Spaghetti & Chickpeas

My dad loves chickpeas. Really. He eats them on salads, by themselves and even sauteed with green beans. They're one of his favorite foods. So naturally, any recipe that features chickpeas gets an automatic turn at the dinner table. This one was no exception. I never would have considered mixing spaghetti and chickpeas together, but Smitten Kitchen did, and we loved it. I liked the idea of the chickpeas adding some extra protein to a pasta dinner without adding the extra calories of meatballs.


Ingredients:
15 ounces canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained or about 2 cups, freshly cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup chicken stock
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pancetta, diced (a little shy of 2 ounces)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Pinch chile flakes
1 14-ounce can tomatoes, chopped
10 to 15 basil leaves
Salt to taste
1 pound spaghetti
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Get Cookin'

Set 1/3 cup of chickpeas aside. In a blender or food processor, combine remaining chickpeas with chicken stock and pulse a few times until chickpeas are chopped.

Place a large pot over medium heat and add EVOO and diced pancetta. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly browned. Add onions, garlic, and chile flakes; cook until onions and garlic are translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add chickpea mixture, tomatoes, and basil, and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook until al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta water and drain the rest.

Toss pasta with chickpea sauce, reserved chickpeas and half of the reserved pasta water until evenly coated and heated through, about one minute. If sauce still feels too thick add reserved pasta water as needed. Season again, as needed, and serve with grated Parmesan to pass.

Mac & Cheese

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Both of mine were delicious. We first ate with Jesse's family and then came to my parents house for round two. Both meals were so different (mashed potatoes & green bean casserole at his house, homemade noodles and desserts from scratch at mine), we were utterly stuffed when we were finally finished.

 Awesome montage of mac & cheese box mixes from here

Continuing my comfort foods made healthy theme, I made macaroni and cheese, one of my absolute favorite meals ever, a bit healthier this time (from Right at Home). I was nervous about the broccoli in this dish, but it was surprisingly good and didn't take away from my mac & cheese! Homemade macaroni and cheese is so much better than the Blue Box--honestly, if you've never made if from scratch, do it! It's worth it.

Ingredients:
8 ounces multigrain elbow macaroni (about 2 cups)
4 Tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
4 Tablespoons butter
1 cup skim milk
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
2 cups broccoli, chopped into small pieces
2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs (my family makes bread crumbs from scratch)




Get Cookin'

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease a 9-by-12-inch baking dish

Cook the macaroni and drain.

Mix the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the seasoned flour whisk constantly until the mixture is thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisking constantly, gradually add the milk and half-and-half until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is very thick and smooth, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cheese, half a cup at a time, stirring thoroughly each time until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat. Add the cooked macaroni, stir to combine.

Layer the bottom of a baking dish with the broccoli and tomatoes. Spoon the macaroni and cheese over the vegetables. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until the top is crisped and lightly browned.

Tuna Casserole

I'm so excited it's finally getting chilly in PHX! Right now it's 59 degrees and everybody around campus is walking around bundled up in ASU sweatshirts and sweatpants with a cup of hot coffee in their hand (like Starbuck's Christmas Blend, my favorite!).

Anyways, winter weather means delicious comfort food, like tuna casserole. While I may not eat the tuna casserole served at the dining hall downstairs, I'll never pass up a homemade one. This recipe is from Eat Better America, which "healthifies" traditional comfort food. So, don't feel too guilty about eating this for dinner tonight!

 photo from here

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups uncooked multigrain pasta (your favorite shape!)

2 teaspoons EVOO
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 

1 medium onion, chopped 

1 package (8 oz) fresh mushrooms, chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup (buy the 45% less sodium, condensed 98% fat-free kind)

1 container (8 oz) sour cream (reduced-fat )
2 oz cream cheese, softened (1/3-less-fat kind is best)
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cans (6 oz each) solid white albacore tuna in water, drained
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese 

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
12 stone-ground wheat crackers, coarsely crushed (about 1/2 cup) 

Frozen peas (I added this to the original recipe, maybe 1/2 of a frozen package?)

Get Cookin'

1  Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook pasta as directed on package; drain.

2  In a nonstick skillet, heat EVOO over medium-high heat. Saute bell peppers, onion, mushrooms and garlic until vegetables are tender.

3  Stir in soup, sour cream, cream cheese, milk and pepper until well blended. Stir in tuna, pasta and Cheddar cheese. Spoon into baking dish; spread evenly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and crushed crackers.

4  Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or top is golden brown and mixture is bubbly.

I think this could be converted to a crockpot, I'm going to experiment with that next time I make this!

Spanish White Beans with Spinach

I read a depressing statistic a few days ago: The average American adult gains 10 pounds between Halloween and New Years. Eek. That's a whole jean size. Yuck!

So, I'll be focusing on giving you some healthy alternatives over the next month to help keep us all fitting into our jeans! Today: Spanish white beans with spinach, originally from Gourmet (November 2009 issue).

Ingredients

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika 

2 (19-ounces cans) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup water

2 (10-ounces) bags spinach, tough stems removed

Get Cookin'

The original recipe wasn't made for a slow cooker, but I converted it into one to fit into my week. If you don't want to use a crockpot, just sautee the recipe in a pan on the stove--quick and easy, too.

Throw everything into the crockpot for 4-5 hours on low (you're really just letting the onions cook down and allowing the flavors to come together). About an hour before you're ready to eat, add the spinach to the slow cooker.

Pumpkin Recipes

I wish the window for cooking pumpkin was bigger! Trying to fit in all the yummy pumpkin recipes I've found across the web it tricky. Here's an on-going list of new pumpkin recipes to try!

photo from here 

Pumpkin Pancakes
Moroccan Pumpkin and Lentils
Pumpkin Party Mix
Pumpkin Bean Soup 
Pumpkin & Black Bean Soup
Gingered Pumpkin Soup
Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin-Bourbon Pudding
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake (no-bake!)

Mulligatawny Soup

Last semester the dining hall served mulligatawny soup for dinner one day--I was skeptic, but tried it. It was amazing, and I've been looking for a recipe to recreate it. Stephanie O'dea at A Year of Slowcooking has the winning recipe for mulligatawny soup! 

I thought this was fitting for the first day of fall. The leaves don't change color in Arizona, but a girl can live vicariously through NY pictures!

photo from here

The name is weird and the ingredients may sound weird, but it is superb! Give it a try, please!
 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup peeled and chopped apple
1 cup chopped carrots
1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 tablespoon dried minced onion flake
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons curry
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup long grain white rice (to add later)

Get Cookin'

Put the chicken thighs into the bottom of the crockpot--add apple, carrots, tomatoes (juice, too), onion flakes, and raisins,lemon juice, spices, and broth.

Stir to mix the spices.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

Turn to high and stir in the uncooked rice about an hour before serving. 

Lemony Grilled Lamb Kebabs With Peppers and Onions

I love Mediterranean food. Give me the lamb, hummus, pita, anything! This is easy, healthy and would go great with the orzo salad I blogged about earlier today.

photo:http://tinyurl.com/28uolhu

Ingredients:

• For the kebabs:
• 3 1/2 pounds lamb top round or boneless leg, cut into 1 1⁄2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 4 bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2-inch-wide strips
• 2 medium red onions, each cut into 6 wedges (root ends left intact)
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
• For the relish:
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint
• 4 scallions, chopped

Get Cookin'

1. Heat grill to medium-high. Thread the lamb onto the skewers. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with the oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
2. In a large bowl, toss the bell peppers and onions with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
3. Grill the lamb skewers and the vegetables, turning frequently and brushing with the lemon juice, until the lamb is medium-rare and the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve with the Mint and Scallion Relish and the lemon wedges. 
4. For the relish:
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
6. Stir in the mint and scallions.

Orzo Salad With Zucchini and Feta

My father eats more zucchini than the average person. It's his favorite veggie. He's kind of picky about some other veggies, so we are always trying to find new spins on zucchini. This sounds delish. Thanks, Real Simple!

photo:http://tinyurl.com/22ojmw5

Ingredients: 

• 8 ounces orzo (1⁄2 box)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/4 pounds small zucchini (3 to 4), cut into thin half-moons
• 8 ounces Feta, crumbled (2 cups)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Get Cookin'

1. Cook the orzo according to the package directions. Drain and run under cold water to cool.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, red pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the zucchini and let marinate, tossing occasionally, for 20 minutes.
3. Add the orzo, Feta, and dill to the zucchini mixture and toss to combine.

Fire-Seared Antipasto Platter

It's sweltering in Arizona. It's monsoon season which native Arizonians aren't prepared for. The humidity is high and I feel like I have to swim through the air because it's so thick and heavy. Yugh! Where's the dry heat we talk up to the rest of the nation? Thanks to Cooking Light for the recipe!

Anyways, I found a delicious, hot weather dinner option that's perfect for August.

Photo credit: Cooking Light

Ingredients: 

        Dressing:

• 6  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 3  tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
• 2  teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 2  garlic cloves, minced 
•  
• Vegetables:
• 3  plum tomatoes, halved
• 2  red bell peppers, quartered and seeded
• 2  yellow bell peppers, quartered and seeded
• 2  zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1  red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1  (1 1/2-pound) eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• Cooking spray
• 
  Garnishes:
• 4  ounces  prosciutto, thinly sliced
• 1  ounce  capocollo, thinly sliced
• 2  ounces  fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh basil
• 2  teaspoons  capers
• 6  green olives, sliced
• 1/8  teaspoon  kosher salt

Get Cookin'

1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.

3. To prepare vegetables, brush 1/4 cup dressing evenly over tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, onion, and eggplant. Place vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until lightly charred. Arrange vegetables on platter; brush with remaining dressing. Arrange prosciutto, capocollo, and cheese on platter. Sprinkle platter with basil, capers, olives, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Shepherd's Pie

I found two very different recipes for shepherd's pie that sounded great. One was vegetarian and the other was a hearty Rachael Ray recipe. I combined them, taking out a lot of the meat Rachel Ray called for and replaced it with kidney beans, the "meat" of the vegetarian recipe. Jesse, my dad and I finished up the whole pie--no leftovers! Yay!
Next time, I want to make individual shepherd pies for everybody, I think they'd be cute.
Links to the recipe's I combined into my own: Eat Better America + Rachael Ray = yummy shepherd's pie.

Ingredients:



1/2 lb. ground beef
1 can kidney beans
1 c. beef broth
EVOO
3 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. frozen peas (I used half a can, but I prefer frozen ones)
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 box of instant garlic mashed potatoes (plus milk and butter needed to make them)



Get Cookin'

Add EVOO to hot pan. Brown the ground beef and onions, then add veggies and kidney beans (except the peas) to the pan. Cook, stirring often. In another (smaller) pan, cook the butter and flour over medium heat. Whisk in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Allow the sauce to thicken.

After the sauce is thick, pour it over the beef mixture. Put in oven to keep warm.

Make the mashed potatoes and cover the meat with the potatoes. Garnish with sharp Cheddar cheese, parsley and paprika on top.

Broil in the oven for a few minutes, until the potatoes are browned.

107

When Jesse's family lived in Germany they would go to an Italian restaurant for this pork dish. They couldn't pronounce the real name but they'd call it 107. According to the owner, it was the spiciest item on the menu. After befriending the owner, Jesse's dad got the recipe from him. This isn't so much an exact recipe as it is a list of ingredients to play around with. Frank said every time he makes 107 it comes out differently. But, Jesse and he agree that it always comes out delicious.

Ingredients:
5 whole garlics, sliced, not mashed
1 onion, chopped
pork (this can vary greatly--use whatever pork is on hand. Frank usually uses left-over pork chops, pork roast or pork tenderloin.)
1 package spaghetti noodles
EVOO
butter
balsamic vinegar
salt/pepper
Parmasian cheese


Get Cookin'

In a large frying pan, heat butter and EVOO. Add pork, salt and pepper. After the pork is browned a bit, add onions and cook. In another pot, begin cooking pasta. Add extra salt and some butter into the boiling water.

Cook the pasta al dante, not too much. Be sure to keep some of the water from the pasta.

Add the chopped garlic to the pork and onions. Drain the pasta and mix with the pork mixture.

Toss with more EVOO, balsamic vinegar and top with cheese.

Lentil Tacos

This recipe provides a complete protein. I can't remember where I got the recipe, please let me know if you know!

Ingredients:
1 c. rice, uncooked
1 c. lentils, uncooked
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 can tomato paste
1 packet Taco Seasoning
package of taco shells
Taco garnishes: salsa, cheese, sour cream, etc

Get Cookin'

Start cooking rice on the stove for about 45 minutes.

In another pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the lentils and cook for about 20-30 minutes.

When both are cooked, combine them in a large saucepan. Add tomato paste plus 2 tomato paste cans worth of water. Stir. Add seasoning packet and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Serve in taco shells.

Pasta Sauce from scratch

I haven't gotten to cook very much lately becasue school is taking over! I've been living off canned beans and sandwiches. Blah!

I was planning on making this last week, but I slept in the day I was going to, and that's kind of how the whole week turned out. Good news: I got to make this yesterday! Yay!And, I loved knowing exactly what was in my pasta sauce.

I got the idea from my favorite blog, thanks!



Ingredients:

--handful of sundried tomatos, chopped
--1/2 onion, chopped
--2T garlic
--2T capers, drained
--1T basil (or Italian seasoning)
--1/2 cup frozen peas

Start Cookin':

Put everything except peas in the crockpot and cook on low for about 4 or 5 hours. About 30 minutes before you want to eat, add the peas and cook the pasta.

Serve over pasta.
I used the leftovers on top of a veggie burger for my lunch the next day. It was great on that as well.

Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken

This was my first crock pot meal, thanks to A Year of Slow Cooking!I love Stephanie's recipes! Anyway--here it is:

Ingredients:

Enough chicken for 4 (it can still be frozen)
20 oz. can of pineapple chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Plop the chicken into the crockpot. Drain pineapple, add the chunks, soy sauce and red pepper flakes.

Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 3-4.

Serve over rice, quinoa, or fresh spinach.

Chick Pea and tomato Curry

This is a great meatless curry that doesn't require a lot of funky ingredients. Most Indian food recipes require so many ingredients and spices, I skip them. I don't have room in my tiny apartment for a ton of spices! The Betty Crocker website has a variety of recipes, including dinner recipes--that's where I found this one! Who knew Betty Crocker could make Indian food!?

Warning: this took longer than expected. But, I think it could easily be converted to cook in the crockpot. YAY!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon EVOO
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped gingerroot
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 cans (15 oz. each) chick peas
2 cans (15 oz. each) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 chop finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Hot cooked rice, (to put the curry on top of)
Plain yogert, (just a dollop for each serving on top of the curry)

1. In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic, gingerroot and curry powder in oil for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in chick peas and tomatoes. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro, lemon juice and salt.

3. Serve over rice; top each serving with yogert.

Cheeseburger Chili Mac and Cheese

Crockpot Cheeseburger Chili Mac and Cheese

This was delicious! I actually modified it to cook in the crock pot all day from a Rachael Ray recipe that used the stove top. I also changed the spices to give it a real kick. Plus, the carrot gives us a little vegetable. At least it's something! Jesse and I loved this!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper (this gives is a MAJOR kick, just use 2 Tbsp of chili powder if you don't like spicy foods) :)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 2 cups beef stock (it will cook down in the crock all day)
• Half a box of elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar (the sharper the better!)
• 1 shredded carrot

Yields: 4 servings

Add spices, ketchup, mustard, beef stock, carrot and beef in crockpot. You can put raw meat in the crockpot; it is safe! This saves a lot of time, too.

About 20 minutes before you'd like to eat, boil water and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente and then toss in crockpot to mix with everything else for a little bit. Mix the cheese in too.