I'm sorry to say that I am unable to keep up with a food blog as often as I would like to. To cook, snap pictures and post on a regular basis has just become too difficult in my busy life. I'm lucky for the little time I get to spend in the kitchen at all lately.
I am moving things over to a new blog, one that allows for me to be a little more carefree in the way that I post, and one that incorporates all of the other things I love besides food. Please, come visit me there, and say 'Hi'!
I will be leaving this blog up for the recipes to still be available.
Adios.
xoxo,
me
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
An easy morning
A house for bunbun's "girls". bunbun says radish seedlings look like butterflies. A new picture for her bedroom wall. Our nearby grocery store has these amazing pre-made stuffed portobello caps. Quick soft tacos for an easy lunch for me.
Ordered some of these adorable paper balloons to brighten up bunbun's room. (Click image for link)
xoxo
me
Monday, April 12, 2010
Won't turn your tongue blue
Won't turn your tongue any color for that matter.
I know its a little early to be worrying about school lunch snacks and the like - bun bun is only 2. But I saw this post and couldn't resist making a batch of natural fruit roll-ups. They're ridiculously easy to prepare - you just have to find of a big chunk of time to do other things while they dry out in the oven.
This was an impulse recipe, so I went with what I already had, but I have a million flavor combinations brewing in my head for later. The one Green Kitchen Stories suggested - kiwi, mango, and mint leaves - is first on my list, for sure. This time around I threw together a small bag of frozen mangoes, a handful of fresh raspberries, and a single serving size cup of unsweetened granny smith applesauce.
I heated the mixture on low and stirred until the mangoes were thawed and getting slightly smushy, and then I ran the whole mix through the food processor. I chose not to sieve the mix, as we don't mind seeds in our snackies. Then, on a baking sheet lined with a silpat, I spread the purée thinly and evenly, smoothing out any thicker parts. The lowest temperature my oven goes is 175°F, which worked out just fine with the oven door propped open. It took a little over 5 hours for my roll-ups to dehydrate completely. I cut the sheet into strips with scissors, rolled up, and nom nom nommed. To my surprise they taste just like the real thing, only a little seedier! Bun bun loves them too.
A few tips:
You can do this with whatever fruit choices you like - just aim for a consistency that is pourable, but thick enough that it doesn't run out to the edges of the pan when you try to spread it. Mixing thicker fruits, like bananas, with juice or softer fruits, like papaya or berries, is a good way to go.
Keep the color in mind when you're dreaming up flavor ideas. As good as strawberry kiwi might taste, I don't know how attractive a brown fruit roll would be! ^_^
Spreading evenly before baking is very important - if the thinner parts become too dry while you wait for the wetter parts to cook they will become brittle, and then burn. Watch it closely towards the end.
Leaving the oven door open helps to let the moisture out and speed things along, but you're still looking at a 5-8 hour baking time, depending on how thick your mix was. It's worth it though - you really don't need to babysit it much, and you can keep the finished product in an airtight container for a week or two, maybe more... mine just won't last that long with hungry tummies around!
Happy snacking!
xoxo
me
I know its a little early to be worrying about school lunch snacks and the like - bun bun is only 2. But I saw this post and couldn't resist making a batch of natural fruit roll-ups. They're ridiculously easy to prepare - you just have to find of a big chunk of time to do other things while they dry out in the oven.
This was an impulse recipe, so I went with what I already had, but I have a million flavor combinations brewing in my head for later. The one Green Kitchen Stories suggested - kiwi, mango, and mint leaves - is first on my list, for sure. This time around I threw together a small bag of frozen mangoes, a handful of fresh raspberries, and a single serving size cup of unsweetened granny smith applesauce.
I heated the mixture on low and stirred until the mangoes were thawed and getting slightly smushy, and then I ran the whole mix through the food processor. I chose not to sieve the mix, as we don't mind seeds in our snackies. Then, on a baking sheet lined with a silpat, I spread the purée thinly and evenly, smoothing out any thicker parts. The lowest temperature my oven goes is 175°F, which worked out just fine with the oven door propped open. It took a little over 5 hours for my roll-ups to dehydrate completely. I cut the sheet into strips with scissors, rolled up, and nom nom nommed. To my surprise they taste just like the real thing, only a little seedier! Bun bun loves them too.
A few tips:
You can do this with whatever fruit choices you like - just aim for a consistency that is pourable, but thick enough that it doesn't run out to the edges of the pan when you try to spread it. Mixing thicker fruits, like bananas, with juice or softer fruits, like papaya or berries, is a good way to go.
Keep the color in mind when you're dreaming up flavor ideas. As good as strawberry kiwi might taste, I don't know how attractive a brown fruit roll would be! ^_^
Spreading evenly before baking is very important - if the thinner parts become too dry while you wait for the wetter parts to cook they will become brittle, and then burn. Watch it closely towards the end.
Leaving the oven door open helps to let the moisture out and speed things along, but you're still looking at a 5-8 hour baking time, depending on how thick your mix was. It's worth it though - you really don't need to babysit it much, and you can keep the finished product in an airtight container for a week or two, maybe more... mine just won't last that long with hungry tummies around!
Happy snacking!
xoxo
me
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Dandy
As in dandelion. The bane of beautiful lawns everywhere.
I'm sure you have heard that dandelion leaves are edible. Maybe you've heard the words "dandelion wine" thrown around somewhere. You might have even seen today's recipe, as it has been mentioned several times on this wonderful blog. But maybe, like me, you weren't aware that every part of the plant is edible, and that our little commonplace roadside weed in fact packs a burst of vitamins and medicinal properties. Besides that, when we're talking about foraging around our neighborhoods for free pick-your-own snackies, no plant is easier to find and identify as safe. Even the false dandelions are completely edible. Just be sure to choose spots that are free of herbicides and far enough away from roads to not be absorbing oil runoff. More complete instructions on picking dandies can be found here.
This recipe is another off my to-do list, and I'm glad I got to it in time. Those ubiquitous yellow puffs have been staring at me every time I drive around for weeks now, but I just haven't had the chance to get up early enough for the flowers to still be closed. Apparently you have to sneak up on the little guys. Luckily I was able to recruit my skeptical but happy-to-help sister to get her hands all yellow with me at the crack of dawn today, and I finally got this recipe tested.
The bread is less sweet than I would have imagined. It is moist and chewy, with an almost buttery taste from the petals, and it has a really nice flavor overall. Just perfect with a cup of soup on the side. The sunshine-y color of it doesn't hurt it's appeal either! We will definitely be baking this again, especially as my toddler gets bigger and finds as much silly joy as I do in baking with common flowers.
Dandy Bread
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dandelion petals, any greenery discarded
1/4 cup canola oil
4 tbsp honey
1 egg
scant 1 1/2 cups milk
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, including petals, and mix. Make sure to separate clumps of petals. In separate bowl mix together wet ingredients. Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir. Batter should be fairly wet and lumpy. Pour into buttered loaf pan. Bake at 400°F. Bread will take 25-40 or more minutes. At 25 minutes, check doneness of bread with a toothpick. If still too moist inside, lower oven temperature and continue to bake, checking every five minutes. It should be a nice golden brown on the outside when done.
This sunny bread would go beautifully with a sunny soup, like say, this one.
xoxo
me
I'm sure you have heard that dandelion leaves are edible. Maybe you've heard the words "dandelion wine" thrown around somewhere. You might have even seen today's recipe, as it has been mentioned several times on this wonderful blog. But maybe, like me, you weren't aware that every part of the plant is edible, and that our little commonplace roadside weed in fact packs a burst of vitamins and medicinal properties. Besides that, when we're talking about foraging around our neighborhoods for free pick-your-own snackies, no plant is easier to find and identify as safe. Even the false dandelions are completely edible. Just be sure to choose spots that are free of herbicides and far enough away from roads to not be absorbing oil runoff. More complete instructions on picking dandies can be found here.
This recipe is another off my to-do list, and I'm glad I got to it in time. Those ubiquitous yellow puffs have been staring at me every time I drive around for weeks now, but I just haven't had the chance to get up early enough for the flowers to still be closed. Apparently you have to sneak up on the little guys. Luckily I was able to recruit my skeptical but happy-to-help sister to get her hands all yellow with me at the crack of dawn today, and I finally got this recipe tested.
The bread is less sweet than I would have imagined. It is moist and chewy, with an almost buttery taste from the petals, and it has a really nice flavor overall. Just perfect with a cup of soup on the side. The sunshine-y color of it doesn't hurt it's appeal either! We will definitely be baking this again, especially as my toddler gets bigger and finds as much silly joy as I do in baking with common flowers.
Dandy Bread
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dandelion petals, any greenery discarded
1/4 cup canola oil
4 tbsp honey
1 egg
scant 1 1/2 cups milk
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, including petals, and mix. Make sure to separate clumps of petals. In separate bowl mix together wet ingredients. Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir. Batter should be fairly wet and lumpy. Pour into buttered loaf pan. Bake at 400°F. Bread will take 25-40 or more minutes. At 25 minutes, check doneness of bread with a toothpick. If still too moist inside, lower oven temperature and continue to bake, checking every five minutes. It should be a nice golden brown on the outside when done.
This sunny bread would go beautifully with a sunny soup, like say, this one.
xoxo
me
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Garden check
Things have been busy around here these last few weeks, and admittedly, I have not been cooking and blogging nearly as much as I had hoped to. In fact, today is the first time I've really had to cook in a while and I'm making a repeat of a recipe I posted 2 months ago - crunchy roasted chickpeas!
What has been taking up my time, however, is worthwhile to my endeavors in the kitchen. I'm maximizing the space on my patio yet again this year for cooking purposes alone. The big, important items that will star throughout the summer - the baby greens, the cherry tomatoes, the heaping pots of fragrant herbs - those will wait until later this spring when the possibility of a freak frost is gone. But I do have a few things started that have me hovering over the soil thermometer and fork aerating the dirt around delicate seedlings. Let me give you a little peek at what I've got going on.
I have 2 out of 4 radish plantings started. Cherry Belle and French Breakfast were my choices for the first two plantings, and I had staggered them but the later planting has caught up.
My green onions have kept me waiting for 30 days (!) to see the first shoots pop up, but finally this week there are little white sprouts peeking out of the dirt.
Despite the fact that a certain annoying kitty has been leaf munching, my Quinault strawberries are growing quite steadily under their cozy blanket of pine mulch.
Last but not least, this little-lavender-plant-that-could managed to survive all fall and winter without a single drop of water from me, and he was rewarded with a bigger pot and a skosh of fertilizer. After the transplant there are oh, about a million little leaf bunches budding out, so I'm expecting to have to move him yet again by the end of the summer.
So there you have it folks, my garden update. Check back later for possible gratuitous true-leaf shots, and perhaps even a bit of baking!
xoxo
me
What has been taking up my time, however, is worthwhile to my endeavors in the kitchen. I'm maximizing the space on my patio yet again this year for cooking purposes alone. The big, important items that will star throughout the summer - the baby greens, the cherry tomatoes, the heaping pots of fragrant herbs - those will wait until later this spring when the possibility of a freak frost is gone. But I do have a few things started that have me hovering over the soil thermometer and fork aerating the dirt around delicate seedlings. Let me give you a little peek at what I've got going on.
I have 2 out of 4 radish plantings started. Cherry Belle and French Breakfast were my choices for the first two plantings, and I had staggered them but the later planting has caught up.
My green onions have kept me waiting for 30 days (!) to see the first shoots pop up, but finally this week there are little white sprouts peeking out of the dirt.
Despite the fact that a certain annoying kitty has been leaf munching, my Quinault strawberries are growing quite steadily under their cozy blanket of pine mulch.
Last but not least, this little-lavender-plant-that-could managed to survive all fall and winter without a single drop of water from me, and he was rewarded with a bigger pot and a skosh of fertilizer. After the transplant there are oh, about a million little leaf bunches budding out, so I'm expecting to have to move him yet again by the end of the summer.
So there you have it folks, my garden update. Check back later for possible gratuitous true-leaf shots, and perhaps even a bit of baking!
xoxo
me
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tostones
Trying something new, again. I'm a little behind on this year's to do list, thanks to a February full of failures which you will hear about later, should I ever have a success with the one particular recipe that has been making me pull my hair out. After all of that mess and frustration it was time for something easier, something with a more unhealthy and therefore gratifying result.
I have had a recipe for fried plantains in my big binder of food related clippings since I was in high school when my Dad first started encouraging me to try new recipes I had never had before. 10 years later and I think it was about time I finally gave that one a go!
If you have, like me, never tried plantains before, you may be surprised on your first tasting. They are in the same family as bananas, however they are bigger, and firm and starchy. In fact they don't taste anything like bananas at all - they get slightly sweeter as they ripen, but when buying them green for tostones the flavor is more like that of a potato, though without any trace of earthiness. While frying I did notice a slight banana-chip-like scent, but it was mild. For trying this unfamiliar fruit I think tostones were the perfect choice for me. Each toston is a crispy fried little chip intended to scoop up things I already know I love, like homemade guacamole and spicy salsa verdé.
They were gobbled up quickly, as anything that has been fried in this house is. They were a little bit firmer than I expected, and I found that the ones that got a little more than golden brown were not so tasty, but overall I was pleased with the results. Preparation was easy, but time consuming, and I would have to say that after spending an hour and a half in the kitchen for something that was devoured within minutes, we won't be making these again without a special occasion to do so.
This recipe comes from this book, with slight modifications.
Tostones
3 green plantains
4 cups water
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (optional)
2 tbsp. salt
Canola, or other high smoke point oil for frying
Peel plantains and cut into slices approximately 1/2 inch thick. Add garlic and salt to water in a large bowl. Soak slices for 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain plantain slices well and fry in a deep fryer or in a large skillet heated filled approximately 1/2 full with oil heated to 350°F for about 7 minutes, turning if necessary (I have no idea how hot 350°F is, so I used medium heat).
Remove from fryer and drain on absorbent paper (Be careful not to use thin paper towels as you will be picking shreds of it out of your tostones forever). Fold paper over and pound the plantain slices flat with the base of a drinking glass, or use a Tostonera press.
Dip in salted water again and remove immediately. Drain thoroughly on paper towels.
Return to oil heated to 375°F until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on absorbent paper to drain. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
My guacamole was simple this time - 4 ripe avocados, mashed to a chunky textures with tons of lime juice and a decent sized scoop of super hot store-bought pico de gallo.
xoxo
Me
I have had a recipe for fried plantains in my big binder of food related clippings since I was in high school when my Dad first started encouraging me to try new recipes I had never had before. 10 years later and I think it was about time I finally gave that one a go!
If you have, like me, never tried plantains before, you may be surprised on your first tasting. They are in the same family as bananas, however they are bigger, and firm and starchy. In fact they don't taste anything like bananas at all - they get slightly sweeter as they ripen, but when buying them green for tostones the flavor is more like that of a potato, though without any trace of earthiness. While frying I did notice a slight banana-chip-like scent, but it was mild. For trying this unfamiliar fruit I think tostones were the perfect choice for me. Each toston is a crispy fried little chip intended to scoop up things I already know I love, like homemade guacamole and spicy salsa verdé.
They were gobbled up quickly, as anything that has been fried in this house is. They were a little bit firmer than I expected, and I found that the ones that got a little more than golden brown were not so tasty, but overall I was pleased with the results. Preparation was easy, but time consuming, and I would have to say that after spending an hour and a half in the kitchen for something that was devoured within minutes, we won't be making these again without a special occasion to do so.
This recipe comes from this book, with slight modifications.
Tostones
3 green plantains
4 cups water
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (optional)
2 tbsp. salt
Canola, or other high smoke point oil for frying
Peel plantains and cut into slices approximately 1/2 inch thick. Add garlic and salt to water in a large bowl. Soak slices for 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain plantain slices well and fry in a deep fryer or in a large skillet heated filled approximately 1/2 full with oil heated to 350°F for about 7 minutes, turning if necessary (I have no idea how hot 350°F is, so I used medium heat).
Remove from fryer and drain on absorbent paper (Be careful not to use thin paper towels as you will be picking shreds of it out of your tostones forever). Fold paper over and pound the plantain slices flat with the base of a drinking glass, or use a Tostonera press.
Dip in salted water again and remove immediately. Drain thoroughly on paper towels.
Return to oil heated to 375°F until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on absorbent paper to drain. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
My guacamole was simple this time - 4 ripe avocados, mashed to a chunky textures with tons of lime juice and a decent sized scoop of super hot store-bought pico de gallo.
xoxo
Me
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Roti Jala
I've been a little lazy - it's actually been 2 weeks since I made this recipe, and I am just now posting it! I can hardly remember what was going on at the time, or what I ate with my delicious roti jala, so I'm afraid you don't get much of a story. Maybe that's a good thing sometimes. But the important thing is I am checking another recipe off my list!
I had a number of troubles with this recipe, but it all worked out in the end. I found that I needed to add quite a bit of extra water to get the runny consistency needed for pouring the batter through the tiny holes in my roti jala mold (a squeeze bottle would have been much easier and less messy). It takes a bit of practice to get the right timing and shape when pouring through the mold, but once I got the hang of it the bread came out easy enough.
I bought my roti jala mold through Rasa Malaysia, but as I said, a squeeze bottle would be a much easier choice for a beginner.
Roti Jala (Net Bread)
This recipe comes from the ever tasty Veggie Belly blog
2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup water (plus more if you need to get a runnier consistency)
3/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Run through a strainer to remove any lumps (I found this step unnecessary for me).
Heat a small amount of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and make a lacy pattern in the skillet using a squeeze bottle or roti jala mold. It might look like this if you're kind of a noob like me.
Let cook for about 2 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom, then carefully flip and cook for another 1 minute on the other side. The bread should still be soft, not crunchy. Fold into quarters to serve.
Now all you need is a delicious curry to soak up with the bread! I used a coconut milk based curry since the 1 1/4 cups coconut milk required for the roti is less than 1 full can.
xoxo
me
I had a number of troubles with this recipe, but it all worked out in the end. I found that I needed to add quite a bit of extra water to get the runny consistency needed for pouring the batter through the tiny holes in my roti jala mold (a squeeze bottle would have been much easier and less messy). It takes a bit of practice to get the right timing and shape when pouring through the mold, but once I got the hang of it the bread came out easy enough.
I bought my roti jala mold through Rasa Malaysia, but as I said, a squeeze bottle would be a much easier choice for a beginner.
Roti Jala (Net Bread)
This recipe comes from the ever tasty Veggie Belly blog
2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup water (plus more if you need to get a runnier consistency)
3/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Run through a strainer to remove any lumps (I found this step unnecessary for me).
Heat a small amount of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and make a lacy pattern in the skillet using a squeeze bottle or roti jala mold. It might look like this if you're kind of a noob like me.
Let cook for about 2 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom, then carefully flip and cook for another 1 minute on the other side. The bread should still be soft, not crunchy. Fold into quarters to serve.
Now all you need is a delicious curry to soak up with the bread! I used a coconut milk based curry since the 1 1/4 cups coconut milk required for the roti is less than 1 full can.
xoxo
me
Friday, January 22, 2010
Banuffins!
A pair of bananas have been sitting on my kitchen counter for a week now, each day growing more brown and looking less appetizing. I know their secret though - let them go absolutely mushy and they will cooperate with sugar and flour so much more nicely.
While waiting for my bananas to ripen I've been browsing recipes for banana bread. I am accustomed to the type my mother used to make - a dense, moist loaf studded with walnuts and browned perfectly on top. However, when I recreate the recipe I never seem to get it quite right, and I often find a little bite of bitterness in there, possibly from the baking soda. I'd also like something lighter and fluffier - something cuter to look at, perhaps?
I came across this recipe at British Cream Tea and thought I would give it a go. It uses self-rising flour instead of soda and rolled oats for a difference in texture. I made just a few changes - regular granulated sugar instead of caster sugar, I doubled the recipe since I had 2 bananas instead of one, added a good shake of cinnamon since I can't do without it, reduced the liquid (um, accidentally), and poured the batter into my new silicone baking cups rather than a loaf pan. I also got the opportunity to use my new food scale for measuring which had me absolutely giddy (I really shouldn't get so excited over new kitchen toys).
They turned out just as I wanted them to - fluffy and light, slightly sticky, but not too sweet, and absolutely devour-able.
Banuffins
250g self-rising flour
150g granulated sugar
80g rolled oats (plus more for sprinkling)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 large, overripe bananas
1/3 cup milk
5 teaspoons of vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 2 small loaf pans, 1 medium loaf pan, or baking cups.
In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mash bananas with a fork, then add eggs, milk and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring only enough to combine. Don't over mix.
Spoon mixture into pan/tins, sprinkle rolled oats lightly across the top. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Eat finished product immediately and hide the evidence. There's no reason why you should share.
xoxo
me
While waiting for my bananas to ripen I've been browsing recipes for banana bread. I am accustomed to the type my mother used to make - a dense, moist loaf studded with walnuts and browned perfectly on top. However, when I recreate the recipe I never seem to get it quite right, and I often find a little bite of bitterness in there, possibly from the baking soda. I'd also like something lighter and fluffier - something cuter to look at, perhaps?
I came across this recipe at British Cream Tea and thought I would give it a go. It uses self-rising flour instead of soda and rolled oats for a difference in texture. I made just a few changes - regular granulated sugar instead of caster sugar, I doubled the recipe since I had 2 bananas instead of one, added a good shake of cinnamon since I can't do without it, reduced the liquid (um, accidentally), and poured the batter into my new silicone baking cups rather than a loaf pan. I also got the opportunity to use my new food scale for measuring which had me absolutely giddy (I really shouldn't get so excited over new kitchen toys).
They turned out just as I wanted them to - fluffy and light, slightly sticky, but not too sweet, and absolutely devour-able.
Banuffins
250g self-rising flour
150g granulated sugar
80g rolled oats (plus more for sprinkling)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 large, overripe bananas
1/3 cup milk
5 teaspoons of vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 2 small loaf pans, 1 medium loaf pan, or baking cups.
In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mash bananas with a fork, then add eggs, milk and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring only enough to combine. Don't over mix.
Spoon mixture into pan/tins, sprinkle rolled oats lightly across the top. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Eat finished product immediately and hide the evidence. There's no reason why you should share.
xoxo
me
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Healthy snackies
Last night Sissy and her Fancy came over (Fancy is seester engagement slang). The boys watched football while we paged through bridal magazines, and then later the two of us left for the mall and spent way too much time and waaay too much money. But hey, we don't get much time to spend together anymore, so we can easily justify all of that shopping!
Rewind to earlier that day. With guests coming over we needed some snacks, but I didn't want to spend a lot of time preparing them. The perfect chance to make one of the recipes on my to do list!
Crunchy roasted chickpeas are quite popular with the food bloggers right now, and there is a good reason why. They're quick, easy to prepare, can be tailored to anyone's tastes, and they're de-lish. They are similar to corn-nuts in texture, but without all of the oily/salty blechiness that makes them not feel like a healthy snack at all. The chickpeas use just a bit of oil and salt and are relatively guilt free. They can be seasoned with whatever spice mixture you like, but just be sure to dry them thoroughly before roasting them.
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
2 15oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp garam masala powder
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp kosher salt
Optional serving idea -
1 cucumber, diced finely
1 serrano or jalapeno chili - seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced finely
Drain chickpeas and rinse well. Blot with a paper tower to remove as much water as you can, then sprinkle with lime juice and leave in a colander for an hour or two if you have time. If not, just keep blotting with paper towels and try to get them as dry as possible.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
When chickpeas are dry mix together remaining ingredients in a medium bowl to form a paste and then toss chickpeas very well so that they are coated. Spread evenly across a roasting pan or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 400°F for 45-55 minutes, stirring once halfway through. At 45 minutes begin checking on them every few minutes to be sure they aren't burning - the gap between being crunchy all the way through and being burnt is very small.
If desired, toss with optional ingredients and serve, or just eat them plain by the handful!
Chickpeas are best eaten the day of cooking, but can be kept in an airtight container for a few days. Keep in mind, if you store them they will lose much of their crunch.
xoxo
me
Rewind to earlier that day. With guests coming over we needed some snacks, but I didn't want to spend a lot of time preparing them. The perfect chance to make one of the recipes on my to do list!
Crunchy roasted chickpeas are quite popular with the food bloggers right now, and there is a good reason why. They're quick, easy to prepare, can be tailored to anyone's tastes, and they're de-lish. They are similar to corn-nuts in texture, but without all of the oily/salty blechiness that makes them not feel like a healthy snack at all. The chickpeas use just a bit of oil and salt and are relatively guilt free. They can be seasoned with whatever spice mixture you like, but just be sure to dry them thoroughly before roasting them.
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
2 15oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp garam masala powder
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp kosher salt
Optional serving idea -
1 cucumber, diced finely
1 serrano or jalapeno chili - seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced finely
Drain chickpeas and rinse well. Blot with a paper tower to remove as much water as you can, then sprinkle with lime juice and leave in a colander for an hour or two if you have time. If not, just keep blotting with paper towels and try to get them as dry as possible.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
When chickpeas are dry mix together remaining ingredients in a medium bowl to form a paste and then toss chickpeas very well so that they are coated. Spread evenly across a roasting pan or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 400°F for 45-55 minutes, stirring once halfway through. At 45 minutes begin checking on them every few minutes to be sure they aren't burning - the gap between being crunchy all the way through and being burnt is very small.
If desired, toss with optional ingredients and serve, or just eat them plain by the handful!
Chickpeas are best eaten the day of cooking, but can be kept in an airtight container for a few days. Keep in mind, if you store them they will lose much of their crunch.
xoxo
me
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Lull
It's the first week of the new year, and unsurprisingly the restaurant is dead. I'm sure pretty much everyone in the industry is feeling the exact same lull in business right now. Every year, the same thing. People are strapped for cash after the holidays and with New Year's resolutions still fresh in their minds even the ones who do come into our store tend to eat lighter and less expensively. For people who are still in the mood to eat out though, this is a great time. No crowds, cash hungry waiters falling all over you, and specials designed to draw customers in such as extended happy hours and prix fixe dinners.
In this quiet time in my job I get to come in little later, leave a little earlier, and be a little less stressed out. Of course, my sales are laughable by last months standards, but that's what happens when you work in a seasonal industry. I enjoy the extra time to spend in the kitchen, but now that I'm on a tighter budget I need to get a little more creative with my ingredients. Thankfully I was able to stock up my pantry last week and since my CSA is still delivering plenty of seasonal food (granted, some of it sourced from organic farms down south a little farther) I might possibly be able to squeak through the grocery store without picking up anything other than the toddler necessities.
In my opinion the best types of dishes to make in such situations are curries, stews, casseroles - homey, and comforting, if a little less refined. The preparation can be as simple and lazy as you make it. The perfect choice for a busy work week, or a lazy day spent on the couch.
This particular dish was invented to use up a few things in my fridge. Just follow the same basic steps and add whatever you want to it - change the ingredients entirely, but it will still be as easy.
Cook alliums (onion, garlic, shallot, leeks) and meat/veg protein in a little oil until they begin to color slightly. Add vegetables that need to be cooked through (make sure they are all chopped to the same sized dice), and add salt, pepper, and a little hint of spices of your choice, stir for a few minutes. Add flavorful liquid (pre-made soup, or stock, or even coconut milk). Bring to a low boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and give it 15-20 minutes, or whenever your most dense veggies are soft. Then add the ingredients that need only a minute of cooking - greens or herbs. Give it a couple of minutes on low heat for your fresh ingredients to soften, then serve with rice, bread, quinoa, crackers, whatever. And voila! A steaming hot bowl of yum.
For my dish I used a little yellow onion and garlic with a 5 grain tempeh. Then I added peeled potatoes, turnips, baby yellow carrots, and an apple. For the flavoring I used kosher salt, black pepper, a dash of cayenne, and about a teaspoon of curry powder. My liquid choice was a premade butternut squash soup - about 2 cups of it. It took 20 minutes for my veggies to cook and then I topped it off with some shredded swiss chard. The curried squash soup base goes really well with jasmine rice.
xoxo
Me
In this quiet time in my job I get to come in little later, leave a little earlier, and be a little less stressed out. Of course, my sales are laughable by last months standards, but that's what happens when you work in a seasonal industry. I enjoy the extra time to spend in the kitchen, but now that I'm on a tighter budget I need to get a little more creative with my ingredients. Thankfully I was able to stock up my pantry last week and since my CSA is still delivering plenty of seasonal food (granted, some of it sourced from organic farms down south a little farther) I might possibly be able to squeak through the grocery store without picking up anything other than the toddler necessities.
In my opinion the best types of dishes to make in such situations are curries, stews, casseroles - homey, and comforting, if a little less refined. The preparation can be as simple and lazy as you make it. The perfect choice for a busy work week, or a lazy day spent on the couch.
This particular dish was invented to use up a few things in my fridge. Just follow the same basic steps and add whatever you want to it - change the ingredients entirely, but it will still be as easy.
Cook alliums (onion, garlic, shallot, leeks) and meat/veg protein in a little oil until they begin to color slightly. Add vegetables that need to be cooked through (make sure they are all chopped to the same sized dice), and add salt, pepper, and a little hint of spices of your choice, stir for a few minutes. Add flavorful liquid (pre-made soup, or stock, or even coconut milk). Bring to a low boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and give it 15-20 minutes, or whenever your most dense veggies are soft. Then add the ingredients that need only a minute of cooking - greens or herbs. Give it a couple of minutes on low heat for your fresh ingredients to soften, then serve with rice, bread, quinoa, crackers, whatever. And voila! A steaming hot bowl of yum.
For my dish I used a little yellow onion and garlic with a 5 grain tempeh. Then I added peeled potatoes, turnips, baby yellow carrots, and an apple. For the flavoring I used kosher salt, black pepper, a dash of cayenne, and about a teaspoon of curry powder. My liquid choice was a premade butternut squash soup - about 2 cups of it. It took 20 minutes for my veggies to cook and then I topped it off with some shredded swiss chard. The curried squash soup base goes really well with jasmine rice.
xoxo
Me
Friday, January 1, 2010
Right start for a fresh start
Happy New Year!!
2010. Wow.
My brain can't even handle that number, but hey, another new year is another new year. A fresh page to start on. Another 4 seasons to weather... and another 4 seasons of food to eat! My favorite part of course. Now I get to start looking forward to radishes and baby lettuces and pea vines and all the little crispy, crunchy things and sprout-y green stuff of spring.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. It's only New Year's day, and still quite winter-y out, and while it is time to think about all the great things that lay ahead in 2010 I should be working out how I'm going to get myself there. I'm always a fan of New Years resolutions. Sticking to my limits makes me feel good, although I can only remember one year in particular where I kept my resolution the whole 12 months. This year I feel like there are so many things I need to change and work on that it's hard to settle on any specific resolutions.
One thing that I really should resolve to do, but I know I'd never stick to is to eat breakfast every day. I've never ever been a breakfast person - in fact, oftentimes it makes me feel sick to even smell food in the morning. I typically don't have my first meal until 1 PM. But with a loss of energy during these colder, darker months, and a need to cram more vitamins into my diet, breakfast is starting to sound better. So day 1 of the new year, I made a delicious, healthy, energy packed breakfast with the hopes that it would inspire me to be a little better to myself all through the year.
No need for a recipe, its too simple for that. Just oats simmered with dried cranberries, cardamom and a cinnamon stick. Pour a little milk on when it's done and top it with dates, oranges or grapefruit, and some crushed pistachios. Or use whatever fruit and nut combo you have on hand.
xoxo
Me
2010. Wow.
My brain can't even handle that number, but hey, another new year is another new year. A fresh page to start on. Another 4 seasons to weather... and another 4 seasons of food to eat! My favorite part of course. Now I get to start looking forward to radishes and baby lettuces and pea vines and all the little crispy, crunchy things and sprout-y green stuff of spring.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. It's only New Year's day, and still quite winter-y out, and while it is time to think about all the great things that lay ahead in 2010 I should be working out how I'm going to get myself there. I'm always a fan of New Years resolutions. Sticking to my limits makes me feel good, although I can only remember one year in particular where I kept my resolution the whole 12 months. This year I feel like there are so many things I need to change and work on that it's hard to settle on any specific resolutions.
One thing that I really should resolve to do, but I know I'd never stick to is to eat breakfast every day. I've never ever been a breakfast person - in fact, oftentimes it makes me feel sick to even smell food in the morning. I typically don't have my first meal until 1 PM. But with a loss of energy during these colder, darker months, and a need to cram more vitamins into my diet, breakfast is starting to sound better. So day 1 of the new year, I made a delicious, healthy, energy packed breakfast with the hopes that it would inspire me to be a little better to myself all through the year.
No need for a recipe, its too simple for that. Just oats simmered with dried cranberries, cardamom and a cinnamon stick. Pour a little milk on when it's done and top it with dates, oranges or grapefruit, and some crushed pistachios. Or use whatever fruit and nut combo you have on hand.
xoxo
Me
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