Pita chips and hummus

Yumm, this is so good. Seriously addictive. The pita chips are a little spicy so you can definitely leave out some of the spices if you don't like things with a kick.

Spiced Pita Chips by Ellie Krieger
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 whole-wheat pitas, cut into 1/8's

Combine olive oil and all spices in a large bowl. Add pita wedges and toss to coat, Spread in 1 layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, tossing once, or until pita is brown and crisp. Cool completely before serving.

Hummus- my version
Ingredients
1 16-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Process first 6 ingredients in a food processor 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth, stopping once to scrape down sides. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Yogurt marinade for chicken

This is a great marinade for grilled chicken. Since James loves yogurt we seem to always have this on hand.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups(12 oz) plain yogurt
1 T canola oil
1 T grated peeled fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T montreal steak seasoning or seasoning of your choice

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc plastic bag. Add chicken and marinate for 2 hours before grilling.

Toasted Pita Panzanella

This is an Italian dish with a twist. Panzanella is widely known in Italy as a "bread salad" or "leftover salad", so the sky is the limit with this one as far as which ingredients to use. It is great for an August meal with so many fresh ingredients readily available this time of year!

Ingredients:
2 whole wheat pitas
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 T fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 t sugar
1/4 cup EVOO
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Chop pitas into 8 sections(like cutting a pie) and toast for 14 minutes, turning halfway through. Set aside and cool. Once cool break into smaller pieces.

Combine tomatoes through basil and add pita pieces. Combine lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper and slowly add the olive oil. Drizzle dressing over salad and let set at room temperature 20-30 minutes before serving. This serves 2 adults and one baby James!

Pork Spare Ribs

I must admit, I was a little intimidated about making ribs, BUT not anymore. These were so easy, delicious and really impressed my husband! The best part is after a little prep work they finish cooking in the crock-pot and simmer all day!

Ingredients:
3 to 4 pounds spareribs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion sliced
2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce

Sprinkle ribs with salt and pepper. Place ribs(meaty side up) under broiler for 15 minutes to brown. Put sliced onion in crock-pot. Slice ribs into serving pieces and put in crock-pot. Pour in BBQ sauce. cover; cook on Low 8 to 10 hours (high for 4 to 5 hours). Enjoy!

Twice Baked Potatoes

My mom is the expert at these, but I made them for Todd's birthday today because they are his favorite.

Ingredients:
6 baked potatoes
6 T sour cream
4-6 T butter
1/2 cup cheddar cheese (divided)
4 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled

Directions:
Once the baked potatoes are cool enough to handle cut the potato lengthwise towards the top. You can reserve the tops to make potato skins. Scoop out the insides of all the potatoes into a bowl and add the sour cream, butter and half the cheese. Beat until smooth. Put the filling back in the empty shells and top with remaining cheese and bacon. If you are lucky you will have some extra mashed potatoes to enjoy as a snack!!! You can make these ahead and store in the fridge until you are ready to eat. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.