Spiced Chickpeas

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Are you having people over anytime soon? Are you going to someone's house for dinner anytime soon? If so, make this as an appetizer or even a side dish. It's delicious, and different, and...yes...simple! First off, I'd like to request that The Food Gods officially re-name Garbanzo beans. I mean, c'mon, how are we supposed to take this food seriously (my 4 year-old loves to say "garbanzo beans," but really???). And the word "Chickpea" isn't much better. Until then, we'll muddle through and remember that, done right, they really do taste good (and they pack a nice little punch of fiber too).  I first had this at the tasting room at Le Cuvier winery in Paso Robles. They paired it with their 2011 Viognier (now there's a good word!) and it, along with the spectacular view, was quite memorable.

Drain and rinse your garbanzo beans. Heat some olive oil over medium heat and add the spices. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes.  Your kitchen will start to smell really good.

Add the onions and a splash of stock and continue to cook until the onions are transluscent. (I don't have a picture of this step because I had guests and we were busy enjoying the Le Cuvier Viognier!)

Add the garbanzos, tomato paste, and the remaining stock. Stir to dissolve the tomato paste. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add some wine & salt and cook a few more minutes until the sauce reduces a bit. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and zest. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with some crispy crackers or pita chips.

Spiced Chickpeas


2  14oz. cans Garbanzo beans
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup Voignier or other dry white wine
Lemon zest to taste
2 Tbsp chopped parsley for garnish

Heat the oil over medium heat in a saute pan.  Add curry, cumin and coriander and stir. Cook for 2 minutes and add onion and a splash of the broth and cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add Garbanzos, tomato paste and the rest of the broth and cook for about 5-7 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently.

Add wine and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and zest.

Note: Recipe used with permission from Le Cuvier Winery in Paso Robles, CA Pin It

Lovey's Irish Soda Bread

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Sometimes life drops the perfect thing in your lap. Sometimes you need to laugh, cry, be inspired or scared or frustrated or surprised. Sometimes you need to be reminded of someone you miss. A few weeks ago we were in San Diego helping my father in-law prepare for the big move up to the Central Coast.  Moving is not exactly fun. You know this. We had one day to pack his entire house and as I was sitting in his kitchen, boxes splayed around me, my boys wreaking havoc and feeling totally overwhelmed,  I reached into the back of yet another drawer and pulled out a jumble of papers held together by a crumbling rubber band. I took a quick peek and almost threw the entire thing into the bulging black garbage bag next to me when I saw peeking out from the stack a yellowed scrap of lined paper that bore my mother in-law's familiar scrawl. On it was a recipe for Irish Soda Bread. My mother in-law, who passed away several years ago, was known simply as "Lovey." She was truly a gem--one of those people whom you feel truly blessed to have known and although I didn't get much time with her, I always felt very close to her, and still do. Finding this recipe was a gift, one I like to think Lovey had a hand in giving. Enjoy this one. Thanks, Lovey.

Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Add caraway seeds and butter and cut in using a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture is the consistency of coarse meal.

Combine buttermilk, egg and soda in a small mixing bowl.

Add raisins and buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. It will be a little dry, but should come together as you knead it. If not, add another tablespoon of buttermilk.

Sprinkle flour on your work surface and gently knead the dough until it is smooth and forms a ball.

Place it into a greased casserole dish and using a sharp knife, cut a cross in the top.

Brush the top with a beaten egg yolk or cream and bake in a 375 degree oven for about an hour.

Run a knife around the edges and remove from dish to cool before slicing.

Slather with butter and good jam and enjoy with a cup of tea, in memory of Lovey.

Lovey's Irish Soda Bread

4 cups flour (I used 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 white whole wheat)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp caraway seeds

1/4 cup butter

2 cups raisins or currants

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1tsp baking soda

1 egg yolk or cream (for brushing top)

Heat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

Into a large mixing bowl, sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in caraway seeds.

With a pastry blender or two forks, cut in butter until it resembles coarse cornmeal.

Combine buttermilk, egg, and soda and stir into flour mixture until just moistened. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth.  Shape into a ball and place into prepared casserole.

With a sharp knife, make a 4 inch cross (1/4" deep) in dough. Brush with beaten egg yolk or cream.

Bake 1 hour, 10 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped lightly and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove and cool before slicing.

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Sharby's Edamame Salad

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My favorite part of going for sushi is definitely the Edamame. When they place that little bowl in front of me, all conversation ceases (except for an occasional "mmhhmm," or "yeah"). There's something about the slightly salty, meaty little beans that turn me into something akin to a beaver, gnawing away with total disregard for decorum. So this little salad, that is so yummy, healthy and easy to throw together had me doing a little dance when I first tried it. A whole bowl of edamame (shelled, so I don't have to humiliate myself!) mixed in with some of my other favorite things--dried cranberries and goat cheese--makes it a winner for sure. This one comes from my best friend, Sharby. You know the kind--more like a sister, really. She lives in Memphis. I live in California. That's about 2,249 too many miles apart for my liking. But, when I'm missing her, I make this salad (a small consolation, but a yummy one). She's kinda famous for it in her neck of the woods. It's a great dish to take to a party because it can be served either chilled or at room temp so it travels well and is far from your ordinary salad. I just bet you'll be asked for the recipe!

Boil the edamame in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain under cold, running water to cool and stop the cooking.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper; stir in the cranberries and basil.

Next, add the edamame, tossing to combine.

Finally, gently fold in the goat cheese.

Sharby's Edamame Salad
Serve 4-6

1 16-ounce bag frozen shelled edamame
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp honey

pinch salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup basil leaves, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

1.  Cook edamame in boiling salted water for 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Pat dry.2.  Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey, salt and pepper. Add cranberries, basil and cooled edamame.

3.    Gently fold in goat cheese.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note: The original recipe calls for feta, which is also very good. I added the lime juice and honey.

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Carmelized Onion Upside Down Bread

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Caramelized onions are one of the best things I've discovered as of late. They make everything taste miles better. I love them on burgers, chicken, pork chops, with cheese and wine...like I said, just about everything. They're also really easy to make. In this recipe, onions are cooked low and slow in a cast iron skillet (another of my favorite things). A light and fluffy biscuit-like batter is then poured over the top, baked and flipped over to slice and serve. It's beautiful and delicious and makes a perfect accompaniment to a roast chicken (a perfect Sunday-type dinner).

Slice your onion and separate into rings. You'll probably think you have too many, but they shrink like crazy as they cook.

Melt the butter over medium heat and add the onions to your cast iron skillet (or any oven-proof skillet)

Add a pinch of salt

Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are softened and brown.

Halfway there...

This process will take about 10 minutes. They're ready when they look like this:

Now add the brown sugar and stir to combine, letting the sugar dissolve and caramelize (another 2 minutes)

Meanwhile, combine the dry stuff with the dry stuff and the wet stuff with the wet stuff

Pour the wet stuff into the dry stuff and stir until just combined (it will be a bit lumpy)

Make sure the onions are spread evenly over the bottom of the skillet and carefully spoon the batter onto the onions (it will even out as it cooks).

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes (a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean)

Remove from oven, run a knife around the edges and place a platter or board over the top of the skillet. Flip it over, cool slightly and slice

Caramelized Onion Upside Down Bread

serves 4-6

2 medium or 1 large onion, sliced (about 4 cups)

3 Tbsp butter

pinch salt

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 large egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

1. Preheat oven to 350. Slice onion and separate into rings. Heat butter over medium heat in a heavy, oven-proof skillet. Cook onions with a pinch of salt over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened and brown. Lower heat if the onions brown too quickly. This will take about 10 minutes.
2. Add brown sugar to the skillet and stir to combine until the sugar is dissolved and onions are caramelized (another 2 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined (batter will be slightly lumpy).
4. Spoon batter over cooked onions and using the back of a spoon, spread the batter evenly over the onions (it will even out as it bakes).
5. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven, run a knife around the edges; place a platter or cutting board over the top of the skillet. Flip it over, cool slightly and slice into wedges.

Modified from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything

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Chicken Stir Fry with Red Curry & Ginger

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I've kind of been on an Asian food kick lately...my wok has been dusted off and is getting a workout. Maybe it's because I'm trying to get my family to eat more vegetables and this is an easy way to do it. Anyway, I was watching the Cooking Channel recently and saw this recipe. It made me crave Chinese take-out, but seeing as how we have no good Chinese restaurants around here, I went out and got the ingredients to make it myself. I'm glad I did. It's great...and my boys loved it. This has Thai red curry paste in it, which has all kinds of yummy things in it like lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves. It also calls for Nam Pla sauce (or, Thai Fish Sauce). If you've never used this before, you must try it, but whatever you do, DO NOT smell it because if you smell it, you probably won't use it and that would be a travesty. So, just open it, measure it, pour it in the wok and forget it. I realize this sounds strange, but it adds a deliciousness you won't get without it...trust me! If you must, you can use soy sauce in it's place...I guess.

Start with a screaming hot wok or skillet; add oil and your carrots and green beans. Stir fry for a minute or so, adding a splash of stock. When they're crisp/tender, remove them to a bowl and set aside.

Next, add a little more oil, the ginger, garlic, chiles and curry paste. Stir to combine. Don't let the garlic burn.

Add your thinly sliced chicken and the remaining stock. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is nearly cooked through. Add the coconut milk, mushrooms, scallions AND the fish sauce.
*TIP: if you have leftover coconut milk, pour it into an ice cube tray, freeze it and store the cubes in a baggie for later.

Return the carrots and green beans to the wok to heat through.

Serve it over hot steamed rice.

Red Curry Chicken Stir Fry

serves 4-6

2 Tbsp oil

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

8 oz. green beans, trimmed and cut to 2" pieces

2 Tbsp + 1/4 cup chicken stock

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

2 Fresno chiles, chopped (remove the seeds and ribs for a milder taste)

2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced

1/4 cup light coconut milk

5 shitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced

2 scallions, sliced

2 Tbsp fish sauce

1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add carrots and green beans and 2 Tbsp stock. Stir fry 1-2 minutes until crisp/tender. Remove to a bowl.
2. Add the additional Tbsp oil, garlic, ginger, chiles and curry paste. Cook for a few seconds and add the chicken. Add coconut milk and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until the chicken is nearly cooked through.
3. Add mushrooms, scallions and fish sauce. Cook for 1 minute. 
4. Return carrots and beans to pan to heat through.

Adapted from The Cooking Channel's Easy Chinese

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Carnitas (aka Hugo's Favorite)

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Mmmm. Carnitas means "little meats," but there's nothing little about the big flavors in this dish.  This is my version of the spicy, crispy, shredded pork that's great served with tortillas and all the fixins'. Basically, you braise the meat until it's really tender. Then you shred it and broil it briefly to crisp it up. Serve it with tortillas, rice & beans or as tacos. It takes a little time, but very little effort and is a great way to serve a crowd on a budget.

Note: So, after I wrote this and took almost all the pictures for this post (I was just about to put the pork under the broiler for the final step), I left the room briefly and returned to find my dog ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER. Yep, he ate almost the entire pan of carnitas! He's not a big dog. I expect he'll be muy sick later. Those of you who know Hugo won't be surprised by this...just add it to your list of my crazy dog stories. Anyway, he left me just enough to snap a photo...we ate ground beef. Take my advice and don't leave this one unattended, apparently it's irresitable!

Trim as much fat as possible from the roast and generously salt & pepper.  Cut it into 3 big chunks so it cooks faster.

I used my Pressure Cooker here to cut the time by a third, but you can use any heavy, covered pot.  Pour in a small (about 8 oz.) container of salsa verde and some water to just cover the meat. I bought some salsa at the farmer's market this week and the sweet lady threw this salsa verde in for free, so I thought I'd make good use of it here. Alternatively, if you don't have any salsa verde on hand, just add some spices you like (cumin, chili powder, cayenne, etc.), some sliced onion and a couple cloves of garlic.

Lock the lid on your Pressure Cooker, if using, bring to pressure and cook for 1 hour. Or, bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, cover and place in the oven for 3 hours. I've done it both ways and had equally delicious results.

Remove the meat from the pot to a bowl and shred using 2 forks. 

Transfer the meat to a baking sheet, pour a little of the cooking liquid over it and put it under the broiler for about 5 minutes until it's crispy in places.

I made tostada shells by spraying corn tortillas with cooking spray, adding a sprinkle of coarse salt and baking at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Carnitas

serves 6 people (or one crazy dog)

2 3/4 lb boneless pork shoulder

Salt and pepper

8 oz. salsa verde (store bought is fine, or make your own)

1 1/2 cups water

Suggested toppings:

chopped cilantro

shredded cheese

chopped onion

guacamole

1. Trim fat from the pork, cut it into 3 chunks and salt and pepper liberally.
2. Add pork to the pot of a pressure cooker or oven proof pot with lid. Add salsa and water just to cover pork. Lock the lid of the pressure cooker, if using and bring it to high pressure. Cook for one hour.  Alternatively, in a regular pot, bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Cover and place in a 350 degree oven for 3 hours or until the pork is fork-tender.
3. Remove pork from pot to a large bowl, retaining 1 cup of the braising liquid; using two forks, shred the meat, discarding any fatty pieces.
4. Transfer meat to a baking sheet, add 1/2 to 1 cup of the braising liquid and broil for 5 minutes to crisp the meat slightly.

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