LISA'S KITCHEN
MEDIA NUTRITIONIST
Grandma De Fazio's Pasta Broccoli

Since I am half Italian and half Armenian, I would like to give you a favorite Middle Eastern recipe of mine. During the holidays and for birthday parties, my Armenian mother often makes a big bowl of Hummus for our family to dip pita bread in. This tasty dish is a very popular Middle Eastern appetizer. Hummus, on warmed pita bread, makes a great healthy snack and can also be used to replace mayo on sandwiches. Tahini, is like peanut butter, but made from sesame seeds; it is one of the most important parts of a hummus recipe and should never be substituted. However, it can be omitted if you like; but, then you won't be serving authentic Hummus!

INGREDIENTS PER 15 -16 Oz. Can

I can  chickpeas, strained; save liquid
1/ 4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (more to taste)
1/4 cup of Tahini
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
pinch of paprika

PREPARATION

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor. Add about 1/4th cup of liquid from chickpeas or more to thin. Blend until smooth.  Garnish with chopped parsley around edges of the serving plate, drizzle more olive oil on top of hummus and sprinkle pinch of paprika for color if desired.  - Lisa

* Serves from 3 to 4 people. Double or  triple ingredients for your  larger parties!
Mom's Holiday Hummus
Welcome to my kitchen! Now, let me share one of my favorite Italian side dishes. Every Christmas Eve, while growing up, my Italian grandmother would make a traditional Italian dish called "Pasta Broccoli".  It is colorful, healthy, and very simple.  On Christmas Eve, our family would go to her home...and pots would be on the stove with pasta boiling, Italian sausage baking  and broccoli steaming.  The house smelled wonderful, from this marriage of the delicious aromas. My grandmother always had my sister and I taste the pasta every few minutes to see if it was ready...or cooked  al dente! 
We would then help strain the pasta, and the best part at the end was sprinkling it with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese!!! The giant bowl of pasta broccoli would be then be placed in the center of the table, and Grandma would serve it to everyone before we all fought over her homemade Italian sausage. 
This was a special night to celebrate with our family and share memories.  We knew Santa was coming later too, and it was probably the most joyous night of the year for my sister and I.  Today, I make this Italian dish for my husband and two year old son. They love it, and while I am cooking, I have fond memories of Christmas Eve dinners at my Grandma De Fazio's house.

INGREDIENTS

1 bag frozen chopped broccoli
1 lb. of either elbow macaroni OR Penne Pasta
olive oil
parmesan cheese
garlic salt
bread crumbs (ready made or home made)

PREPARATION

Boil water. 
Cook pasta until ready
Strain pasta.
Steam broccoli
Combine cooked broccoli & cooked pasta 
Toss with olive oil and garlic salt to taste. 
Serve hot. 
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese & bread
crumbs. Enjoy!

* Great by itself for a light lunch or as a side dish
with chicken, beef or sausage. I serve it with chicken or turkey sausage and my husband and son LOVE it!

Hummus With Warm Pita Bread

Pasta Broccoli
  
MEDIA NUTRITIONIST
Healthy Mediterranean Recipes
LISA'S KITCHEN