Junk Drawer Recipes

1 6-inch pita bread
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 1/2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses or balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Separate the pita into 2 halves and place them in the oven on a baking sheet. Toast for 10 minutes or until golden. Set aside.

Spread the walnuts in a single layer on the same abking sheet and toast for 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer walnuts to a large bowl.

In a food processor, pulse one of the pita halves until finely chopped but not pasty. Transfer to bowl with the walnuts. Process the remaining pita, then add the the red pepper sauce, pomegranate molasses or vinegar, garlic, and cumin to the processor and puree until smooth.

With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube and process untill well-incorporated. Transfer the pita mixture to the bowl with the walnuts and stir in the salt. Serve the muhammara at room temperature with things to dip into it. Leftovers keep for two weeks in the fridge.

Quoteth Amanda: "It's from Entertaining for a Veggie Planet by Didi Emmons if you want to cite sources. I like this because it's a good way to eat nuts which have those special fats that are actually good for you. Mostly I like it cause it's real good."

Makes 4 servings

2 whole wheat pita bread rounds
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas),
drained, liquid reserved
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, peeled

Stir cumin in small dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Combine garbanzo beans, 3 tablespoons reserved garbanzo bean liquid, lemon juice, oil, garlic, and cumin in processor. Puree until smooth, adding more garbanzo bean liquid by tablespoonfuls for desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer dip to bowl. (dip can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate dip.) Serve dip with pita chips.

3 cups fresh basil leaves
3 tbsps grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tbsps pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for storing

1. Pulse basil leaves, cheese, pine nuts, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, pour in olive oil in a thin, steady stream, blending until the mixture is well combined and emulsified. Serve pesto with a long, thin pasta such as fettuccine or spaghetti. Store in an airtight container covered with a thin layer of oil (to preserve color) in the refrigerator for up to one week.

2 c. whole kernel corn
1/2 c. canned black beans. rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. cumin

Mix all ingredients well. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

6 tomatoes, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
2 tbsp. lemon (or lime) juice
1 green pepper
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
hot sauce to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix it all together and let sit for 30 minutes.

1-16 oz. low fat/fat free sour cream
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1-4 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, halved or quartered
1-10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained.

While the spinach is thawing in the microwave, combine the sour cream and ranch dressing. Mix well. Add the chopped up water chestnuts. Mix well. When the spinach is thawed, put it in a paper towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. At this point it's a spinach ball. Break it up and add bits to the rest instead of the whole thing. Mix several times while adding spinach. When all the spinach is in, mix well. Let chill for up to an hour and serve.