Spanish Chickpeas and Spinach with Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:
15 cloves garlic (1 head)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1/4 tsp ancho chile powder
1 1/4 cups cooked chickpeas, cooking liquid reserved
1 bunch spinach
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup scallions, chopped

Preparation:
The original recipe says this serves 4--maybe Kevin & I are excessively hungry people but it was just enough for the two of us.

1. Roast the garlic by chopping off the top, sprinkling with oil, salt and pepper. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and roast at 400F for 45 minutes. Set aside to cool when finished.

2. Chop the onion and bell pepper.

3. In a medium non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and red pepper and sprinkle with salt. Saute until tender and translucent, around 5-10 minutes.

4. Stir in the smoked paprika and Ancho chile powder, stirring until fragrant.

5. Drain chickpeas but save 1/4 cup of bean liquid. Add the chickpeas and bean liquid.

6. Stir and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes until most of the liquid has disappeared.

7. Stir in the spinach, adding it in batches, allowing it to wilt.

8. Once all the spinach has been added, turn off heat.

9. Stir in the lemon juice, red wine vinegar,  scallions and roasted garlic. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

This recipe is absolutely delicious. You'll make it once and want to eat it again for the next week of meals!

Enjoy!

Tomatillo Salsa

We've been slightly lame with festive meals the past month--typically repeating some of our ultimate favs (black bean burgers). BUT! Tomatillo Salsa is here and totally delicious!

Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:
1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Husk, rinse and dice tomatillos

Chop jalapeño pepper, onion and garlic clove, set aside 1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to combine and get juices flowing. (We've tried both methods and found success)

Blend on low speed until a coarse puree is formed.

Pour into a dish, taste and add more salt or lime if desired.

Tomatillo salsa has a very different taste than a tomato based salsa but its delicious and absolutely perfect for tacos or any other mexican style dish you are making.

Here is a little vine video of the process, enjoy!

A Festive Feast

New Years Eve Kevin and I came across a new black bean burger recipe and well we are now officially obsessed. We have these burgers at least three or four times in the past month and can't seem to get enough. While visions of black bean burgers danced in their heads...

Black Bean Burgers

Needed:

1 teaspoon canola oil
2 cups black beans, cooked (or 1 can, drained and rinsed)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil 

Servings: 4 Burgers

Preparation:
1. Chop red onion and garlic, and to pan with 1 teaspoon of oil. Saute over medium heat until softened. Set to the side and let cool.

3. Combine beans, egg, oats, onion, salt, pepper and chopped cilantro in a large mixing bowl -- thoroughly mix and mash, leaving a few whole beans. (We have since added chopped green bell peppers to the mix, yum!)

 

4. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into patties.
5. Refrigerate patties for half an hour--this helps hold the burgers together while cooking.

6. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in large pan over medium-high heat.
7. Add burgers to the pan, cooking 4 minutes on each side until firm.

 

8. Garish with some homemade guacamole, onions, and hot sauce on a lettuce wrap.

 

As I said earlier it was New Years Eve so we wanted our last festive meal of 2012 to be a feast to remember. That being said we also made a "side" of roasted potatoes and asparagus -- it really could have been a full meal in itself. 

 

Roasted Potatoes & Asparagus

 

Needed:

1 bunch fresh asparagus

3-4 medium potatoes

olive oil

3 cloves, garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning

salt and fresh black pepper

1-2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley, chopped

Grated Parmesan cheese (the original recipe calls for parmesan but we totally forgot to add it)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Chop 3-4 medium potatoes into small/medium pieces

3. Chop garlic cloves
4. Trim asparagus ends and cut in 1 1/2 – 2 inch pieces

5. In a large mixing bowl toss the asparagus, potatoes, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper together.

6. Mix together until potatoes and asparagus is completely covered in seasonings

7. Grease a roasting pan, casserole dish or sheet pan or line with parchment paper.

8. Roast vegetables about 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

9. Serve with Parmesan cheese. (Definitely going to try to remember the parmesan next time.)

Enjoy!

Lucky

Source

Walking home from the train Wednesday night I was hit by a car. Yes, you read that correctly, hit by a car. It all happened so fast. I was walking on the cross walk with plenty of time left to reach the other side when out of nowhere a car to which I assumed was turning behind me turned into me. 

Given the entire situation I am extremely lucky, and for many reasons. Even though a Toyota Camry had just plowed into me, I wasn't badly injured so I was able to hop up in time from being hit by now oncoming traffic. The man who hit me was very nice and waited around for an hour after the accident to complete a police report when he could have easily dodged a bullet and left the scene. Please note this an excessive amount of waiting considering a police station is literally catty-corner from where the accident took place. After a relatively quick hospital visit I was okay to go home with some minor scrapes and bruising. 

In the days that followed the accident it became more and more surreal--Did I really get hit by a car? Who gets hit by a car?! Well apparently I do folks; let's just add this to the list of bizarre accidents that have occurred in my lifetime. But like I said, at the end of the day I was extremely lucky and I could not be happier that I didn't break or permanently injure myself in anyway.

Phew, I guess 2013 is going to be a little crazier than I anticipated. Let's hope my next adventure is a little less dramatic and life threatening.

Cauliflower Soup

As I mentioned before I'm obsessed with soups and this recipe only proves my recent obsession with soup even more. Enjoy!

Needed:
3 heads garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
3 white onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 heads cauliflower: 3 cored and thinly sliced, 1 broken into small florets
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 cup dry white wine
6 cups veggie stock (plus more to thin, if desired)
2 cups heavy cream (plus more to thin, if desired)
2 1/2 cups (plus 3 tablespoons) finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Cut off tops of garlic heads
• Place each on a piece of parchment-lined aluminum foil
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil
• Wrap tightly in foil, and bake until garlic is very soft, about 1 hour
• Let cool
• Squeeze garlic from peel; set aside
• Increase oven to 350 degrees

• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.
• Add onions; season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring, until soft but not browned. 
• Stir in sliced cauliflower and wine.
• Simmer until wine is reduced by half. 
• Add stock; bring to a simmer. 
• Cover and cook for 20 minutes. 
• Remove cover, and simmer until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes. 
• Remove from heat.

• Stir in cream and 2 1/2 cups Parmesan. 
• Season with salt and pepper. 
• Stir in garlic. 
• Puree in batches until smooth. 
• Thin with more stock or cream, if desired. 
• Return to pot; keep warm on low heat.

• Heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat in a saute pan until almost smoking. 
• Add cauliflower florets, stirring until browned. 
• Season with salt and pepper. 
• Transfer pan to oven and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. 
• Stir in thyme, parsley, and remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan. 

 
  To serve: Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with cauliflower florets.

Kevin had eaten this soup many times before but it was our first attempt to make it ourselves and I must say we did a fabulous job. The soup turned out even better than we expected. I can't wait to try this again or mix things up and do a cheesy-broccoli version!