Chickpea and Sweet Potato Stew

With this winter being dominated by blizzards and single digit temperatures, hubby and I have been craving warm and hearty meals to stave off the bitter cold. So we turned to the most hearty items in our pantry; sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and carrots.

Once we made this stew we could not stop eating it. We started making variations and ultimately had this for lunch and/or dinner 5 times in one week. It is so versatile. You could probably make hundreds of variations on this stew and never get tired of it. So get started!

 

In a large pot, heat oil. Saute garlic and onion until soft. Add turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger and cook about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, and chickpeas and simmer for 35 minutes. Stir in kale and remover from heat. Cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with couscous and garnish with cilantro and greek yogurt.  It's time to eat!

Lamb Flatbread with Pine Nuts

Every year my husband and I buy ourselves some new cookbooks at Christmas. This year we bought The Big Book of Breakfast and Jerusalem. While The Big Book of Breakfast is delightful and has some great ideas to spice up your breakfast routine, Jerusalem blows it away.

Written by two men from different parts of the city, Jerusalem is packed with lovely stories, rich history, and stunning photos. In fact, the first time I cracked it open I sat and read it like a normal book. It is full of colorful stories that provide a peek into two very different cultures and all of the ways those cultures combine in a kaleidoscope of culinary joy.

It was impossibly difficult to choose which recipe to try first. So I just chose based on what ingredients were readily available. The great thing is that so many of the ingredients were already in my pantry - chickpeas, paprika, couscous. Once I got started, inspiration swept through me. The flavors and textures were just fantastic.

Now my goal is to make every recipe in this book before the year is over (it's a big book). This recipe is a variation on the Stuffed Eggplant recipe in the book. We didn't have eggplant but we did have some delicious flatbread. We made the stuffing, with a few little tweaks, and piled it on top of the flatbread which had been smeared with tahini. I served it with some chopped cucumber that I tossed with a little salt, lemon and parsley. I could eat this every day. Seriously.

In a large, deep skillet heat oil and saute onion, garlic, a pinch of salt, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon until onion is soft and spices are fragrant. Add lamb, parsley, tomato paste, pine nuts, lemon juice and sugar. Cook until lamb is browned. Serve on flatbread with tahini. You could also add some rice or couscous for some extra texture.

Sausage with Kale and Peppers

Kale is the amazing little veggie that could. Although it looks more like a lettuce, it is actually a form of cabbage. Like its relatives broccoli and brussel sprouts, kale is high in beta carotene, vitamin K and vitamin C.

During World War II, the cultivation of kale was encouraged with the Dig for Victory Campaign. Victory Gardens, as they were called, were popular in the U.S., Britain, and Canada because of the lack of some foods due to rationing. The war efforts put a great deal of pressure on the public food supply, so Victory Gardens were a great alternative.

There is nothing more satisfying than growing your own food. Unfortunately, we haven't been growing anything in our little garden this summer. So I grabbed myself a big bunch of delicious kale at the market and whipped up a delicious garden fresh meal. This dish is so simple and really lets the flavor of the kale come through. Enjoy!

Sausage with Kale and Peppers

Ingredients

4 sausages (chicken or pork), sliced
1 pound fresh kale, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, julienned
1/2 red pepper, julienned
1/2 green pepper, julienned
1/2 yellow pepper, julienned
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, melt butter on medium high heat. Add onion and peppers and saute until slightly transparent. Add sausage and saute until almost cooked through. Remove onions, peppers and sausage from pan.

In the same pan, add chicken broth and kale. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Add sausage, peppers and onions and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes.



German Potato Salad? Ja bitte!

I love Germany. Before I visited Bavaria, many of my friends joked that we would find nothing but sausage and kraut. Although that would have been fine with me, I found quite the opposite. There was a wide variety of traditional and international options. I have had "German Potato Salad" here in the states. But when I had it in Munich, it was entirely different. Somehow, when this dish made its way to America something got lost in translation.

On a dark and cold winter night, we trekked through the empty streets of Munich. When we came upon the Hirschgarten Biergarten, we thought it might be closed. The log cabin style building was almost ghostly in it's stillness. But as soon as we opened the door, the sounds of clanking steins and jovial conversation came pouring out.

Just sitting in that dimly lit room and smelling the aromas would be enough to drive any human to gluttony. But it was my first bite of REAL German potato salad that sent me into a full fledged foodgasm. Between that and the Schnitzel, I could have died happy right there.

So in honor of my German nostalgia, today's recipe is German Potato Salad. Enjoy and share the love!

German Potato Salad



Ingredients

4 large red potatoes, cut into 1" cubes

1 medium yellow onion, julienned

5 - 7 slices of thick cut bacon

1/2 cup peas

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp brown mustard

3 tbsp olive oil

1/8 tsp black pepper

salt

nutmeg, whole (not ground)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pot, boil potato cubes for 4 - 5 minutes or until al dente. Remove potatoes from boiling water and place in ice water for about 1 minute.

*Quick Tip: Make sure you do not cook the potatoes completely. The ice bath will quickly halt the cooking process.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon until almost crisp. Remove bacon from pan but leave the grease in the pan. Place bacon on a baking sheet and bake in oven for 3 -5 minutes or until crisp. When bacon is finished, allow to cool and chop into small pieces.

In skillet with bacon grease, saute onions, garlic and peas until onion becomes almost transparent. Add potatoes and cook on high heat for 5 - 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain off grease and add bacon to mixture.

In a small bowl whisk together mustard, olive oil and pepper until well combined. Add to potato mixture and stir to coat. Salt to taste and grate just a dash of nutmeg over the top. Serve warm.

Shrimp and Asparagus Fettucine

Time to tackle shellfish my friends. Shrimp and pasta always play nice together.

So let's talk ingredients. As with other seafood, shrimp is high in calcium, iodine and protein but low in food energy. A shrimp-based meal is also a significant source of cholesterol. Shrimp consumption, however, is considered healthy for the circulatory system because the lack of significant levels of saturated fat in shrimp means that the high cholesterol content in shrimp actually improves the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol and lowers triglycerides.

Your choice of olive oil is especially important. When you are making an olive oil based pasta dish, there is nothing worse than a bland, oily taste. So choose an olive oil with a rich green color for the most robust flavor.

Now on to the yummy stuff! The key to a great dish is uniformity. Make sure your veggies are all cut to similar size to make for easy bites.

Shrimp & Asparagus Fettucine

Ingredients

1 pound shrimp, cleaned and deveined
1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, pressed
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan
Salt & pepper to taste

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Be sure to salt the water before it begins to boil. This will add a subtle flavor to your pasta and make for a better texture.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsps of olive oil on medium heat. Saute onion and asparagus until onion becomes translucent. Add 2 more tbsp olive oil, garlic and shrimp. Cook until shrimp becomes pink throughout. Lower heat and add remaining olive oil. Add pasta and, using tongs or two wooden forks, combine all ingredients in the pan and let cook another 3-4 minutes stirring occassionally. Salt and pepper to taste during this time.

Remove from heat and toss with fresh parsley. Top with grated parmesan and serve with a light, flaky bread and some good wine. Mmmm!



Never had a fish taco? You are missing out!

While visiting the tiny town of Isla Mujeres, Mexico I had my first fish taco. At first glance, 'fish taco' is not what makes my Western brain go "Mmmm!" But I am not one to pass up an opportunity to try something new. After my first amazing encounter with these delicious treats, I was hooked. I had at least one every day I was in Mexico. It didn't even bother me that no matter where I went, if I asked what kind of fish it was the only answer I got was "It's fish."

Naturally, once I was home I had to experiment with my own version of this delicacy. I am including a recipe for the hottest and most amazing salsa I have ever eaten. We discovered it at a little restaurant on the island and the owner was happy to share his recipe.

Fish Tacos & Onion Salsa

Ingredients

Fish tacos:

1 large cod or haddock fillet, cubed

1 cup flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 can beer

corn tortillas (see recipe in previous post)

Onion salsa:

One whole yellow onion, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 dried habenero pepper, minced**

salt

Fill a saucepan with vegetable or peanut oil (about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep). Heat the oil to about 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, egg, and seasonings. Pour in enough beer to reach a thick yogurt-like consistency. (You can make it thinner if you like. This all depends on how much oating you like on your fish.)

Lightly cover the cubes of fish with flour and then dunk them into the batter. Using tongs, gently drop the fish into the oil. When the edges start to brown, flip the pieces over to fry the other side evenly. Remove the cooked fish cubes from the oil and pat them gently with paper towels.

Serve with all your favorite taco toppings and enjoy!

For salsa:

** Warning: Habenero peppers are EXTREMELY hot. When handling them, use gloves and keep your hands away from your eyes and face.

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute until onions become transparent. Remove from heat and add peppers and salt to taste. It is so simple but bursting with flavor. If you love heat, you HAVE to try it!