Homemade Hummus

Hummus Recipe Using Dried Chickpeas

My recipe, adapted from a few other recipes found online over the last few years.

8 oz dried Chickpeas, rinsed and sorted through to pick out any bad ones
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Tahini (I use the Trader Joe’s brand)
3 T Extra virgin olive oil
1 Lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 t. Cumin
1/4 t. Cayenne Pepper to taste
3 Ice cubes (crushed to small chunks)

 
Warm pita bread, cut into wedges and/or fresh vegetables (sliced cucumbers, red bell peppers, carrots, celery, broccoli, etc.)
 

Garnishes: Cooked reserved Chickpeas, drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of Paprika or Sumac.

Directions:
 
1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in a pot that’s filled about 2” above the chickpeas (at least 12 hours).
 
2. The next day, strain the chickpeas in a colander; rinse well. Add fresh water to the pot, covering 2” above the chickpeas. Bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and let simmer for about 2 hours, until tender. (The last time I made this, I had to simmer for 2.5 hours – it just depends on the age of the dried chickpeas).
 
3. Rinse and cool the chickpeas (reserve about a cup of the simmered liquid).  Set aside a handful of the chickpeas to use as a garnish.
 
4. Remove the outer skin. This takes about 10-15 minutes but this is what makes the hummus super creamy. If you leave the skin on, you’ll end up with a grainy texture. When the chickpeas are simmering, some of the skins will float to the top, so you can take them out with a strainer.  
 
5. Place the chickpeas in a food processor along with the garlic, ice cubes, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper, and process until smooth. You may need to use a spoon to scrape down the sides. Adjust the seasonings to your taste. If it’s too thick for your liking add some of the reserved liquid.

6. Place in a bowl and either serve right away; or refrigerate (covered with plastic wrap) until ready to serve.
 
7. When serving, top the hummus with the reserved chickpeas, a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of Paprika or Sumac, and the pita bread and/or vegetables.
 

Note:

 
Even easier, you can use canned chickpeas (15.5 oz can). I place the chickpeas (drained) in hot water for a few minutes before removing the skins. Continue to step 5.

Olive Tapenade

This is a recipe I make all the time and it makes a large batch.

1 C. Kalamata Olives, pitted
1/2 C. Mezzetta Green Spanish olives
1 C. Black olives
1 Clove garlic, chopped
1-1/2 T. Capers, drained
1 T. Freshly chopped parsley (optional, use if you have on hand)
1-1/2 T. Olive oil
1 T. Fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Crostini

Combine the ingredients and process in a food processor, coarsely chopped. Taste and adjust to your liking, and then process until finely chopped, but not pureed. You can keep it chunky if you like.  
 
Note that you can mix up the measurement of the olives. I sometimes have more green Spanish olives than the other olives. 

Here's my recipe for crostini:  https://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2024/06/crostini.html

Greek Salad with Cannellini Beans, Feta, and Tomatoes

 

Ingredients:
1 cucumber, peeled, and sliced thick (seeds removed)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (I like to take seeds out)
Some thinly sliced onion
1/3 C Jarred Muffalata
1/2 C Feta cheese, crumbled
 

Dressing:
 
1 Clove garlic, minced
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 t. oregano
1 T. Red wine vinegar
1/4 C olive good olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk the dressing ingredients well, and pour over the salad. Toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes: 

I made this up, which was similar to another Greek salad I've made. This time I didn't have any Kalamata olive, so I used the Muffalata. I also added a few black olives, sliced.  

Tzatziki Dip

Ingredients:

2 C. Plain whole yogurt 

1 Medium cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, coarsely grated (or chopped into small pieces)

2-3 Cloves Garlic, finely minced 

2 T. Olive Oil, or a little more 

1 T Dried dillweed 

1 to 2 t. Fresh lemon juice

1/2 t. Salt 

1/4 t. Pepper

 

Additional Olive oil for garnish 

Directions:

1. Place a piece of cheesecloth in a colander and pour in the yogurt. Place the grated cucumber in another colander and allow both to drain for 3-4 hours. Pat dry the cucumber with a paper towel. 

2. Mix all ingredients, except the oil for garnish, and chill. When ready to serve, pour a little olive oil on top. 

3. Serve with pita bread, crackers, sliced vegetables, or Greek meatballs. 

Serves 10-12

Note: 

- I now use Fage yogurt which is already strained, so you can skip the part for the yogurt, but you will still need to drain the cucumber.

- This makes a large batch, so you may want to cut the recipe in half. 

Lentil Salad

I purchased a box of steamed lentils from Trader Joes.  I made this salad for a recent pool party/book club.

Ingredients

1 lb bag of Trade Joes Lentils 
1 yellow bell pepper, diced 
1 small celery stick, diced
2 T diced onion
1 green onion, chopped
1 T chopped fresh parsley
Dash of hot sauce
Dash of Cumin and curry powder
Splash of red wine vinegar
3 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz or so of feta cheese

Directions:

In a large bowl, break up with lentils, as they are vacuum sealed and needs to be fluffed up. It's easy to do by hand, rather than by fork.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the feta cheese, and toss to mix.  Gently fold in the feta cheese. 

Place in a serving bowl and top with more feta cheese to finish. 

My Notes:

Adjust ingredients if needed. 

Next time I'll use a red bell pepper to add more color. And I may add some diced cherry tomatoes.

I may also make a lemon-dijon dressing the next time I make this.

Italian Wedding Soup

 For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 26 June 2023, one person made this soup. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook.

Ingredients
 
For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
For the soup:

2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
 
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
 
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.
 

Greek Bean Soup

I made this recipe for a local cookbook dinner club. This is from The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen.

Ingredients

Salt and Pepper
1 lb (2-1/2 cups) dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed (I used four cans of Goya cannellini beans, drained and rinsed)
2 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
1 onion, chopped
2-1/2 t minced fresh oregano or 3/4 t dried
6 c chicken or vegetable broth, plus extra as needed (I used chicken broth)
4 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 T lemon juice
1 t ground dried Aleppo pepper
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup

In the area where I live, there’s a health coach that hosts a monthly cookbook dinner club. About 15-17 people attend. Everyone gets the chance to look through the cookbook and select a recipe to make. Last night (6 Feb 2023) it was recipes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. One person made this delicious soup.
 
Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup

Servings: 6-8.
 
Ingredients
 
Salt and pepper
1 pound (2¾ cups) dried chickpeas, picked over and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 fennel bulbs, stalks discarded, bulbs halved, cored, & chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 Parmesan cheese rind (or 2-inch chunk of cheese), plus grated Parmesan for serving
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) strip orange zest
1 head escarole (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large tomato, cored and chopped
 
Directions
 
Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Add chickpeas and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
 
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add fennel, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
 
Stir in 7 cups water, broth, drained chickpeas, Parmesan rind, bay leaves, and orange zest and bring to boil. Reduce to gentle simmer and cook until chickpeas are tender, 1¼ to 1¾ hours.
 
Stir in escarole and tomato and cook until escarole is wilted, 5 to 10 minutes.
 
Off heat, discard bay leaves and Parmesan rind (scraping off any cheese that has melted and adding it back to pot). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, drizzling individual portions with extra oil and sprinkling with grated Parmesan.
 
Nutrition information per serving: 455 calories; 120 calories from fat; 13 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 11 mg cholesterol; 435 mg sodium; 65 g carbohydrate; 16 g fiber; 15 g sugar; 23 g protein.
 

Mediterranean Strata

 Mediterranean Strata

4 October 2022
 
Our cookbook club organizer selected “The Breakfast Bible 100+ Favorite Recipes To Start The Day from Williams Sonoma.”
 
I selected the Mediterranean Strata. It was very easy to put together.
 
Serves 4-6 (10-12 servings for a pot luck dinner).
 
1 T unsalted butter
1/2 lb crusty Italian bread, day-old, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used a French baguette)
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped
1/3 C Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (I didn’t read this correctly and thought it said 1/2 cups.
1/4 C oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced (I chopped them)
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded (I small-diced the cheese)
1.5 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
6 large eggs
2 C. whole milk (I used 1.75 cups half and half; and 1/4 cup water)
Salt and freshly pepper
 
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9”x13” baking dish that is 2” deep. Place the bread cubes in a single layer in the prepared dish. Top with the artichoke hearts, olives sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil, spreading the ingredients out evenly.
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the strata. Cover with aluminum foil and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.  (I did the 1-hour method).
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 
Bake the strata, covered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and continue to bake until the eggs are set and the strata is golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.
 
Let cool slightly, the cut into squares and serve.

Overall, a very easy dish to make and quite tasty. 

Photos as I prepared the dish:

Pearl couscous salad with chickpeas, chorizo, and warm spices

This is a delicious recipe from the America’s Test Kitchen, The Complete Salad Cookbook. I made this recipe (page 360) for a cookbook club in my area. It states it serves 4 to 6 people, but really as a side dish it serves 8 to 10 in my opinion.

Ingredients

 

1 c pearl couscous
6 oz. Spanish chorizo sausages, cut into ½ inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 t. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 t. table salt
1-1/3 c. chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 t. smoked paprika
1/2 t. ground cumin
2 c. canned chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
2/3 c. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
1/2 c. raisins, chopped dried apricots, chopped dates, or chopped dried figs
4 t. lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving

 I made little chorizo meatballs

   

It took 10 minutes of simmering to cook the couscous mixture.

1. Combine couscous, chorizo, carrots, 2 teaspoons oil, and salt in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until half of grains are golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, paprika, and cumin. Bring to simmer; cover; and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until broth is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Let sit off heat, covered, for 3 minutes.

 Chopped fresh parsley

2. Stir in chickpeas, parsley, raising, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges. (Salad can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 days.)

 

 

 
My Notes: This was pretty easy to make. For the chorizo (spicy), two links were 6 oz. (after taking the casing off). It was not easy to cut the chorizo, so I took off small pieces and rolled them into bite size balls. The recipe doesn't state if the casing should be removed or not.
 
One can of chickpeas was close to two cups, so I didn’t bother to add any extra. I used parsley; and chopped dates.
 
The recipe states to use a medium saucepan. Next time I will use a larger one. What I used was too small for me to add the remaining ingredients after the, “Let sit off heat, covered for minutes.” So I added the remaining ingredients in the serving bowl and added the couscous mixture into the bowl, and tossed everything together.
 
The recipe was not clear as far as serving: Cold? Room temp? Serve immediately? Since I made this in advance for the dinner, I went ahead and refrigerated it to serve it cold. The recipe does state that the salad can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.
 
This took one hour to make from start to finish. I really liked the flavors of the chorizo, the spices and the hint of the dates. And it was my first time cooking with pearl couscous.

Italian Meatballs & Red Sauce

Here’s my recipe, which I adapted from my mother-in-law.

Meatball Ingredients: 

1 lb ground beef 

3 Italian sausages, sweet and hot

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 

1/3 to 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 

2 eggs 

1/4th of an onion, chopped 

1/3 cup or so of Pecorino Romano cheese, grated 

Fresh parsley, chopped 

Salt and Pepper to season 

Red Sauce (see below) 

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, except for the red sauce. 

Take a small amount, about a tablespoon and make into a patty. Fry in a pan till cook and taste to make sure it’s properly seasoned. Adjust the meatball mixture if needed.

Form into large meatballs (or small when preparing for a large dinner group). 

Place the meatballs onto baking pans that have been lightly sprayed with pam. Brown in the oven (pre-heated to 400 degrees) for about 10-12 minutes. This allows the meatballs to obtain that nice brown crispy texture and to remove excess fat. 

Drain on paper towels, then add the meatballs to the sauce.  Cook for 2-3 hours on low heat, stirring every so often.

Red Sauce: 

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped 

2 T. olive oil 

Dash hot pepper flakes 

2 12-oz cans of crushed tomatoes 

1/4 c. dry red wine - use any good wine. 

Fresh basil 

In a large pot, sauté the garlic in the oil but don't let it burn. 

Add the pepper flakes and then the crushed tomatoes. 

Simmer on low for 2-3 hours, adding the basil the last 15 minutes of cooking. 

The longer this sauce cooks, the better! 

You can use this sauce when making lasagna, manicotti, eggplant parmesan, and for topping pizza. 

If I'm making this for a dinner party, I'll transfer to a large crockpot and keep on low heat before serving.

Baked Feta Appetizer

This baked feta appetizer is so easy to make. It was a hit at last night's Thanksgiving dinner (25 November 2021).  I served it right after taking it out of the oven.

 
This is the recipe I used, but see my notes at the bottom:   https://midwestfoodieblog.com/baked-feta-appetizer/
 
Ingredients:
8 oz. block feta (in brine)
1 cup pitted olives, drained
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
⅓ cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked pepper
 
For serving:
 
Fresh chopped parsley
Sliced French bread or crostini
 
Instructions:
 
Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
 
Add feta to a small baking dish (I used an 8”x8”). Add olives and sun-dried tomatoes to the baking dish around the feta.
 
In a small dish combine olive oil, sliced garlic, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. 
 
Pour over the block of feta, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes.
 

  

Bake for 20 minutes [uncovered]. Broil for 1-2 minutes.
 
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and sliced French bread or crostini. 

Here's my recipe for crostini:  https://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2024/06/crostini.html

 

My changes/additions:
 
I prepared this about an hour or so in advance to get the ingredients to room temperature.
I used both green olives (Italian Castelvetrano) and Kalamata olives
I added roasted red peppers
I added a little of the sun-dried tomato oil
I used Italian Seasoning Blend
I didn’t have parsley (wasn’t missed)
I didn’t broil at the end
I sliced up a baguette
 
Next time I won’t slice the garlic so thin. The slices almost disappeared.
I will slice the olives in half.
And I may add some lemon zest slices and cherry tomatoes.
Someone in the comments stated they added chopped dried figs; another mentioned artichoke hearts.

Citrus Roasted Olives and Almonds

Citrus Roasted Olives and Almonds

My friend Carolyn made this excellent Mediterranean appetizer. Her comments are in ( ).
 
Ingredients:
 
2 cups olives with pits (you can mix your favorites or choose a variety for color; our favorites are Kalamata olives and Sicilian dry-cured olives--the wrinkly ones)
 
2/3 to 3/4 cup almonds, un-blanched (the original recipe calls for 1 full cup; I think that is too many)
 
Orange and lemon zest (I used the better part of one orange and one lemon)
 
Sprigs of resinous herbs like rosemary, oregano, thyme, or basil (I used rosemary, which is the most essential, thyme, and a few leaves of sage)
 
Very thinly sliced lemon for garnish (you could use thinly sliced orange too)
 
Extra virgin olive oil
 
Directions:
 
Place everything except the lemon and orange slices in a bowl or casserole dish (suitable for serving), sprinkle generously with olive oil, and toss.  I happened to have some lemon olive oil, so I used some of that too. 
 
Garnish with the slices and heat at 300 degrees until very warm but not too hot to eat (I think it took 10 minutes?). 
 
If you have leftovers, when you reheat them, the lemon slices may be tender enough to eat—a bonus.  Also, the oil left in the bottom of the bowl can be used for dipping bread.
 
Carolyn Z.

(Recipe from HGTV Smart Solutions, 2005)
 

White Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

 

 
This is a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook, that I recently purchased. It’s filled with some wonderful recipes and is great for anyone that wants to eat healthy. I served this at a party recently and it was a hit! 
 
Serves 6 - 8
 
Ingredients:
 
1/4  cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 15-oz. cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (I used Goya brand)
Salt and peppter
2 tspn sherry vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
1 cup quartered grape tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup kalamata olives, chopped
 
Directions:
 
Cook 1 tablespoon of olive oil and garlic in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until the garlic turns golden but not brown, about 3 minutes*. Add the beans, 2 cups of water, and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes.
 
Combine the vinegar and minced shallots in a serving bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.
 
Drain the beans and remove the garlic. Add the beans to the serving bowl, along with the remaining olive oil, tomatoes, basil and kalamata olives. Season with salt and pepper; stir gently to combine. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
 
 
My Notes:
 
This really served closer to 10 to 12 people.
 
I only used about 10 basil leaves.
 
*The recipe says to remove the garlic, but after cooking it in the olive oil, I chopped them and added it back to the pot to simmer with the beans.
 
The sherry vinegar I purchased is made with aged California sherry vinegar and apricot juice. This was the only one I found in the store (Harris Teeter) but it worked out great.

Lentil & Quinoa Soup

Recently I was in the mood for lentil soup. I looked online site for recipes and found several good ones. I wanted to use my Instant Pot, so I followed this recipe with some adaptation: 
 
https://profusioncurry.com/lentil-quinoa-soup-instantpot/?fbclid=IwAR3T2x7z4ANRczVvcXYAWvUyURKlMLYWYigYeZ1wXteu4SYtWmYQ_tH-aJI
 
In bold are my additions/changes
 
1 cup dry brown or green lentils washed and rinsed
1/2 cup quinoa rinsed
4 carrots chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water or broth [I used low fat, low sodium chicken broth]
Added 1 can of diced tomatoes with the juices
Splash of dry white wine (about 3 tablespoons)
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Umami Seasoning Blend (optional ) [I didn’t have this so I added a bunch of mushrooms, sliced, along with a teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard, some red pepper flakes, and dried thyme]
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot. Stir.

Close the lid. Switch the vent to "sealing". Choose MANUAL ( Pressure cook) mode, choose High Pressure and adjust the time to 12 minutes. It will take around 10 minutes to get up to pressure.

When the InstantPot beeps after cooking, wait on KEEP WARM timer for 5 minutes. Then move the valve to "venting". After the pressure is released, and pin is down, carefully open the lid.

Give the soup a good stir. Adjust the seasoning. Squeeze a quarter of lemon or stir in lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning. Add some fresh cracked black pepper on top and garnish with fresh herbs.
 
I topped the soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Scallops with Pesto Sauce

 

I made a pesto pasta with scallops and vegetables for dinner one night. It was pretty simple to prepare and just something I tossed together.
This is a serving for one.
 
5 scallops (rinse, pat dry, and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper)
3 large mushrooms, sliced
Red bell pepper, sliced (about 1/5th of a pepper)
1 small clove of garlic, chopped
About 3 T. pesto (I make my own)
Olive oil
2 oz. pasta (I bought the Barilla Thin Spaghetti Protein+ pasta)
 
In a large pot, bring water to a boil with some salt and a teaspoon of olive oil. Add the pasta when ready. It took about 6-7 minutes to cook.
 
Meanwhile, in a large pan, fry the garlic, mushrooms, and bell pepper in olive oil. Move the vegetables to the side of the pan, and add a tablespoon of olive oil and pan fry the scallops. Cook about 4 minutes on each side.
 
Drain the pasta and add the pesto; mix in. Plate the pasta and top with the scallops and vegetables. Garnish with some fresh basil leaves. Eat and enjoy!
 
You can add more vegetables if you'd like. I would have liked more mushrooms because they cooked down quite a bit.