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Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

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Posted on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 12:44 PM | By: Lauren

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I am always the last person to know about something.  Juicy gossip?  All dried up by the time I hear about it.  Not that gossip is good, but you get my point.  I am not the person to ask about what's going on.  I'm also not a trendy person.  I'm that person wearing some of the same pieces she wore in high school.  

The same goes with food, which brings me to today's recipe.  I first saw the idea/recipe a couple years ago, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I made these little gems.   They're one of my new food fixations.  I brought them to the beach when I went with my side of the family, thinking I was about to rock their snacking world, and the dialogue went something like this:

Me:  I made crunchy roasted chickpeas for us to snack on.  You have to try them; they are so good!
Mom:  Oh, yeah.  They are good!  
Me:  You know about them?
Mom:  Yeah, we've made them a few times.  We like them.

Again, the last to know about/try something new(er).  I hope that you will not be the last to try these crunchy roasted chickpeas.  They make a great snack- they're affordable, healthy, and tasty, and very transportable.  The only problem is that you'll look down and wonder, "who ate all my chickpeas?!"

Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
from Everyday Food magazine

2 cans or 3 cups prepared chickpeas
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse Salt
1 1/2 tsp. flavoring spice of your choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse chickpeas and scatter on a paper-towel-lined rimmed baking sheet. Let stand 15 minutes. Remove towels and toss chickpeas with olive oil. Roast until crisp and golden, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss with salt and ground seasonings if desired, and serve.

Notes
  • I used chickpeas that I prepared from dried ones.  I soaked them overnight and then cooked them on the stove top, bringing them to a boil and then cutting the heat back to simmer them until softened, around 1- 1.5 hours.  I used those in place of the canned chickpeas, and I used about 1/2 lb.
  • I have tossed the chickpeas with various combinations, but my favorite is chili powder and ranch dressing mix.  Paprika/smoked paprika and plain, salted are good too.


Weekend Breakfast: Waffles

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Posted on Friday, June 13, 2014 9:40 AM | By: Lauren

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Do you have a favorite weekend breakfast treat?  I don't know that I could pick a favorite, but I do love a good waffle.  I'm not too picky; for weekdays I've been known to eat and enjoy the frozen waffles, but there nothing like having a waffle maker and eating a freshly made waffle, hot off the iron.  


The "egg quarantine."  Crack and separate the eggs in a separate bowl, then pour the whites into their own bowl and the yolks into a different container, too.

The only complaint at all that I could lodge about the homemade waffles I've made in the past is that they tend to have the same texture running throughout, dense and soft.  Then I found this recipe.  It's more work than just mixing all ingredients together; you separate eggs and beat the whites until they're stiff and meringue-like.  You carefully fold those into the batter.  You might be thinking that ain't nobody got time for that, but once you taste them, you might just make time.  What results is a dense-yet-light waffle with a crispy exterior and a good taste.  

Stiff peaks- they can stand up (or in this case, straight out) 

I topped mine with freshly sliced strawberries and maple syrup, and they were so good.  I froze the leftovers, individually wrapped and stored in a resealable freezer bag, so I can enjoy waffles any day.  Yay!

Buttermilk Waffles
from Cooking Classy Blog

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, whites and yolks divided
1 pinch cream of tartar
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 cups buttermilk
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200 degrees and preheat an electric waffle iron. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on moderately high speed, whip together 2 egg whites (make sure they don't have even a drop of yolks in them) along with cream of tartar until soft peaks form, then add in sugar and whip until firm and glossy peaks form, set aside.

In another large mixing bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, melted butter, vanilla extract and 2 egg yolks until well combined. Add in dry ingredients and whisk just until combined (batter should still be quite lumpy) then using a rubber or silicone spatula, add half of egg white mixture to waffle batter and fold. Then add remaining egg white mixture and fold just until combined. 

Cook according to waffle iron manufacturers directions. Once each waffle has been cooked, immediately transfer to a wire cooling rack and transfer cooling rack to preheated oven to rest while remaining waffles are being prepared. Serve immediately with maple syrup or other topping of choice.


Notes
  • As you can see from the pictures, it's important to have an "egg quarantine."  The egg whites won't foam up like that if there's yolk in there.  It has to do with the fat of the yolk coating the protein in the white.  I think.  In order to avoid getting egg yolk in your egg whites, have three bowls- a larger one to put the whites in, and two smaller ones for cracking/separating and holding the yolks.  Crack and separate the egg into its own container and then pour the whites and the yolks into their own bowls.  I actually had a yolk "break" on me, so the quarantine saved me from starting all over with the eggs.

Meatless Mondays: Tortilla Española

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Posted on Monday, June 9, 2014 2:06 PM | By: Lauren

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While this may not be hugely vegetable based, it is vegetarian, and when served with a green salad on the side, it's a nice, filling meal.  A Tortilla Española (aka Spanish Omelette) is a pretty common and iconic Spanish dish, and usually it's an egg dish made with onion and potato.  It's also delicious.  It feels really luxurious

It was featured in May's issue of Bon Appetit and is definitely a departure from our normal, so it was fun to make and sample.  I made it on a Saturday afternoon and we had leftovers a couple times.  Drew and I really enjoyed it.  I plan to make it again, but I may try to sort of tweak it to make it a little lighter.  2 cups of olive oil don't exactly make for the lightest dish.  When you eat it, though, you probably won't care.  It's nice and custardy (think soft and almost velvety).  It's good for any meal of the day.  



Tortilla Española
from Bon Appetit

 Serves 8 (we had about 5 servings)

1 tablespoon plus 2 cups olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt
2 medium waxy potatoes (about ¾ lb.), peeled, cut into ¾” pieces
8 large eggs

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and dark brown, 35–40 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, heat potatoes and remaining 2 cups oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until oil around potatoes begins to bubble; reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender but have not taken on any color, 10–12 minutes. Drain potatoes, reserving oil. Season potatoes with salt and let cool slightly.

Combine eggs, onion, potatoes, and ¼ cup reserved potato cooking oil in a large bowl and gently beat with a fork.

Heat 3 Tbsp. reserved potato cooking oil in a 10” nonstick skillet over medium heat (reserve remaining oil for another use). Add egg mixture and cook, lifting at edge and tilting skillet to let uncooked egg run underneath, until bottom and edge of tortilla are set but center is still wet.

Set a large plate on top of skillet. Swiftly invert tortilla onto plate, then slide back into skillet, cooked side up. Cook until center is just set, about 2 minutes longer. Cut into wedges.


Notes
  • It says you get 8 servings.  We got 5.  You'd have to be a pretty polite eater to get 8.  
  • It may be tortilla española blasphemy, but I may try boiling the potatoes in water rather than oil next time to save on calories.
  • I cubed the potatoes- online sources said you could cube or slice.  I may try slicing in the future, but the cubes were fine.
  • I am not positive I cooked it perfectly, since I've never had or made this before now, but the center of mine was possibly undercooked.  What I mean is that it was still a little loose to almost runny inside.  Either way, the entire tortilla was not overcooked or dry, and it made for better reheating.  We didn't get sick.  With eggs, I have read/heard to err on the side of less cooking, so that's what I did.
  • Flipping this is difficult.  No tips.  Drew had to help me.  

Strawberry Ice Cream

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Posted on Wednesday, June 4, 2014 9:09 AM | By: Lauren

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I scream, you scream!  Who doesn't love ice cream?  We don't often make ice cream at home for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that it's so readily available, but there's just something special about your own, homemade ice cream.  This past weekend I bought some strawberries that were possibly overripe, some even going bad, so I knew I had to use them, and quickly!  Drew suggested strawberry ice cream, and I don't there there's a better use for them.

After searching through a few recipes, we chose this one because I already had most of the ingredients on hand and it looked easy enough, and it's solid.  Good taste, good texture.  Little room for error.

The lemon juice in the recipe adds a slight tang that makes you think you're eating frozen yogurt; I love it, feeling like it adds brightness to the ice cream and Drew likes it but isn't sure if it's his holy grail of recipes.  If you're unsure, just leave it out.  Either way, this recipe involved no cooking, so it's quick to throw together.  If your ice cream maker isn't that great, make sure you take a good hour or two to both refrigerate the mixture and to get it really cold in the freezer.

Strawberry Ice Cream
from Southern Living

 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups whole milk $
1 (16-ounce) container fresh strawberries or 1 (16-ounce) package thawed frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk first 4 ingredients in a 2-quart pitcher or large bowl until blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Process strawberries, lemon juice, and salt in a blender or food processor until smooth. Stir into milk mixture.
Pour milk mixture into freezer container of a 1-quart electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. (Instructions and times will vary.)


Remove container with ice cream from ice-cream maker, and place in freezer 15 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container; freeze until firm, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Meatless Mondays: Chickpea Salad with Lemon, Parmesan, and Fresh Herbs

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Posted on Friday, May 30, 2014 8:55 PM | By: Lauren

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I have the perfect warm-weather dish for you today.  I first came across this recipe in an old issue of Bon Appetit, and I have been making it a few years now.  It's an ideal spring/summer dish.  The lemon gives it a bright, almost sunny taste, while the herbs also keep it bright, interesting, and a little earthy.  The chickpeas give you good texture, flavor, protein, and fiber, which leaves you with a meal that will fill you even on hungry days but won't make you feel like you just ate half a buffalo.



This chickpea salad is so simple, and it comes together in something like 10 minutes.  It's well balanced in flavor and acidity.  It can be left unrefrigerated, making it perfect for a packed lunch or a picnic, and it's hearty enough to be a main course.  It could be a side dish, served maybe with some grilled chicken or fish, but I've never even bothered with that.  You could also serve it with some spinach or mixed greens to add even more salad-y goodness.  If you like chickpeas, you will love this.  They're practically made for lemon, herbs, and olive oil.

Chickpea Salad with Lemon, Parmesan, and Fresh Herbs
from Bon Appetit

 makes 2 servings

 The beauty of this basic recipe is that it can be tweaked in numerous ways. For a spicy version, add some sriracha sauce. Try swapping out the lemon juice for lime juice and use feta cheese instead of Parmesan and mix in some chopped fresh cilantro and chopped red onion or shallot. For a curried chickpea salad, leave out the Parmesan and add curry powder to taste, dried currants, sliced green onions, and shredded carrots.

1 15-to 15 1/2-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove, pressed
1/3 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Coarse kosher salt


Combine rinsed and drained chickpeas, chopped fresh basil, chopped Italian parsley, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and pressed garlic clove in medium bowl. Add grated Parmesan cheese and toss gently to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Season chickpea salad to taste with coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD: Chickpea salad can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Serve salad chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

  • I'll often use chickpeas that I have prepared from dried beans, both for the cost effectiveness and the other awesome things I can do with chickpeas, such as hummus or roasting them for a snack (more on that later).  I think a pound would yield something like 4-5 cans' worth of chickpeas.  
  • This last time I didn't have any fresh garlic, but found out that granulated garlic works well too- 1/4-1/2 tsp, depending on how garlicky you like things.  

Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake

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Posted on Thursday, May 29, 2014 8:38 AM | By: Lauren

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My sister got me the book, Vintage Cakes, for Christmas this year, and it's such a beautiful cookbook, and what a great concept!  Old fashioned cakes, updated for modern palates and ingredients.

 The author, Julie Richardson, explained in her introduction to the recipe that she isn't entirely sure of where the name came from, but that it may either have something to do with the old luxury trains (often called streamliners) that looked like something from the future or some sort of cookware/tableware, also named Streamliner.  Whatever it is, it's a perfect spring dessert, rich with the flavors of almond and lemon.




An intensely moist and almond-flavored cake is topped with lemon curd, making it a dream.  I made this for Mother's Day for my side of the family, and everyone loved it.  We all declared it a keeper.  This cake is great because it's simple in its preparation, but its flavor and appearance are distinctive enough for special occasions, such as Mother's Day, a birthday, or whatever you deem special.

I made the recipe as-is, and I got started on it a day or two early.  The cake does require some pre-preparation in the form of cooling and refrigeration time, but not too much.  I did, however, make the lemon curd 2 days early and baked the cake the day before I was to serve it.  The cake's inherent moisture and the lemon curd coating/topping help to keep the cake nice and moist.  



 My one problem is that I had to buy an 8-oz can of almond paste, and the recipe only calls for 6 oz.  I've got 2 oz almond paste in my fridge that I have no idea what to do with it.  Anyone have an idea?

Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake
from Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson

Custard

Grated zest of 2 lemons
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (31/2 ounces) sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup lemon juice (from approximately 3 lemons)
1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
Cake

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) sifted cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup (6 ounces) almond paste, at room temperature
10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (42/3 ounces) sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

To make the lemon custard, combine the lemon zest, milk, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until just hot. Meanwhile, in a bowl, thoroughly whisk together the egg yolks, the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, and the salt until well combined, then whisk in the cornstarch, then the lemon juice. Slowly whisk a third of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan with the hot milk and cook over medium-low heat, whisking steadily, until the custard begins to thicken and bubble for 1 minute (you will need to stop whisking for a moment to check if it is bubbling). Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl and whisk in the butter until it has melted. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly upon the surface of the custard and place in the refrigerator to cool for about 2 hours. The custard is easiest to work with once it has set.
Center an oven rack and preheat the oven to 350°F.

 To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then whisk the mixture to ensure that the ingredients are well mixed. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the almond paste, butter, sugar, canola oil, and vanilla on low speed until blended; gradually increase the speed to high and cream until very light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes, stopping the mixer frequently to scrape the paddle and the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Blend in the eggs one at a time, adding the next one as soon as the previous one has disappeared into the batter. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, beginning and ending with the flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended and stop and scrape the bowl. Stop the mixer before the last of the flour has been incorporated and complete the blending by hand with a rubber spatula to ensure you do not overbeat the batter.

 Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Rap the pan firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the cake is a deep golden color and a wooden skewer poked in the middle comes out just barely clean, 42 to 45 minutes. The cake might crack on the surface as it bakes; don’t worry, this simply provides a way for the cake to soak up more of the lemon custard. Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Gently invert the cake onto the rack, leaving on the parchment paper until you assemble the cake. Flip the cake right side up and continue to cool the cake on the rack until it reaches room temperature.
To finish the cake, remove the parchment paper and place the cake right side up on a flat plate. Using a metal spatula, spread a thin layer of the lemon custard on the sides of the cake to seal the cake and give it a light shine. Put the rest of the lemon custard on top of the cake, spreading it just barely out to the edge. Use your spatula to make a swirly design in the custard on the top of the cake. Allow the assembled cake (or really, the lemon custard) to set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving (this will take about an hour). Any leftover cake keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Maple Turkey Breakfast Sausage

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Posted on Tuesday, May 27, 2014 9:03 AM | By: Lauren

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So the meatballs I shared last week?  They call for 1.5 pounds of ground turkey, but where I live ground turkey is packaged and sold in 1 lb. packages.  I had already defrosted the turkey for that recipe, so to re-freeze would guarantee a half pound of mushy turkey when I needed it again, and when you work with turkey, the odds are not ever in your favor when it comes to mushiness.

What to do?  Well, you could of course make more meatballs, portioning out the other ingredients accordingly.  You could make turkey burgers, or use the meat to make tacos or in a soup, but I liked the idea of making my own breakfast sausage ever since I saw an episode of 30 Minute Meals where Rachael Ray made her own sausage patties.  Good turkey sausage is hard to come by in the store, so why not?

I started searching and found this maple breakfast sausage recipe, and enjoyed it a lot.  It was easy to throw together, and there's something pretty wonderful about the combination of meat and maple syrup, plus the sugars in the syrup caramelize nicely to give the sausage a nice look.  I would definitely make this again, and want to try other recipes.

I tweaked the original recipe, since it calls for "grill seasoning," which is a combination of salt, pepper, onion flakes, and garlic (I think).  I didn't have that so I just sort of mixed up my own, not entirely sure of the ratios.  I also didn't finish the sausage off in the oven, though I'm sure it's a great idea.  You can click on the recipe title to be taken to the original recipe.

Maple Turkey Breakfast Sausage
adapted from Rachael Ray
makes 4 patties

1/2 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp. onion flakes/powder
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey, maple syrup and spices. Work the meat to combine all the ingredients, then form patties 2-3 inches in diameter.

Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Brown the patties in the skillet for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.

Notes

  • Just like with hamburgers, you will want to indent the middle so that you don't get a domed effect as the patties cook
  • All burners and stoves are not created equal.  My pan works best when it's slightly shy of medium-high, but definitely past medium, so you may need to adjust your heat up or down accordingly.

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