Every so often, we’ll be eating dinner at our kitchen table and Will will look up and say “Mommy, you’re a good cooker.” It warms my heart. Most of the time, he loves what I make (of course, there will always be a few duds … and we usually agree on those).

A lot of things that come out of my kitchen are made with the kids in mind. Two Cheese Meatball Grilled Cheese, Sausage Bolognese, Blueberry White Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes and Cocoa Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies are prime examples. We eat a lot of pasta and broccoli and yogurt because they love these things. And eggs, Paige is crazy for all kinds of eggs.

But as a mom, I think it’s important to do things for yourself sometimes too. A woman I met online a few years ago used to always sign notes “Take care of you.” At the time, Will was in preschool and Paige was still a toddler. The sentiment was lost on me, probably because I was so busy taking care of them. But now, I totally get it. You can’t get lost in the shuffle. And sometimes all it takes is whipping up a simple hummus to do something nice for yourself, especially if you are a mega-fan of hummus like me.

Yes, Will and Paige would love the sweet roasted garlic, tart lemon and meaty walnuts in this tahini-free hummus. It has a terrific citrus quality that’s complemented by the garlic and walnuts. Such great flavors together. Will and Paige would happily reach for the sweetest of the veggies on the plate and scoop up big globs of hummus. But this one is for me … just for me. I like to load up a plate with bell pepper strips, sugar snap peas and carrots for dipping with a good hummus like this. It’s a perfect lunch. Or snack.

Maybe I’ll share another day. But today, this is mine.

What have you done for yourself lately?

Now … onto Eat. Live. Be. Reboot. Over the weekend, I wrote a scathing note to myself that I thought I might run as a confessional ELB post today. It was brutally honest and raw, as I took a microscope to my own habits and behaviors. It was one of those times where I just had to lay bare the truth and digest it so that I could move ahead. You’re probably pretty curious about it now, and I don’t blame you. But I probably won’t share it. At least not now.

The thing about being that honest and that rough with myself? It was more of a private letter to myself — a personal wake-up call that I desperately needed. The gist of what I wrote is that while I have been talking about motivation and making healthier choices since early December, I haven’t been walking the walk. I’ve been failing myself, my family and you. So this week, I aimed to change things around. I’m letting my actions speak, not just my words.

It’s amazing how when you make changes, they can so quickly move you back in the right direction. I’ve fixed my eating habits — eating more fruits, veggies and healthy fats. It’s only been a few days, but I already feel worlds better. And I started to exercise again. My goal for this week is to exercise three times. So far, I have done two workouts — with one more to complete by Friday. The energized feeling that comes with those workouts is irresistible. I am just sad that I neglected it for so long.

But realistically, it’s only been a few days. I have a lot more work before I can declare this a victory. The good news is that I am ready for that work.

Be sure to pop in on Cate, Patsy and Joanne to see what they’re writing about this ELB Wednesday.

Now, are you ready for some hummus?

Roasted Garlic, Lemon and Walnut Hummus
yields about 1 cup

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
5 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until ultra-smooth. Season with salt, to taste. Serve with veggies or crackers for dipping.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Optional: Dress your hummus up with a drizzle of walnut oil and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.

This dip, made in a mere 10 minutes or less, made me want to kiss Mark Bittman in gratitude. Not in a creepy way, but more in an oh-wow-you-just-saved-my-day way.

Let me back up.

This morning I roasted a whole cauliflower with garlic and rosemary. It filled the house with this wonderful aroma that left me drooling and contemplating if I really needed to continue with the recipe I was working on. But the roasted cauliflower wasn’t for a side dish — it was for a dip recipe that I am working on. A lovely, creamy, pureed cauliflower dip. Except it was awful – a total epic fail. I couldn’t get it into the garbage fast enough.

Of course, that left me totally bummed. So much for spreading it on bread for a sandwich today or enjoying it with crackers. So much for having a successful and ready to use recipe by the end of the day. It needs a complete revisiting and overhaul.

That’s when Bittman saved the day. (Ha! Sort of.) I started looking around for an easy, fast dip that I could make from what I had in my kitchen already (I am trying hard to break my daily grocery store trip habit). I stumbled onto this amazing white bean dip recipe that Mark Bittman wrote about on Diner’s Journal back in 2008. He said the secret to it is something he learned from Lidia Bastianich: lemon zest. It gives the dip the essence of lemon without the overpowering acidity.

The creamy dip is filled with a wonderful mix of earthy rosemary, pungent garlic (use less if you aren’t a fan) and citrus-y lemon zest. It’s perfect for dipping crackers into, or serving with your favorite chopped veggies. It would make a good sandwich spread too. And since it can be made ahead, it makes a great holiday appetizer too.

Speaking of holiday appetizers, I will be a guest tweeter at the Mediterranean Snacks Twitter Party this Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST. Follow hashtag #holidaysnax to join in the fun as we talk about holiday snacking, shopping and more. Get the full details on the Mediterranean Snacks blog. Scroll all the way down for details on a delicious Mediterranean Snacks giveaway too.

Lemon Rosemary White Bean Dip
serves 8
adapted every so slightly from Mark Bittman’s recipe for Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

1 15.5-oz can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary
1 grated lemon peel (zest only)

Combine the beans, garlic, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until chopped. Add the olive oil and process until smooth. Remove the white bean mixture to a bowl. Stir in the rosemary and lemon zest.

Serve with chopped veggies or crackers.

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Mediterranean Snack Foods Giveaway

Mediterranean Snack Foods has generously offered to give away a big selection of their delicious gluten-free chips and crackers to one Sarah’s Cucina Bella reader. I’ve been enjoying these snacks for weeks now, ever since they sent me some. The Rosemary Herb Crackers are my absolute favorite (this is the 4th box I have bought since trying the samples they sent).

The giveaway is a full size of each Mediterranean Snack Foods chip and cracker flavor – so 6 chips and 3 crackers.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite dip is (if you have a link to it, even better!).

Entries will be accepted beginning at the time this post is published on November 14, 2011 until November 18, 2011 at 9 p.m. A winner will be chosen using the Random Number Generator on Random.org on or about November 19, 2011 and notified via email.  A note of the winner will also be left in the comments here on this post. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

Bonus Entries:

Leave a separate comment for each bonus entry:

• Like Sarah’s Cucina Bella AND Mediterranean Snacks on Facebook.
• Follow Sarah W. Caron AND MedSnax on Twitter
• Give Sarah’s Cucina Bella a THUMBS UP on Babble’s Top 100 Mom Food Bloggers (currently on page 3 at about 120).

Disclosure: The giveaway is provided by Mediterranean Snacks. They also provided me with cracker and chip samples awhile back. However, I was not compensated for this post and was not obligated to write about the party, chips, crackers or anything else. All opinions are my own.

But our dinners (and appetizers too) aren’t without some degree of restriction. To moderate our fat intake, we aim for more healthful versions of family favorites. So when I was asked to partake in the November 2011 SideCar Series, featuring Bush’s Beans, on Kitchen PLAY, I knew it was a good fit. Beans are good-for-you food.

My contribution is a Hot Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip. Like many people, my family adores the traditional hot spinach artichoke dip. The cheese! The flavor! The dipping goodness! But it’s such a nutritional splurge that we almost never have it anymore.

Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip waiting to be baked.

Now we can. I turned that creamy hot dip on its head, making it a way-less-guilt dip by trading cream cheese and other creamy (read: full-fat) ingredients for white cannellini beans pureed with garlic and vegetable stock.

The dip is still fabulously creamy with a mix of Romano and mozzarella cheese, chopped artichoke hearts and spinach. Oh, and the salt and pepper — which is a necessary addition to any savory recipe.

My family shared this dip at a recent family birthday dinner. I have to admit that as everyone went in for the first taste, I held my breath a little bit. Would they like it? Would they miss the decadent ingredients? Considering how fast the dip disappeared, it definitely didn’t disappoint.

Hot and bubbly from the oven ...

Hot Spinach Artichoke White Bean Dip
serves 8

1 15-oz can cannellini beans (recommended: Bush’s Beans)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 9-oz box frozen chopped spinach, prepared according to package directions and strained
1 8.5-oz can artichoke hearts, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian cheese mix
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cannellini beans, garlic and vegetable stock. Transfer to a large bowl and stir together with the spinach, artichoke hearts, Romano cheese and mozzarella. Season well with salt and pepper.

Transfer the mixture to an 8×8-inch square baking dish and spread out to form one even layer.

Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly at the edges.

Serve this dip with fresh cut veggies or crispy, thicker tortilla chips.

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Disclosure: I was compensated by Kitchen PLAY and Bush’s Beans for my time in creating this recipe and post. I was also provided with product to work with. Nonetheless, all opinions expressed are my own.

Back to school is heavy on my mind these days. We are less than a week away from Will starting kindergarten. But as I wrote recently on Tablespoon, it’s Will’s school lunch that I think about most. Ok, think might be an understatement. I obsess.

I’ve checked out the lunch menu for his school and its … not good. A packed lunch it will be (and he’s okay with that!). Still, what do I pack? How do I keep it from getting too boring? Thank goodness for good friends like Cate, who give me fab ideas (like frozen grapes as a snack/way to keep the whole lunchbox cold. Love that!).

One snack that I know I will be packing is homemade hummus and veggies. Will adores hummus, as does Paige. Toss in some slices of cucumber, red peppers and carrots and you have a delish snack (or even a lunch item!).

This fast, easy hummus is filled with the warm, smoky-sweet flavor of sundried tomatoes and my very favorite herb: basil. I made it this afternoon for a very special video shoot (more on that later!) and it totally got rave reviews.

Now, I need some more ideas. What inventive foods do you pack in lunchboxes?

Sundried Tomato Basil Hummus
yields about 2 cups
NOTE: Scroll down for printable version

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
8 sundried tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp water
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container.

Store in the refrigerator and eat within one week.

Last night, a neighbor dropped by as we were starting to sit down to dinner. She took a look at the table and said, “Wow.” Our dinner featured grilled sirloin, which I sliced thin so that we could stretch the portions so that it would feed seven. Then there was Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage, rice pilaf and this vegetable platter with Basil White Bean Dip.

This easy bean dip was one of those things that just came to me when I was trying to figure out what to do with some leftover basil. I didn’t want it to go to waste, and I also didn’t want to turn it into pesto. Instead, I found a can of white beans in the cabinet and set to work. White bean dip, here we come!

Best of all? This Basil White Bean Dip helped me use up some spare veggies too. We had celery, red sweet peppers, and cucumbers with this, but any firm summer veggies would do. The simple, easy, bright flavors of this easy bean dip are a big favorite around here.

Wondering how else to use your veggies this week? Here are some ideas:

• Beets – Roasted Beets with Thyme
• Beet greens – Spicy Beet Greens
• Eggplant – Grilled Ratatouille (also uses tomatoes, basil)
• Tomatoes – Easy Tomato Tomatillo Salsa
• Potatoes – Tasty Two Cheese Fingerlings
• Chard – Swiss Chard and Kielbasa Pasta
• Red Cabbage – Vinaigrette Beet Slaw (also uses green cabbage, beets)
• Green Cabbage – Braised Bacon Cabbage
• Leeks – Potato Leek Soup

Basil White Bean Dip
serves 8
NOTE: Scroll down for the printable recipe

1 cup fresh chopped basil
1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
sea salt and pepper

In the bowl of a food processor (a mini one works great for this!), combine the basil, white beans, olive oil and parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste.

Whirl the mixture in the food processor until smooth.

Serve with fresh veggies.

Things don’t always go the way we want them to. Sure, wouldn’t we all just love everything to go exactly as we plan right down to the nitty gritty details? But then, that would make life predictable … and that’s not good either. So, maybe having things go unpredictably is a good thing after all.

I digress. Originally, I planned to make a delicious peanut butter-banana parfait with Will this morning. But he woke up feeling ill, and Shawn (not knowing my plan) ate the last banana yesterday. My plans will have to wait until next week. In the meantime, we needed to cook something and I needed something to write about.

So, I did what any good kitchen dweller would do: I scanned the fridge. Cheese. Whole wheat tortillas. The idea came together so effortlessly and with delicious results. (See, unpredictability is a good thing!)

This isn’t the most kid-centric cooking with kids post you’ll see around here. But that’s okay. It’s not always about them getting getting elbow deep into cooking. Sometimes, you can get them involved by adding just a little more process to the process. For instance, while my kids cannot actually make quesadillas on a hot stove (toddler+preschooler+hot stove=no go), they can help me as I chop all the ingredients by transferring everything from cutting board to bowls. Sure, it adds an extra step that isn’t necessarily critical to the cooking, but it also gives them a sense of ownership in the outcome.

This particular quesadilla combination is our collective favorite. Sharp cheddar is melted with meaty black beans, sweet bits of red pepper and creamy avocado pieces. Served warm and toasty, my kids like theirs with some mild salsa. Me? It’s got to be knock-your-socks off hot.

The result is, as Will says, “Oh my goshes,” good.

Black Bean, Avocado and Red Pepper Quesadilla
serves 2

Kid Step: When you are prepping your ingredients (bell peppers, avocado, etc), chop them on a cutting board and then ask your child to transfer them to small bowls. They can also drain and rinse the black beans in a mesh strainer.

2 whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp finely diced sweet red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced avocado
OPTIONAL: salsa

Spray a large pan with cooking oil. Place one tortilla in the pan. Top with half of the cheese, followed by the black beans, peppers and avocados. Top with the other half of the cheese. Cover with the second tortilla. Spray lightly with additional cooking oil spray.

Cook, flipping once, until the cheese is melted. But be patient. The quesadilla should remain on the first side long enough for the cheese to melt so that you avoid spillage when flipping.

Alternatively, divide the ingredients between two tortillas, flipping over to form a pocket while cooking.

Use a pizza cutter to cut into wedges. Serve with salsa, if desired.

Ok, it’s not the prettiest dish ever. In fact, it might be in the running for one of the ugliest. I know - really. But sometimes, ugly things can be really delicious.

I implore you not to look past this because it’s … ugly. The flavor in this is amazing. Infused with bacony goodness, it’s rich and delicious. Perfect for warming up on a cold night.

Really, the proof is in the pudding. Try it.

Bacon and Leek Lentils
serves 4

4 slices bacon
1 bunch leeks, white and light greens chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup red lentils
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Add leeks to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes. Add the thyme and garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the broth, lentils and water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the lentils are tender. Uncover — if there is any liquid left in the pan, allow it to evaporate before removing from heat.

Remove from heat, stir in the parsley and pepper. Then crumble the bacon over the lentils.

Serve over white rice.

When I was pregnant with Will, all I could think about for several weeks was nachos. And they couldn’t be just any nachos either. They had to be piled high with freshly grated cheddar, beans, perhaps some chili, jalapeños, black olives, tomatoes, and of course salsa and guacamole. Mmmm. But search as I did, I didn’t find what I was looking for. There was the place with low flavor that used (BLECH!) liquid cheese and nachos from Taco Bell (and a half dozen other places) but nothing met my expectations.

My nacho obsession certainly didn’t begin with that pregnancy though. For years, I would order nacho platters as entrees when eating out. My favorite? Chili’s – but back in the day when they catered to Mexican food, not American with a dash of Mexican. Back then, they were big steaming platters . . . today, when you order nachos at Chili’s, it’s about 10 chips with perfectly placed toppings. Not enough.

Anyway, I was playing around in the kitchen recently and decided to make some black beans. The cool thing about these is that they are great on nachos, but can also be used to top baked potatoes, inside burritos or in a pita pocket. They are versatile. And they have a hint of spiciness, but aren’t going to blow your mind (which is good too — you can add jalapeños to your dish for more zing and leave it off for others who don’t want that.

Easy Black Beans and Tomatoes
serves 4-6

2 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomatoes with diced chilies (with the liquid)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, finely dice the red onion. When oil is hot, stir in the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to get translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Stir in the tomatoes with the juices. Bring to a boil and stir in the black beans, lime juice and salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes until the mixture thickens.

Serve immediately.