Spinach & Bacon Quiche

(10-oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 pkg. (1.8-oz.) leek soup mix
1/4 tsp. pepper
10 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 unbaked (9") frozen deep-dish pastry shell to be prepared according to package directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Drain spinach well, pressing between layers of paper towels.  Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients. Stir in spinach, bacon, and cheeses. Pour mixture into frozen pastry shell; place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Comments:  This dish was a really big hit with my food testers as well as myself.  The combination of the spinach and bacon with the leek soup made a combination that was perfect.  The only change I really made was to use an Italian blend of cheeses and I also used 2 shallow pie shells instead of 1 deep.

Pesto Hummus

Basic Hummus

1 Can Chickpeas drained (save water) and rinsed

1/2 Cup Chickpea Water (from can)

1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Garlic Cloves

3 tbsp Tahini (sesame butter)

Splash of Lemon Juice

For Pesto Hummus add 1-2 tbsp. Pesto and if your pesto includes garlic omit the added garlic.

Puree all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. 

Comments:  I love hummus but can find only limited flavors.  A few days ago I bought a jar of pesto to use in a pasta salad and of course had a lot left over.  Then it hit me - why not put it in hummus?   I found a basic hummus recipe online.  Since the Pesto has garlic I eliminated the 3 garlic cloves but if your Pesto doesn't have enough for your taste add back the garlic 1 clove at a time until you have the taste you like.  Save with the amount of pesto.  I started with 1 tbsp. of Pesto but liked a stronger flavor so ended up adding 2 full tbsp.  I also garnished my dish with just a little pesto on top.  This came out delicious!  I had never used Tahini so had to look for it in the store.  It cost about $5.00 for the smallest jar I could find so I have plenty for many more batches of hummus and I plan on making many more flavors.