I Love My Chick...

Peas!  They're delicious, cheap to buy, and running out of ways to get creative with them is never an option.  This spring I've been snacking on chickpeas like crazy.  Check out two simple yet scrumptious recipes that will have you hooked!  It's easy enough to substitute ingredients with your own personal fav, and what's even better is that you don't really need to worry about measuring out the ingredients.  Just add and mix until you get the desired tasty.ness!

Chickpea Salad with Yogurt Dressing
(Serves 2 to 3)

1 Can of Chickpeas (or Garbanzo Beans, same thing)
Handful of Shelled Edamame (I used the frozen kind)
Handful of Feta Cheese
Red Onion, Chopped (as much or as little as you prefer)
Olive Oil (I used Spanish Extra Virgin)
Cumin, Salt and Cayenne Pepper to taste
a Few Tablespoons of Non-Fat Plain Yogurt
a Few Drops of Honey (I used Orange Blossom)
Arugula

Mix the first five ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the spices and mix until you get just the right taste you want.  Add the yogurt and honey and mix again.  In a separate bowl place a handful or two of Arugula and a few spoonfuls of the chickpea mixture on top.  Mix it all together and serve!

I found it's better to keep the arugula separate when mixing and storing the salad to keep it from getting too soggy.

Chickpea Salad with White Wine Vinegar
(Serves 2)

1 Can of Chickpeas (or Garbanzo Beans, same thing)
1 Can of Black Olives, Finely Chopped
2 Roasted Red Peppers, Finely Chopped (I prefer them marinated)
Handful of Feta Cheese
Olive Oil, just a splash
White Wine Vinegar, a few heavy splashes
Lemon Juice to taste
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped

Mix everything together in a bowl and serve.  It's that easy!

A few other ingredient options to add if you want to mix it up a bit could be cucumbers, tomatoes, and some red onion.

Yes to Pesto

Pesto sauce, so easy to make and so delicious on almost anything, it is a favorite of mine for just about any occasion.  Whether I am making pizza from scratch, linguine, lasagna, salad, or simply substituting it for butter on my bread, it is divine and pleasing.  Below I have posted a quick, simple recipe for making your own sauce.  Tasty.ness to the max!

Pesto Sauce
(makes 1 cup)

• 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

  

Blend all ingredients in a processor until smooth and creamy.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Done!  If parsley, pine nuts, and tarragon are not on hand, not to worry, it just adds some richness to the sauce, but is is not necessary.

 Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine

Cupcakes for Two

So, what do you do when you have two house parties to attend on the same weekend and you're asked to bring dessert to both; make cupcakes.  It's an easy solution and you can easily double or triple the recipe without adding too much time/cost/ingredients to the process.  And, honestly, who doesn't love a delicious, bite-size cake made just for them?  Below is the recipe I have used on several occasions, which always makes 'em say "Mmmm!"  Enjoy the tasty.ness!

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
(makes 12) 

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 very ripe large bananas, peeled
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Preparation:

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Mash bananas with fork in another medium bowl until smooth. Mix sour cream and vanilla into bananas.

Mix sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and egg yolk and beat until well blended. Add flour mixture in additions alternating with banana-sour cream mixture and mixing just until blended after each addition. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center of each comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to rack and let cool completely.

Frosting:

Sift powdered sugar into large bowl.  Add peanut butter. Mix until smooth adding more of either or both ingredients until the desired consistency is achieved. Spread frosting over top of cupcakes, dividing equally.

What a Ham!

The NYE potluck dinner was a great success!  The dishes were diverse/creative/tasty and went down nicely with several bottles of champagne.  And, while everyone put in their fair share of face stuffing, the 9 lb. ham we had cooked could not be defeated.  Now, ham is just about one of my favorite meats.  Served at breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it is always scrumptious mixed with eggs, prepared as a sandwich, and even tossed with brussel sprouts.  However, one of the best ways to get creative with that leftover ham is to make a hearty soup, and my personal favorite is ham and split pea.

Back in November, when the boyfriend and I couldn't stand the thought of Thanksgiving dinner ending, we decided to have a second go at it!  Call us lame/fat asses/overindulgent or perhaps the cleverest people on Earth, but we made a ham for ourselves (among other dishes) and ended up having a lot of leftovers to get creative with.  This is when we tried making homemade ham and split pea soup for the first time, and oh, my was it delish!  So, here we are with another ham, and I can't wait to have a bowl of that tasty.ness! 

Split Pea and Ham Soup

• 1 pound dried split peas
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 pound ham, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme

Preparation:

Place the peas in a large bowl, cover with water completely and soak overnight.  Drain the peas and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook, stirring, until just soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. 

Add the ham and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown. Add the drained peas, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add 8 cups of water, the bay leaf and thyme, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender, about 1 hour. (Add more water as needed, if the soup becomes too thick or dry.) 

Remove the bay leaf and discard. Serve with bread or pita chips.

NYE Feast

Although going out to dinner at new and fav restaurants is oh-so fun and pleasing, knowing my way around the kitchen has proven to be very helpful for many parties/dinners/holidays/you name it.  Cooking/baking is rewarding/relaxing/enjoyable for me, and I love to share my dishes and treats with friends and family (and I'm sure they don't mind either).  So, here I've decided to compile my absolute fav recipes to help decide what's for dinner and dessert or what to bring to the next birthday/costume/holiday/anniversary party you'll be attending.  And first up is the New Year's Eve feast!

This year the boyfriend and I have decided to host a potluck at our apartment for a good part of the evening, which is great because it takes a lot of the stress off of us when we only have to prepare a few dishes instead of cooking an entire dinner for 20+ guests (NYE is supposed to be fun and worry-free!).  It also let's you focus on and prepare dishes that you love and enjoy most.  So, Friday while the boyfriend is preparing the ham, I will be in charge of making quiche (two types) and my favorite thumbprint cookies.  Below, I have provided these quick and easy, fail-safe recipes which I have used over and over producing fabulous results.  Enjoy the tasty.ness, and leave your comments!

Mushroom Quiche

• 1 refrigerated pie crust (or your own fav. crust recipe)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup chopped shallots 
• 5 cups sliced assorted mushrooms (use your favorite), halved
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup half and half
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Fontina cheese

Preparation: 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Press crust firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter deep-dish glass pie dish. Bake until light golden brown, about 17 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; sprinkle with salt and pepper and sauté until mushrooms are tender and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate; spread out to cool slightly. 

Whisk eggs, half and half, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina cheese and sautéed mushrooms. Pour filling into crust. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over quiche.

Bake quiche until puffed, golden brown, and just set in center, about 45 minutes. 

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

Once you have the knack for baking quiche down, it is easy to use the same recipe over and over but substitute it with various cheeses/veggies/meats/spices/herbs.  This next quiche can be prepared and baked the same as the above, but instead of mushrooms, Fontina, and nutmeg this recipe calls for the following:

• 2 cups chopped baby spinach
• 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

 Follow the steps above with these substitutions and you'll have two delicious quiche to serve.

Thumbprint Cookies

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup of your favorite jam

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.


Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.


In another bowl, whip the butter and the sugar by hand (I always bake by hand) until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing just until incorporated.


Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. Place about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about 1/2-inch deep. Fill each indentation with about 3/4 teaspoon jam.


Bake cookies until the edges are golden, about 15 minutes.