I was ready the finish the soup.  You could make the soup all in one go if you want to though.

I just love the bright orange color!  The cauliflower and bit of olive oil really help thicken the soup and make the broth creamy.  I swear, it tasted so luscious, like I was eating some super fatty, but HA-HA!  I was only eating veggies. Yay for taste bud deception.  :)

I wanted a mostly pureed soup because I was going for simplicity.  A lot of my soups are massively chunky and busy, and I wanted something simple.  Plus, Liam loves veggies, but he doesn't always enjoy them in large chunks in his soup.  He'd rather have the flavor of them, and actually be able to see the pasta in the soup.

I like my soup to be pretty thick, and this soup thickens more the next day (looking almost like a very cheddar-y mac and cheese), so feel free to adjust the amount of broth used accordingly.

pasta and garbanzo bean soup
serves 6

ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
• 8 carrots, sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, de-seeded and cut into large pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (add more if you prefer thinner soup)
• 2 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups small pasta
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cut up cauliflower, carrots, and bell pepper and place as flat as possible on a parchment lined baking sheet with the garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Bake for 40 minutes.  
2. Slide veggies off the parchment and into a blender.  Add chicken broth and puree.  At this point you can store the puree in the fridge for later use, or pour the puree start into a pot on the stove.
3. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the pasta, garbanzo beans, basil, oregano, and chili powder.  Stir occasionally.  As soon as the pasta is al dente the soup is ready.  Serve with french bread to dip.

note: feel free to add more chicken broth if you prefer a thinner soup.  You might want to have some extra broth on hand for leftover soup, as it will thicken the next day in the fridge.

southwestern pizza

I love pizza.  Jeff disagrees with me.  He says that since my pizza is cheese-less (lactose intolerant & personal choice) its technically a flatbread.  Whatever.  I love flatbread.  :)

This version was just for me, so no cheese.  It tastes great this way, but I have included cheese in the accompanying recipe.

I love how versatile pizza is.  I generally make an uber veggie one for myself, and pepperoni or BBQ chicken for Jeff.  It is a great source of happiness for me that the boys also prefer my veggie filled pizza.  For the win!

I wanted to try some new pizza flavors, and southwestern seemed like a good place to start.  If all goes well, look for another new flavor coming soon.

This pizza is so good!  Tons of fresh veggies, lots of flavor, and refried beans?  Yes please!

Sorry, not much more to say, I just couldn't stop taking photos...

southwestern pizza
makes 1 large pizza

ingredients:

• 2/3 can of refried beans (I used vegetarian beans, waaay less sodium)
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/3 large green bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced thin
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup corn
• handful of tomatoes (your choice which veriety, I used sun gold), sliced
• 1/2 small can sliced black olives
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• fresh cilantro for garnishing (optional)
• your favorite pizza dough (I love the Pioneer Woman's recipe)

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  In a small oven safe pan roast the garlic, bell pepper, onion, and corn in the olive oil for 30 minutes.  Take out and set aside.
2. Set oven to 500 degrees F.  Lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and lay down rolled out pizza dough.  Spread evenly with refried beans.  Top with the roasted veggies, tomato slices, olives, and seasonings.  Bake for 11-12 minutes.  
3. Remove form oven, cool for several minutes.  Top with optional cilantro and serve.

note: This pizza is almost better the next day.  I usually love cold pizza, but not one with beans on it.  To reheat bake on a baking sheet at 375 degrees F for 6 minutes.  Delicious!

Rapunzel's favorite parsnip and hazelnut soup

With two kids I see A LOT of cartoons, especially Disney movies.  One of Liam's favorites is Tangled.  Every time I see it I wonder about Rapunzel's favorite soup, which supposedly contains parsnips and hazelnuts.  I looked around online and found a recipe to use as a starting point.

This recipe is adapted from Perrys Plate.

Don't be scared by the idea of nuts in a soup.  The whole thing is pureed so its soft, fluffy, and creamy.  The consistency is really lovely.

I'm really terrible at plating.  My pictures of this soup are especially boring, but the flavor is so good.  Even better, this soup is pretty darn healthy, and quite filling.

Start off by sauteing the veggies in olive oil with the salt.  Honestly you can chop the veggies whatever size you want, it will just take a bit longer for them to soften and cook down if you are lazy like me and cut them in huge pieces.

While the veggies are cooking, put the hazelnuts in the oven in the single layer at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Wait for several minutes for the nuts to cool, then wrap them in a dish towel and rub the towel vigorously for a minute to try and get the skin off the hazelnuts.  Remaining skin is fine, but the soup might taste a bit bitter with all the skins still on.

Add the broth, nuts, chili powder, and pepper into the pot.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes.

Using whatever you've got (blender, food processor, immersion blender, etc.) puree the soup.  You might have to do this in several batches.  If you've got a big vitamix like me, you can do it all in one batch.  Make sure the soup is fully pureed before adding back to the pot.

Stir on low for a minute just to make sure the soup stays hot evenly, then remove from heat and slowly stir in the milk.  Serve.  I found this soup to be filling and tasty, and to my surprise, even after I microwaved leftovers it stayed fluffy.

Rapunzel's favorite parsnip and hazelnut soup
serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hazelnuts
• 4 shallots, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium leeks (whites only), chopped
• 2 large parsnips, chopped
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large potato, chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp chili powder

Directions:

1. Chop up the veggies and add into a large hot pot with olive oil and salt.  Saute until softened.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and roast hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for several minutes.  Wrap the nuts in a towel and rub vigorously for a minute to slough the skins off.  You don't have to get all the skins off.
3. Dump the hazelnuts into the soup pot with the chicken broth, chili powder, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Using a blender, immersion blender, food processor, etc. puree the soup thoroughly.
5. Return the soup to the pot, heat on medium low to make sure the soup is heated through thoroughly, then remove from heat, slowly stir in the milk, and serve.

note: This soup makes for really good leftovers, and stays fluffy even after refrigeration and being microwaved.

pea-sto pasta

You ever have one of those days where it seems like everyone in the house is sick, or has crazy busy schedules, and you haven't been to the grocery store in what seems like a month?  Welcome to the last month at our house.

Finally I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Liam is the only left with a light cough, Christmas chaos is far behind, and I finally have time to grocery shop.

In the meantime I can make pea-sto pasta.  I've been making it for ages, but I really appreciate it now.  Quick, hearty, comforting, with pretty healthy and sparse ingredients.  Yes please!

This is one of those recipes that I've been making for years, but somehow totally forgot about when it came to blogging. Its great.  The ingredient list is minimal, the pea-sto sauce can be made quickly in a blender while the pasta is cooking,

This is total comfort food.  Warm, creamy, filling, and you can get your veggies and protein all in one dish.  Bonus, the kids love it.  I'm pretty sure that the brighter color a food is, the more the kids will like it.

I like to use my baby bullet blender for this because it is the PERFECT size.  You can use any blender or food processor, I just don't want like to use one that's too big because I feel like I lose too much sauce even if I use a spatula to scoop out as much as I can.

You might wonder (or not) why I use garlic powder in this recipe instead of garlic cloves.  The real garlic would be very strong raw, and one of the best parts about this recipe is how quick it is to make.  I didn't want to spend so much extra time roasting or sauteing garlic.

I completely forgot to set out the pine nuts in the above photo, but not counting the pasta, this is all you need.  Really.

I like to use frozen peas because they taste the freshest.  Don't try to blend them still frozen.  Just don't.  Microwave them for about 2 minutes until warm,   Add the peas, pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, olive oil, pepper, and basil to the blender (food processor, etc.) and blend.  I like mine a bit chunky, but feel free to completely puree.

My favorite three things about this recipe are so random:

1. perfect if you're craving pesto, but are a bit short of basil and want to fill the sauce out a bit more.
2. you can always prep the sauce ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate it separately to have instantly.
3. the creamy sweet texture from the peas makes this dish feel so fatty and decadent without adding a million calories.

The pea-sto sauce can also be used as a good sauce over chicken, or you can bake and cut up a chicken breast and mix it in with this pasta.  I am SUCH a fan of a balanced (ish, at least) meal you can eat out of a bowl.  I love mixing things together!

Pea-sto pasta
2 large servings
total time: 15 minutes

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, warmed
• 1 large handful basil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp parmesan
• 2 tbsp pine nuts
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 oz. dry pasta

directions:

1. Boil a pot of water and add the pasta. Cook al dente.  Drain.  Set aside.
2. Start making the sauce as soon as you add the pasta to the pot.  Toss the rest of the ingredients (peas, basil, pepper, garlic, parmesan, pine nuts, and olive oil) into a small blender or food processor.  Stop when your sauce is a chunky or pureed as you prefer.  If you want to thin the sauce out a bit add a bit of water or olive oil (1/2 tbsp at a time).  Scoop out the sauce and add it to the drained pasta.  Enjoy!

potatoes and cauliflower 3 ways

I love both potatoes and cauliflower.  I could easily find ways to cook them differently and be able to eat them happily every day.  It recently dawned on me however, that they can be enjoyed together quite easily 3 ways.  Each way is good, but they all build upon each other.

level 1: roasted cauliflower and baked steak fries
level 2: veggie hash
level 3: corn chowder

All three of those dishes are great, and come on, you know you want to surprise someone by telling them you put french fries in your chowder!  You can make one of these dishes straight through, use leftover fries and cauliflower to make hash, use leftover hash to make chowder, etc.  Make sense?

Level 1: roasted cauliflower and baked steak fries

This is great for an easy weeknight dinner.  Just add a baked chicken breast on the side, or some seasoned beans or lentils.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cut 2 large russet potatoes into about 12 pieces each (3x4) and lay them flat on a parchment covered baking sheet.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with black pepper and sea salt. Set aside.

Cut up a small head of cauliflower into florets.  Spread out on a parchment covered baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkles with black pepper and sea salt.  Pop into the oven with the potatoes and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove when fork tender.  If you prefer the potatoes and /or cauliflower to have a bit more crisp broil them for up to 2 minutes.

You can stop here and enjoy alone, or with some chicken, beans, or lentils on the side for a full meal.
OR

You can continue on to the next direction to make hash.

Level 2: hash

Chop up the steak fries and cauliflower into bite sized pieces (leave the potato skins on, it brings nutrients, flavor, and texture).



Set these pieces aside.

In a large pot on medium heat, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil, then add a small diced yellow onion, and 4 diced garlic cloves.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and stir occasionally to prevent burning.  After about 3 minutes add a diced red bell pepper.  Once softened add the potatoes and cauliflower.

Combine well.

Add 1 1/2 cups of corn kernels and stir often for several minutes until everything has softened and warmed.  Season lightly with more salt and pepper.  Add in 1/2 teaspoon each thyme and cayenne.

You have now just made hash.  You could enjoy this now, serve with some chicken for a full meal, refrigerate it and heat it up in the morning with eggs mixed in for breakfast...

OR you could continue on and make corn chowder.

See?  So many options just from the original potatoes and cauliflower?

Level 3: corn chowder

Add three 14.5 oz cans (a little over 5 cups) of chicken broth (preferably low sodium) to your hash.  Add 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne.  Mix well.  Turn the heat down to medium-low and put the lid on the pot.  Walk away.  Yup, you heard me.  Walk away.  Set a timer for 1 hour.  Come back once or twice within that hour a stir briefly.  Otherwise, leave the pot alone until that timer goes off.  When it does, stir quickly (if any skin has developed a brief stir will get rid of it) and remove from heat.  Pour in a cup of milk , stir and serve immediately.  If you didn't know better you'd think this soup was soo bad for you.  It's thick and rich and delicious.

The chowder picture above is before simmering for an hour.  You CAN eat it then if you're really hungry, or like thinner soups, but it thickened beautifully, and the flavor gets better (I swear) after the hour of simmering.  See below, so much thicker!

potatoes and cauliflower 3 ways
(roasted, hash, corn chowder)
serves 4

ingredients:

• 2 russet potatoes
• 1 small head of cauliflower
• 4 tsp olive oil, divided
• sea salt
• pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 C corn
• 2 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp thyme
• three 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth
• 1 C milk

directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Slice potatoes into roughly 12 long slices each (cut 3x4) and spread on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.  Set aside.  Cut cauliflower head into florets and spread on a parchment lined baking sheet drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil, and sea salt and pepper.  Bake both sheets for about 45 minutes, until both vegetables are fork tender with crispy edges.  Remove from the oven.
2.  In a large pot on medium heat, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil and add the onion and garlic.  Stir around until soft, a few minutes.  Add the bell pepper and cook until that softens as well.  Add the corn, potatoes, and cauliflower.  Mix well and season with 1/2 teaspoon each of thyme and cayenne.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Add chicken broth and remaining thyme and cayenne.  Turn out down to medium-low and pot the pot lid on.  Set a timer for one hour and stir briefly only once or twice before timer goes off.  Remove from heat and add the milk.  Serve immediately.

All three levels of this recipe store in the fridge well for up to a week, and reheat easily.

roasted veggies with couscous and garbanzo beans

This is such a good weeknight meal.  The prep is quick, the flavor is great, and it's healthy.  Jeff likes to call this dish "middle eastern ratatouille" and that's really as accurate as any description I can think of.

I always think of meals that our whole family will like when I cook.  I don't generally remember to mention this when I blog, but about 95% of the recipes I make are approved by all of us.  That's no small task.  A vegetarian, a guy, a 3 year old who barely eats, and a 1 year old.  I try my best to make sure that dinner especially can be enjoyed by all of us, and still be healthy.

I love recipes like this where the recipe breaks down into several parts, all of which can be made simultaneously so you can enjoy it quicker.

Chop up all the veggies and roast them with some drizzled olive oil, salt and pepper over top.

All that's left now is to make the couscous and heat up a can of garbanzo beans.  Honestly, that's all there is to it.  Easy.

Once all three sections are ready, spoon the couscous into a bowl and top with the veggies and garbanzo beans.  Enjoy!


Roasted Veggies with Couscous and Garbanzo Beans
serves 3-4

ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dry, uncooked couscous
• a 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 zucchini, sliced thin
• 1 medium tomato, chopped, 
• 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• sea salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cayenne 
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Chop the veggies and spread them evenly on a foil lined lipped baking sheet.  Drizzle lightly with 2 teaspoons olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until veggies are fork tender.
2.  Once the veggies are roasting, start the couscous.  Boil 1 1/2 cups of water in a medium sized pot.  Take off heat and pour in the couscous.  Place a lid over the pot and let sit for 10 minutes, until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid.  Fluff with a fork and mix in a teaspoon of olive oil, the oregano, cayenne, and garlic.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Drain and rinse a can of garbanzo beans and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes, or until warmed evenly.
4.  Plate the couscous, lay the veggies and garbanzo beans over top.  Enjoy.

This is a very simple dish.  It doesn't require many ingredients, and if you prefer to change up the spices or veggies, that's just fine.   I love having the option to make easy variations on a good dish!

Mediterranean tapas

Sorry, I've been a bit absentee lately.  Thanksgiving, having company stay, getting sick, having two wild and crazy boys, etc.  It's been a bit mental this Fall!  This recipe has actually been in the works for a while, but as you'll see when you scroll down, its fairly long and actually involves multiple recipes.

Okay, I know most people wouldn't really put Mediterranean and tapas together, but I really don't know what else to call this, because its accurate.  And yummy.

This spread is great to just leave out on the counter and grab at will.  The veggies are easy, just use what you have.  I made some pitas pretty quickly (they taste better than store bought, but they aren't as pretty).  I like to put a little of everything on my plate, and I've learned to make a lot of hummus because Jeff will eat gallons of the stuff in one sitting.

This hummus recipe can be easily halved, and is very quick and easy to make.  You don't even need that many ingredients (other than seasonings).  I don't use tahini because I really dislike the flavor and consistency.

This is all you need to make a good basic hummus: garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt, cumin, water (not pictured), and a food processor.

Pulse until smooth, adding more water if necessary.  If you like a little heat add some cayenne.  I know this sounds weird, but before adding the garbanzo beans into the food processor I microwave them in a bowl for 2 minutes.  This helps soften them and they puree better.  Once the hummus is ready, scrape it into a bowl and refrigerate until cool.

Now comes the finish.  This isn't very pretty is it?  Not so much.  Time to dress it up with a light drizzle of olive oil and a few shakes of paprika.

So much better.

This hummus is easy, yummy, healthy, and will last over a week in the fridge in an airtight container.

Onto the carrots!  These are very simple to make too.  Start by dicing the carrots and steaming them until they are soft (not mushy!)

Saute some garlic until it turns golden and soft.

And here are your seasonings: cayenne, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and coriander.

Toss the carrots in a pan with the garlic, salt, seasonings, lemon juice, and water.

Voila.  All done.  Healthy, delicious, easy to grab, colorful tapas.  Also, I can tell a meal is a winner when the kids take all of it before I can eat it!

Once again, store bought pitas are fine, but these were easy and so good.  Here's the excellent recipe from the view from great island on how to make perfect pitas every time.  I made 8 pitas with this recipe.  They were thick and doughy (in a good way), but thin enough to have pockets and be pliable.
I highly recommend this recipe, but make sure you give yourself about an hour and a half to complete it, there is a lot of resting dough time involved.

My stomach is officially growling now... :)

Mediterranean tapas:

ingredients:

• veggies (red bell peppers, spinach, etc.)
• pita triangles

hummus:

• two 15 oz cans garbanzo beans
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp olive oil (more for top)
• 1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
• water as needed
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• paprika for top

carrot dip:

• 3 large carrots, diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• water as needed

directions:
1.  Cut up some veggies and pitas and spread them on a plate with some greens (spinach, lettuce, etc.)
2.  To make the hummus, drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.  Microwave in a heat safe bowl for two minutes, until warm through.  Add into food processor with salt, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, cumin, garlic, and optional cayenne.  Pulse until smooth.  Add water 1/2 tablespoon at a time to get the consistency you want.  Occasionally scrape the sides down.  Once smooth, scrape hummus into a bowl and refrigerate until cool.  Serve.  Store in an airtight container for at least a week.
3.  To make the carrot dip dice the carrots and steam them until just soft.  Set aside.  Saute the diced garlic with the olive oil until lightly golden and fragrant on medium heat.  Add in the carrots and season with the salt, coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, and cayenne.  Mix together well.  Pour in the lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you have a bit of a sauce.  Serve warm.