Esquites

Esquites is like Elote but off the cob, much easier to eat but has the same yummy creamy, tangy, spicy flavor that I love.  While the Boy won't touch this with a 10 foot pole (he's mayo-phobic), I love it and it's a super easy side dish to go with tacos, enchiladas, or even huevos rancheros.  You can either use corn on the cob, or for an easier version, I used sweet white frozen corn.

Esquites (serves two):

2 cups of frozen corn
1-2 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 scallion, thinly sliced
5 cilantro sprigs
1 lime, zested and juiced
queso fresco or Parmesan, freshly grated

Heat up a frying pan super hot, add the frozen corn and be careful, they will pop.  Cover and "saute" for a few minutes, until the corn has a little char on it.

Add to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and taste for seasoning.  Serve warm immediately.

Pea Crostini Dip

I really don't know how to name this post...

This pesto like dip/spread/appetizer literally came out of what I had in my freezer and pantry.  We were hosting an impromptu Wine Wednesday night and I didn't have time to go to the grocery store beforehand and it was just a small party so, I winged it.  This dip was nutty and sweet with a little bit of heat from the red pepper flakes and it had a lovely green color.  Perfect with Pita Chips, toasted bread, or crackers with some cheese.

Pea Dip/Spread

1/2 an onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 bag of frozen peas
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
1 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
few handfuls of mint
few sprigs of parsley
2-3 tbsp half and half
1/2 cup graded Parmesan cheese

In a sauce pan, melt the butter and olive oil on medium heat.  Add the onion and saute til translucent.  Then add the garlic and the breadcrumbs and saute for a minute or two, until the breadcrumbs start smelling nutty. Add the peas and cook for one more minute.  Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Let cool for a few minutes.

While waiting for the peas to cool, in a food processor pulse the toasted almonds until a paste.  Season with bit of salt.  Add the cooled peas, onions, etc into the processor, add the mint and parsley and puree until smooth.  Taste for seasoning.

Transfer to a serving bowl and fold in the half and half along with the graded Parmesan cheese.  Let refrigerate (because let's face it, I didn't wait until the peas were completely cool) until ready to serve.

Yeah, go devour it...now.

Parsnip Puree

I learned how to make this dish from a friend of mine that is the executive Sous Chef at Volt in Frederick, MD.  He made this amazing dish of Seared Scallop over a Parsnip Puree with a Watercrest Salad.  It was one of the tastiest meals I've ever seen made at a small college kitchen.  After asking him how he made it, I was awed to learn that he boiled the parsnips in heavy cream and then pureed them.  As much as I love food, there are certain things that I won't indulge in, boiling anything in cream is one of them.  I figured I could use non-fat milk with a small slab of butter and result in something similar, I was happily surprised when my family and I had an Easter Dinner with Duck.

It tastes sweet, a bit nutty, and most defiantly creamy.  I add some nutmeg, salt and pepper to the parsnips and that's all you need.

Parsnip Puree:

4 parsnips, cut into 2 inch pieces
quart of skim milk, or 4 cups
1 - 2 tbsp butter
1 tsp - 1 tbsp salt and pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg

In a sauce pan, add everything and turn on the heat.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Cook for about 20 minutes, until the parsnips are tender.  Then use a spider (or a slotted spoon) and put all the parsnips in a blender or food processor.  Add a bit (maybe half a cup) of the cooking liquid and puree.  You may need to add more or less liquid depending on how you would like your consistency, should resemble a more liquidy mashed potatoes.  Taste and adjust for seasoning.  Serve warm!

*You can top with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley as well.

Fish Tacos

I am and will forever be a California girl.  Not the Katy Perry version, but the version that I know; consisting of Rainbow sandals year round, "California Stops," spending the summers at the pool or beach, running the Dish, family Sunday BBQ's, April Showers, and avocados.  Along with all of that comes Fish Tacos.  I grew up eating them, they were at every taquerilla I knew in San Diego, and I learned how to make them fairly quickly from my mother.  I choose the healthier option of grilling or broiling them rather than deep frying, and sometimes (most every time) I add unconventional toppings, like my Black Bean and Corn Salsa.

The boy and I were having a quick dinner one night and decided to opt for Fish Tacos.  They're extremely quick and easy, I think the total time took me to make dinner was 20 minutes for everything.  You marinate the fish for a few minutes (don't marinate the fish longer than 30 minutes or the acid will start cooking the fish and you have ceviche, while it is a very tasty dish, it's not so much the point of this recipe), cook it up in grill pan or broiler, add some toppings and enjoy.  It is really that simple.

Fish Tacos:

4 fish fillets, use any white fish such as Mahi Mahi or Tilapia

shredded cabbage

chopped scallions

chopped cilantro

slices of avocado

corn tortillas

Lemon Chipotle Crema - recipe see below

Marinade:

1/2 cup champagne or white wine (I used prosecco because I had it in my fridge)

juice of 1-2 lemons, I like Meyer Lemons

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 jalapeno or Serrano Chile, chopped AND/OR red pepper flakes

few cilantro leaves
chopped scallions

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Let everything marinate in a shallow dish for 10-15 minutes while you chop the toppings you want on the tacos and make the Lemon Crema.

Lemon Crema:

2 tbsp light mayonnaise

juice of 1/2 a lemon

pinch of salt

pinch of black pepper

few dashes of garlic powder

1/4 tsp chipotle sauce or paste (optional)

Mix everything in a small bowl and set aside to drizzle on top of the tacos.

Heat a grill pan to high heat, spray with non stick cooking spray.  Sear the fish fillets 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the fish.  Take off the heat when the fish flakes with a fork.

Look at that flakey fish with those grill marks

Assemble your tacos:  Corn tortilla, top with fish, add avocado, cabbage, salsa, scallions, drizzle with the crema, garnish with chopped cilantro.  You're done!  Dinner in 20 minutes at the most.

Green Beans with Shallots, Raisins, and Pine Nuts

Green vegetables are a big part of my life.  I've grown up always having a green vegetable and a salad with dinner.  They're tasty, nutritious and really easy to make.  I made up this side dish in college and love it.  You steam or boil some green beans and throw in some garlic, shallots, raisins, some sort of nuts and you're home!

Green Beans:

1 bunch of green beans

1/4 cup raisins

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or toasted slivered almonds

salt and pepper

olive oil

Either set up a steamer or boil some water.  Steam/boil the green beans for 1-2 minutes, 30 seconds before you take out the beans, add the raisins and let them plump up a bit in the water/steam.  Immediately take everything off the heat and put into ice water to stop the cooking process.

In a saute pan, heat up a bit of olive oil and sweat the shallots for a minute or so.  Add the garlic and the cooked green beans and raisins.  Season with salt and pepper and at the last minute add the nuts.  Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Triangoli

It has been one hell of a week. Work was crazy, the boy is out of town, and I have one really nasty flu. I'm doped up on Sudafed, Advil, and lots of tea. It's times like these where, if I am even hungry, I need something quick and homey that doesn't take a lot out of me to make. I had some Butternut Squash Triangloli that Trader Joe's now carries and figured I'd add some vegetables to my vitamin lacking body. You can substitute the peas with spinach, kale, green beans, really any dark vegetable would suffice.

I know I have posted a previous butternut squash pasta recipe before but this is a nice tweak on it. I add pancetta, shallots and peas and also make it lighter without the brown butter sauce. I add some of the pasta cooking water and along with the vegetables, makes a nice and light sauce.

Butternut Squash Trangoli with Peas:
1 Package of TJ's Butternut Squash Triangolini
2 oz. Pancetta
1 tsp butter
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup frozen peas
5 springs of thyme, leaves picked
Salt and Pepper


Bring a large pot filled with water up to a boil. While the water is heating up in a sauté pan, start cooking the pancetta over medium heat with the olive oil. Once the pancetta is crispy, take out with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Add the shallot and garlic to the pancetta fat and let sweat.

Once the water is boiling, add a hand full of salt and add the pasta. Cook for 4 minutes.

Once the shallot has cooked a few minutes, add the frozen peas, butter, the thyme leaves a touch of salt, and some cracked black pepper. Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauté pan with 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Gently stir to combine everything.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve with a caprese salad.

Homemade Kettle Corn

Popcorn is my comfort food.  I absolutely love it and sometimes loathe it.  Love the crunch, the airiness, and the playfulness of popcorn.  I HATE the fact that it gets stuck in your teeth.  I started making my own popcorn with kernels which makes it much healthier for you and you know what is going in your food that you make.  This recipe takes just as long as popcorn in the microwave but I think tastes much better.

Kettle Corn:

2 tbsp corn kernels

1 tsp vegetable/peanut oil

1 pinch of salt

few grinds of black pepper

1-2 tbsp. granulated sugar

In a deep sauce pan, heat the oil on medium high heat and add the corn kernels.  Add the pinch of salt, pepper and sugar and stir to coat all the kernels.  Once the corn starts popping, cover tightly with a lid and shake every few seconds until the kernel popping slows, take off the heat immediately.  Stir everything to combine and sprinkle with a bit more salt.  Pop in a movie, and enjoy!



Cucumber Salad

This is my go to salad when I have any sort of Asian Dinner.  It's crisp, clean and tasty.

Cucumber Salad:

1/4 cucumber, sliced in half moons

2 tbsp sliced scallion (about 1 scallion)

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp light soy sauce

3 pinches of white sugar

2 splashes of tobasco

1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

Make the dressing, then add the cucumbers and scallions.  Toss to coat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Pork Chops with an Apricot and White Wine Glaze

Almost every weekend, I ask the boy what he's craving for dinner on Sunday night. It usually turns out to be a discussion of what we've had in the past week and what we're both sick of. That said, I've been wanting to make this pork dish for a couple of weeks and thought it would be a great Sunday night dinner. I created this in my mother's kitchen with much advice from her, the end result is pretty damn tasty.

You sear the pork on both sides with DUCK FAT (I know, really tasty and enjoy), take them out of the pan, cook the tasty goodness at the bottom the pan with some shallots, white wine, apricot jam and stock. Coat it all and bake it for a few minutes. Done.

Pork Chop with Apricot and White Wine Glaze:

3-4 pork chops

1 shallot, sliced thin

1 tbsp apricot jam

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup chicken stock (optional, or you can add some water or more wine)

salt and pepper

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp duck fat or bacon fat

Preheat oven to 375 F. Season both sides of the pork chops liberally with salt and pepper. In a saute pan, heat up the olive oil and duck fat on medium high heat. Sear the pork chops on each side for about 4-5 minutes, depending on how think the chops are. Once the chops are seared on both sides take them out and let them rest on a plate, cover in aluminum foil.

Add a little more olive oil to the pan if it's dry, saute the shallots with some salt and pepper for a minute or so, till a little soft. Add the wine and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the apricot jam and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and return the pork chops to the pan, with any of the juices on the plate. Coat the chops on both sides with the sauce and put the pan in the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes, till the chops are medium well, a little pink in the chop is ok.

ENJOY!

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

For the first time in a long time I didn't feel like cooking. I went around the corner to try and pick something up that I could warm up and eat quickly. I stumbled upon this Butternut Squash Ravioli and immediately wanted to make it with a brown butter and sage sauce. I'm aware that this recipe is not good for you, but what the hell, it's god damn tasty and everyone deserves a little indulgence once in awhile. This is a super easy dish to make and took me maybe 12 minutes from start to finish. Add a salad and you have a complete meal.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter and Sage

1 package of butternut squash ravioli

4 tbsp butter

7 whole sage leafs

salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg

Parmesan cheese and pine nuts for sprinkling on top

Bring a pot of water to boil and salt heavily (grab a fist full of salt and add it to the water). Boil pasta till they float and are almost cooked, about 6 minutes.

While pasta is boiling, take a saute pan and melt the butter and the sage leafs. Keep an eye on the butter and make sure it starts to brown but not burn. When the pasta is almost cooked take it out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and add directly to the pan. Cook the rest of the pasta in the brown butter and sage for a few minutes and coat all the pasta, season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add a little bit of the pasta water if you would like more sauce. Serve with a sprig of fresh sage, freshly graded Parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries

Another side dish to the asparagus that I made were Sweet Potato Fries. Technically they're Yam Fries because we used yams instead of sweet potatoes but that's just a technicality. You cut up the potato into thin fry like strips, coat with olive oil and some seasoning and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. They're super delicious and extremely good for you.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes, cleaned and cut into thin match like strips
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder (you can use regular or ancho depending on your preference)
1/2 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 400 F. On a lined baking sheet (I used foil) coat the taters in the olive oil and the seasoning, use you hands, get down and dirty and mix it all up. Bake for about 20-30 minutes till the potato is cooked and they're a bit crispy. Keep and eye on them and don't let them get too mushy, you may need to add some olive oil in the middle of the cooking process.

Asparagus

I made a very delicious dinner last night with the boy. It was my take on Steak Frite (recipe soon to follow), however, the asparagus with a bread crumb and egg topping was probably my favorite side dish of the night. I roasted the asparagus instead of steaming them because I like the flavor it develops in the oven. As for the topping, I wanted to use a crumbled egg but put my own little twist on it. This is probably one of the easiest side dishes I've done and yet extremely flavorful.

Asparagus with a Bread Crumb and Egg Topping

2 eggs

1/3- 1/2 cup bread crumbs, unseasoned

1 tbsp butter

1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

4 springs of thyme and parsley, minced

1/2 tsp lemon zest or half of a lemon zested - eyeball it

1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed

extra virgin olive oil - enough to coat the asparagus

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a saucepan, put the two eggs in and add enough cold water to cover them completely. Put on the stove and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, put a top on the lid and take off the heat. Let sit in the hot water for about 15-20 minutes, then drain and fill back up with cold water. Once cool, remove shell (they should come off fairly easily) and separate the yolks from the whites.

While the eggs are cooking, in a pan coat the asparagus in the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.

While the asparagus is roasting. Heat a saute pan with the butter and toast the breadcrumbs till a golden brown, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Transfer to a bowl and let cool a bit, add the Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and the crumbled cooked egg yolks. Add the fresh herbs at the end and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste.

Once the asparagus are cooked, align them on plate and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top in a line, allowing the asparagus to be visible on both sides.

Asian Chicken Salad

I roasted a chicken earlier this week (recipe to follow) and it was magnificent. I decided to take some of the chicken and make an Asian Chicken Salad with it and it turned out pretty tasty. I julienned (very thinly sliced) some carrots and bell peppers, added some green onions, segmented clementines, thinly sliced white onion and toasted slivered almonds with a nice citrus soy vinaigrette. It's a clean light chicken salad that doesn't need to be refrigerated, so great on a picnic or for a BBQ with friends.



Asian Chicken Salad

1/2 a cooked rotisserie chicken, skin off, shredded
1 bell pepper, julienned
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
2 scallions, chopped
1 small onion, chopped in half and very thinly shaved/sliced
4 clementines, segmented or a can of drained Mandarin oranges
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
handful of cilantro leaves

Vinaigrette:
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar or honey
1 inch of ginger, graded
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
dash garlic powder
7 mint leaves, chopped finely
3/4 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp peanut oil

Prepare vinaigrette, and mix well to combine. Toss all ingredients with the dressing in a bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes to absorb the flavors. Serve room temperature or cold.

Mini Quiche Cups

I'm getting very sick and tired of eating some of the same things for breakfast. Everything had a ton of sugar and a ton of carbs in it, and doesn't fill me up till lunchy lunch time. I got an idea to make mini quiche cups that I can take to work, warm up and eat fairly quickly, that saves me from eating another cereal bar.



I know right now my mother is telling me "Well darling girl, why don't you just wake up early and make yourself some nice breakfast?" My response, "I like sleeping."



So last night, after the Lakers won the championship I tackled this task of trying to make these mini quiches. My first attempt went pretty well. It was a twist on Quiche Florentine, the flavors were really amazing and I was fairly happy with the first round. However, I definitely need to tweak it a little bit. I wanted to add some protein so I used Chicken Apple Sausages, turns out, too sweet with the caramelized onions. I would suggest substituting a hot or savory sausage, like a Jalapeno Cheddar, or just a plain Hot Italian Sausage, just make sure they're cooked before you combine it in the egg mixture. This recipe can be easily turned into a fritata or a scramble, you can even substitute the Gruyere cheese with feta and add olives for a Mediterranean twist.



Mini Quiche
8 eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper and beaten slightly
1/2 - 1 cup milk (anywhere from skim to whole depending on how many calories you want to save)
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, I used Gruyere
1/2 bag chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and drained of all water
1 savory sausage, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
2 pinches nutmeg
1/2 tsp garlic powder
olive oil
cupcake liners
non-stick spray



Preheat oven to 350 F.


In a saute pan, heat up the olive oil and saute the onions with a little salt and pepper till translucent on medium heat, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, spinach and chopped up sausage and stir to combine. Add the red pepper flakes, nutmeg and garlic powder and turn off heat.


While the onion mixture cools, mix the seasoned eggs and milk together in a big bowl. Make sure to beat for a few moments to incorporate air to the eggs. Add the cheese, sun dried tomatoes, a touch more red pepper flakes if you wish. Add the onion mixture to the bowl and stir to combine.


Using a muffin tin, place the liners in and spray each cupcake liner with non stick cooking spray. Then spoon in the combined egg mixture into each liner. Make sure not to fill up completely because the egg mixture will rise a bit.


Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Then at the last minute, turn on the broiler and brown the tops so it has a nice crust. These can be rewarmed in a microwave very easily. Just make sure to use the cupcake liners that don't have metal in them.

Curry Marinated Shrimp

I had a BBQ last week with some friends and neighbors. We had a fantastic combination of young and old, neighbors and out of towners, new friends and new boyfriends, it was a great time, ICE included. I made sliders and this amazing marinated Shrimp with Coconut Milk and Curry Paste (I used Red Curry Paste but have tried it with Green as well and it tastes just as good). If you're ok with pealing the shrimp after it cooks with messy fingers I recommend you cook the shrimp with the peals on, the flavor is much stronger, but messier.

Coconut Curry Marinated Shrimp:
1 pound of large shrimp
1 can of light coconut milk (TJ's has a great one)
1/2 stick of lemongrass (optional)
1/2 jalapeno, chopped
1 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
1 handful of cilantro
1 scallion, chopped
zest AND juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp red curry paste
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp coriander
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce (found in any Asian grocery store)
1 tbsp canola oil

Combine all ingredients in a zip lock bag and let marinate for 30 minutes to an hour (don't let sit longer than an hour or the shrimp will start to cook from the acid in the lime).

Place shrimp on a hot grill for a few minutes on each side, they will start to curl up when they are done cooking. Serve immediately with chopped cilantro and scallions.

Crusted Pork Tenderloin

I created this recipe for an easy dinner at home after I had had a long and exhausting day. You rub the pork loin with Dijon mustard and then coat it with a seasoned breadcrumb mixture. It's very easy to make and can feed a family or have leftovers for yourself for the next few days. Not only is pork tenderloin healthy with very little fat, there is no oil or butter used when cooking the loin. Serve it with a salad or a green vegetable and you'll feel like you've had a very complete and satisfying meal.

Crusted Pork Tenderloin:
1 pork tenderloin, about a foot long
3 heaping tbsp of Dijon mustard
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt + a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp gnd black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 F. Pat dry the tenderloin. Combine all the dry ingredients and mix together, then rub the entire loin with the Dijon mustard and make sure there is a nice coat of mustard all over the pork. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the entire loin and make sure all sides are covered with the breadcrumbs. Put the loin on a lined cookie tray and place in oven. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the pork is medium to medium well, or 145-155 F when testing with a meat thermometer.*

*Side note here, don't leave the thermometer in the oven unless you know it can handle staying in the oven. I left my precious meat thermometer in the oven for about 5 minutes and it sadly melted.*

Take out pork when done, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and let rest for a minimum of 5 minutes to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat. Slice 1 inch pieces of the tenderloin and serve with a salad or some sort of green vegetable.

Saffron Chicken

I was home for the weekend visiting my parents and putting in my family "bondage" time, we decided on Saffron Chicken for dinner because, well, it's tasty and easy. Throw everything in a pot, stick it in the oven and it serves a ton of people.

Saffron Chicken

Pieces of 1 whole chicken - cut the breast and thighs into large bite-size pieces (bout 2 inch cubes)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tiny pinch of red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 heaping tsp. of tomato paste
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 cups of chicken broth
1 very large pinch of saffron threads (don't be shy here)
1 cup of rice
EVOO
S+P

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large Dutch oven, heat up olive oil. Liberally salt and pepper the chicken pieces and toss to make sure they're coated (you can throw on a bit of EVOO if you wish). Brown the pieces of chicken, you may need to do 2 batches so you don't over crowd the pot. Pull out browned pieces of chicken and put aside. Add some more EVOO and saute the pepper, onion and garlic. S + P, add the bay, red pepper flakes, and continue to saute till the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the can of chopped tomatoes, the tomato paste and the chicken back into the pot, stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and the saffron threads, stir to combine. Then add the rice and mix around, add some more S+P if necessary. Then put the lid on and stick in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Once done, let sit for about 10-15 minutes to set with the lid on.

Goes really well with a salad of arugula, avocado, slivered almonds, shaved radish, segmented orange and a balsamic vinaigrette.

Garbanzo Curry

The original recipe came from a family I babysat for. I of course tweaked it and made it my own but ohhh so tasty and super easy. It's a great vegetarian meal and is very healthy for you as long as you use light coconut milk.

Here is my Garbanzo Bean Curry:





Garbanzo Been Curry:

1-2 tbsp EVOO
1 can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 can of light coconut milk
1 cup of chicken stock
1/2 a large white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 stock of lemon grass, bruised
1 tsp. red pepper flakes and/or 1/2 a jalapeno minced (take your pick or use them both)
1 tsp. - 1 tbsp. of curry powder
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 pinch of cumin
1 thread of saffron
S + P to taste

In a deep sauce pan, on medium heat, sweat the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, till transparent. Add the lemongrass and curry powder and let the curry powder toast for a few minutes. Add the garbanzo beans, bay leaf, and the rest of the spices and stir to combine for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk and stock. Let simmer for about 20 minutes so everything infuses the broth and coconut milk.

Optional: Add some cooked shredded chicken at the end to the dish for some protein and make it a full meal for those meat eaters.