Spicy Garlic Chickpea Salad with Lemony Vinaigrette

My work week is always jam packed; I work long days and when I'm at work, I'm lucky if I can take my breaks (and people think librarians only read books...). The food I take to work needs to be quick to make, easy to eat, and delicious, which is not always easy to do.

This chickpea "salad" is perfect and meets all of the above requirements! It also makes perfect leftovers as the flavors meld together and get better over time.

I love that you just throw everything into the bowl and dive in. That's my kind of eating!

Spicy Garlic Chickpea Salad with Fennel and Roasted Tomatoes

Extra-virgin olive oil
Two 15 oz. can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
4 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 pints cherry tomatoes
Rosemary and thyme to taste
1 cup brown rice
Jarred pepperoncini
Small bulb of fennel
Shredded Parmesan
Fresh parsley

Cook 1 cup of rice as directed on package and set aside. In a medium saute pan, add chickpeas, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Saute for 6-8 minutes or until chickpeas start to blister. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss cherry tomatoes with dried rosemary and thyme and olive oil. Roast until they're blistered and beginning to burst open; about 20 minutes.

Put some rice in a bowl and ladle about 1/3 cup of the chickpea mixture into bowl. Add tomatoes and pepperoncini (to taste). Shave about 4-5 pieces of fennel from the bulb (the white part) and add to the bowl. Add Parmesan, parsley, and lemony vinaigrette. Mix to combine and chow down!

Lemon vinaigrette recipe can be found here.
Recipe adapted from bon appetit magazine.

This recipe is super healthy, gluten-free, and can be made vegan and dairy-free (just omit the Parmesan cheese)!

Easy Crustless Zucchini Quiche [Gluten-Free]

It's been rainy here lately and I can already tell that summer is coming to a close. It's almost as though Mother Nature is trying to close summer down early; some of the trees are already turning a lovely burned orange! I may be the only one who feels this way, but the summer is my least favorite season. Whaaat? Yes I said that. I would probably enjoy them more if I moved out of the Midwest, but summers here are equal to being shoved into a steaming pot of hot water and left to simmer.

I can't wait to don blazers and scarves, drink pumpkin spiced lattes, and go pumpkin picking! My dad's garden already has the first signs of pumpkins and gourds cropping up alongside sunflowers and it looks like heaven. When I was visiting my parents last week, they let me raid their overflowing garden and I walked away with several massive zucchinis! Seriously, you could have hurt someone with those things.

That being said, I've been amassing zucchini recipes to try and use them up. I love the idea of eating seasonally, but I'm not used to it! I love being able to say "I want peaches" and find them in the store. But with some produce, eating them out of season just doesn't taste the same. (I'm looking at you tomatoes... you are nasty during the off-season!).

Zucchini is a great vegetable. It's versatile, nutritious, filling, and can be used in sweet and savory dishes. I felt an unusual craving for a quiche, so I put on my thinking cap and dove in.

Easy Crustless Zucchini Quiche
Serves 8

1 3/4 cups of shredded zucchini (about two medium sized zucchinis, and you can always add more)
1 small onion
3 eggs, beaten
2 tbs organic heavy cream (I use the Organic Valley brand)
1/3 heaping cup of Parmesan (or sharp cheddar), plus more to sprinkle on top
1/3 cup Bisquick Gluten-Free Pancake and Baking Mix
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 cup light olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop onion and saute in a pan over medium heat until soft. Set aside.

Slice zucchini into thick strips and cut off the seeds. Shred zucchini until you have 1 3/4 cups.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the heavy cream and dill seasoning. Pour shredded zucchini, Parmesan cheese, Bisquick and oil into the egg mixture. Add onions to the mixture and season entire mix with salt and pepper.

Generously grease a 9-inch pie pan and pour mixture into the pan. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top and put in the oven. Bake for 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Tastes great served warm or cold!

Introduce a Little Parsley to Your Pesto

Fresh herbs and produce are arguably some of the most exciting aspects of the summer months. Farmer's markets are open and stocked full of everything from peaches to crisp lettuce, yellow corn and fresh lemonade. Obviously, I love it. Last summer I was obsessed with growing anything I could in an apartment setting. I wasn't totally successful, but this year our apartment has much better access to direct sunlight and I've been able to grow basil, aloe, and mint. Parsley is another herb that I've come to love. Flat-leaf parsley has a very distinct flavor that freshens any dish.

A few weeks ago, my best friends and I got together for a "girl's night" last hurrah before our friend gave birth to her baby (which happened yesterday!). My friend, Kelsey, made the most amazing pot of basil pesto over spaghetti (and was nice enough to cook gluten-free pasta for me)! Ever since then, I've had a serious craving for spaghetti and pesto. So when I saw a recipe in bon appetit magazine that used parsley, instead of basil, as a pesto, I was interested in trying it.

Parsley Pesto with Spaghetti 
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 pound spaghetti
2 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, pulse walnuts in a food processor until smooth. Add parsley, chives, oil, and Parmesan; process until smooth. Season pesto with salt and pepper.

Toss pasta and pesto in a large bowl, adding pasta cooking liquid by 1/4-cupfuls until saucy (because you might not need the full amount). Season with salt and pepper.

Adapted from bon appetit magazine. 

Sundried Tomato Penne Pasta

So... I kind of love pasta. It's the perfect meal: uncomplicated, delicious, and goes with pretty much everything. It was the first "real" meal I ever made for my hubby, and is therefore my first love in the world of food.

Before I moved out, I had absolutely no interest in cooking, learning to cook, or doing anything remotely close to that. Growing up, my mom tried to teach me what she could, but as she'd turn her back to stir the pot, I'd run off and hide.

One day, it just hit me. I was hungry and I wanted food. How's that for a basic impulse? So I went to our pantry and started experimenting with pasta. I ended up with my own version of farfalle alla vodka (sans vodka... I used cooking wine as it was all we had around). It blew my mind. I loved what I had made and wanted to make more. Ever since then, I have grown to love creating new dishes and making food.

In addition, pasta pairs favorably with my other love: cheese; the more the merrier, I find. What more is there to say? Pasta is amazing!

Sundried Tomato Penne Pasta
Adapted from epicurious
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/4 cup toasted almonds
A handful of parsley, roughly chopped
15-20 pieces of sundried tomato halves
3 tbs of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb penne pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Toast the almonds in a pan over medium heat until fragrant, around 5 minutes. Add parsley, almonds, tomatoes, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until smooth. You can add more oil if it's not blending together as you like. Add salt and pepper to the pesto mixture as you prefer.

Cook the pasta, drain, and toss with the pesto. Add as much cheese as you'd like! Bon appétit.

Chocolate Covered Bananas with Walnuts, Coconut, and Cranberries

I am sorry for my blogging absence. I've been having "technical difficulties" with photo uploading. My card reader/writer broke in half and I haven't been able to get any photos onto my computer for editing and blogging. I don't like to post too many blog posts without original photo content, so I just chose to abstain from blogging until I could get another card reader. But no worries, all is well and I'm back at it. 

I'm excited to share this recipe with you all! I am a snacker- constantly nibbling and eating whatever we have around our place. I wanted to make something to snack on that wouldn't make me feel sick or fill me up to overflowing whilst I continually snack, and I have just the recipe. 

Chocolate Covered Bananas with Walnuts, Coconut, and Cranberries

5 bananas

2 bars of dark chocolate (about 5 oz each)

Small handful of dried cranberries and dried coconut

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Melt chocolate; meanwhile, peel bananas. Place the bananas on a baking sheet or a plate. Spoon the chocolate over the bananas until fully covered. Sprinkle nuts and coconut over bananas. Add the cranberries. Place in fridge and wait until chocolate is set. You can also freeze them if you prefer!

My Five Day Gluten-Free Meal Plan

Ever since I started eating gluten-free this past November, I've had to be much more conscious about the food I eat. Not because I'm counting calories or hoping to lose weight, but because I feel better when I omit certain foods. Naturally, gluten and wheat are two foods/ingredients that I have found to have negative effects on my overall health and well being. 

I have an intense love of cooking, so when I made the decision to cut gluten from my diet, I knew that some adjustments would be necessary. I accepted the challenge! But I soon realized that it wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected. It also required me to meal plan for the week ahead.

I know that meal-planning can be difficult, especially if you are new to eating gluten-free. I thought I'd share my 5 day meal plan! I have found that planning ahead keeps us on track and organized, both with our budget and staying healthy.

This week's gluten-free meal plan:

Monday: 

• Breakfast: Strawberries with goat cheese and honey
• Lunch: Spinach salad with tomatoes, banana peppers, and red onion with balsamic vinaigrette
• Snacks: Honey banana smoothie // cocoa roasted almonds (I buy Emerald brand)
• Dinner: Jerk chicken with pineapple salsa and coconut rice

 

Tuesday:

• Breakfast: Gluten-free banana nut muffins (I use Pamela's baking mix)
• Lunch: Hummus and avocado tacos 
• Snacks: Snyder's gluten-free pretzels with hummus // Honeycrisp apples and honey
• Dinner: G-free pasta with sausage, spinach, mushrooms, and asparagus in Cabernet-Garlic sauce

Wednesday:  

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and Parmesan cheese
• Lunch: Puerto Rican rice and beans
• Snacks: Snickerdoodle Chex mix (sugar, cinnamon, chocolate chex cereal, popped popcorn, butter)
• Dinner: Chicken with avocado-cilantro cream, fresh mango, and jasmine rice

Thursday:

• Breakfast: Chocolate Chex cereal with almond milk
• Lunch: Spinach and artichoke grilled cheese
• Snacks: Tostones (fried plantains)
• Dinner: Butter chicken with cabbage and peas

Friday:

• Breakfast: Smoothie (frozen raspberries, strawberries, greek yogurt, coconut water)
• Lunch: Leftovers from previous dinner
• Snacks: Ore-Ida zesty fries // banana popsicles 
• Dinner: Roasted veggie and black bean rice bowls 

 

Happy planning!

 

How to Make Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

In case you didn't read yesterday's post, Luis and I spent our weekend in Florida for a wedding. We didn't have much time to explore, but were able to slip out Saturday morning and hit up some of the shops and eat. We noticed that there were a ton of Indian restaurants along the main road and made the decision to try one called Green Chili Indian Bistro.

While the website might not suggest fine dining, we finely dined. The server persuaded us to partake of the featured buffet. Let it be known, that I eschew buffets. I hate them. But as we sat down, the scent of curry, butter, cilantro and ginger told me that maybe I should try the dishes simmering in their golden serving pots. So we went with the buffet.

It was the best decision on my life. Alright, I am over-exaggerating, but in terms of culinary experiences, then yes, it was a good decision. Luis ordered an Indian beer and we filled multiple plates full of incredibly flavored dishes. They served butter chicken, which are cubes of chicken simmered in butter, marinated, and served in a creamy tomato sauce; Aloo Bengun, potatoes and eggplant cooked in a zesty sauce; Chana Masala, which is chickpeas cooked in a tomato sauce with ginger and onions; and my favorite was a dish called Bund Gobi and Matar, which is essentially cabbage and peas simmered in garam masala and curry spices.

But what finished off the meal perfectly was the kheer, or Indian-style rice pudding that they served in tiny bowls. I may or may not have gone up for five or more servings... It was a snow white dessert that had a hint of rose water. I was stunned. The minute I got home, I began to search for the recipe. I found one today and immediately got cooking. I based my recipe off of Manjula's Kitchen recipe. I did alter a few things based on what I had in my kitchen. 

Kheer (Rice Pudding) 

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of butter

1/4 cup rice (you can use any kind of white colored rice for this)

3 cups milk (I used almond milk)

1/4 cup sugar

Generous pinch of saffron

A pinch of cardamom (or allspice)

Crushed almonds (optional) 

Directions:

Wash the rice until the water is clear. I used a strainer and watched until the rinsing water was clear. Melt butter over medium heat. Add rice and saute for about 2 minutes. 

Add the milk and stir to coat. Cook until rice is tender, stirring often as the milk will sit on the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until milk becomes creamy and reduces to about half of its volume. 

Add sugar, cardamom (or allspice), saffron and let simmer for another few minutes, covered with the lid. 

Turn off the heat and let the rice sit in the sauce. It will thicken as it cools. If the sauce isn't creamy enough, simply simmer the rice covered another time. Serve warm or chilled with the chopped almonds as a garnish.

Makes about two servings. 

This recipe is gluten-free, and can be made vegan and dairy-free, provided you use almond or coconut milk and a different oil for the initial step.

Gluten Free Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Cornbread

Yes, you read that correctly: gluten free! I must say that I am super proud of this recipe. Despite having a certain food intolerance, I believe that cornbread should always be in someone's regular diet. What's not to love? There's the crumbly-yet-moist texture, and the cozy corn flavor.

When I was little, we would make cornbread from the Jiffy box mix. We always kept two or three boxes on hand in our pantry for cold days, or even bad days. They come out of the oven warm and steaming and gold.

Nowadays, my cornbread making skills are a little more advanced, and the mixes that come in the boxes contain wheat; I'm forced to become more creative.

Gluten Free Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Cornbread

For this recipe I used cornmeal and a gluten free flour by Bob's Red Mill. 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup of milk

1 cup of gluten free flour

2/3 cup cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup of sun dried tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine softened butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixture, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs; mix well. Stir in sour cream and milk. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining ingredients. Beat just until mixed.

Pour batter into greased cast-iron skillet (or 8-inch square baking pan). Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm!

Look at that beauty? 

Enjoy!

Scrambled Eggs with Spinach & Parmesan

It may be a bit late in the day for a scrambled egg recipe, but if you're anywhere near the Midwest, you're in need of some good, hot comfort food. The snow is coming down here.

I, for one, have cancelled all of my plans for today and am holed up in my apartment, watching the snow pile up on the cars lining the road. It's relentless! Mother nature is laughing at us. 

So, I'm laughing back by filling my kitchen with hot, delicious food (I currently have banana-nut muffins baking in the oven). Eggs are the classic, go-to comfort foods; they're so easy! You can put pretty much anything in them and the result will be favorable. Well, maybe I shouldn't make such a bold statement. Someone might challenge me with a nasty omelet rendition. Either way, this concoction was too sumptuous to let it sit alone in my head. It must be shared. 

Scrambled Eggs with Spinach & Parmesan
Adapted from bon appetit magazine

2 large eggs
1-2 cups of spinach
Olive oil
2 good pinches of grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
Salt and pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes

Whisk eggs together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper; set aside. Heat a glug of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and stir to coat them in the oil. Toss until they are wilted, about 1 minute.
Add eggs and cook; stirring until just set. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

1 serving

Stay warm!

Rosemary Vanilla Truffles

I know that it's January and most people have sworn off all foods lacking in health benefits, but if I could just tempt you to hold off until you taste these, you would not regret it. I was browsing through the annals of Design*Sponge when I discovered an article featuring Johnny Battles, founder of Sweeteeth Chocolate. I loved reading about his experiences with being a self-taught chocolatier and owner of a very successful shop in South Carolina; I don't know what would be more enjoyable than that kind of career!

Mr. Battles generously shared three chocolate truffle recipes, each sounding more delicious as I scrolled down the page. I chose to recreate the Rosemary Vanilla truffles and give them, in part, as Christmas gifts this past holiday. 

As I know I have mentioned more than one time on this blog, I'm an enthusiastic foodie. I become wild-eyed at the sight of cheese rounds or crisp, white endives, and completely loose it over a glass of wine or perfectly cooked lamb chops. I'm so inspired by the mixture of unorthodox ingredients, as Mr. Battles has done in all three of his recipes on Design*Sponge; rosemary and vanilla would not be two flavors I would have associated before, but now it makes sense. Rosemary is a slightly sweet herb that adds something delightfully unusual to an otherwise predictable "vanilla truffle." 

Rosemary Vanilla Truffles

Makes 40-50 tablespoon sized truffles

Ingredients

12 oz. dark chocolate (do not use baking chocolate)

4 oz. milk chocolate

10 oz. heavy cream

3 oz. corn syrup

2 oz. butter

1 vanilla bean (or 1/2 tbs vanilla extract)

Several small springs or pieces of fresh rosemary

Cocoa powder for dusting

Directions

Chop the chocolate into tiny bits and combine with the butter in a medium to large bowl and set aside. Wash your rosemary and add with the seeded vanilla bean (or extract) to the heavy cream and corn syrup in small saucepan, bringing to a rolling boil. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, bring the cream to a second boil and immediately pour through a strainer over the chocolate mixture, gently agitating until all the chocolate has come into contact with the hot cream. Let sit for about 3 minutes. Whisk the mixture (ganache) vigorously until it’s smooth and well combined. If any lumps remain, you can put the ganache in the microwave for short 10-second intervals, stirring gently between, until the ganache is completely smooth. Careful not to overheat!

Once you have achieved a smooth chocolate mixture, pour the contents into a container and cover with plastic wrap. Place the container in the refrigerator until firm and set, preferably overnight. 

Sift cocoa powder into a large dish. Scoop out a small amount of chocolate with a spoon or melon baller and if not already so, roll into a round. Roll to cover in the cocoa powder. You can either serve them right away or put them in a sealed container and keep them in the fridge for up to two months. 

Original recipe courtesy of Johnny Battles; I edited it slightly based on personal preference.

I purchased tiny take-out boxes from a nearby Chinese restaurant, lined them with parchment paper and wrapped them with twine for little holiday gifts! It was so much fun making these.