Meatballs in Sauce

Whether with pasta, at the end of a cocktail fork, or in a sub sandwich, meatballs are fun additions to your cooking repertoire. While they require a good amount of preparation ahead of time, they stew well, hold their shape, travel easily, and are easy to scale for bigger or smaller groups. This weekend I chose to serve them as an appetizer, parked in my slow cooker and making the room fragrant and inviting.

Sauce
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
stems from oregano, parsley, thyme, sage (or a teaspoon of each if you're using dried)

1. In a large pot, add two tablespoons of olive oil and heat over high. 
2. Fry the onion until translucent
3. Add the tomato paste and garlic. Fry until fragrant
4. Add the carrot and celery and cook until softened.
5. If using a slow cooker, transfer vegetable mix to the crock pot.
6. Add the herbs and the crushed tomatoes.
7. Cover and allow everything to be happy together.

Meatballs
60 1-inch diameter meatballs, served 10 people.

1.5 slices white bread
1/3 cup milk
2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup parsley minced
1/4 cup basil, minced
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons oregano
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
3 mozzarella sticks, diced into ~1/4 inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Make panade: shred the bread into the milk. Let it soak for 20 minutes+ to get goopy and break down into small chunks. The panade is the glue that holds the meatball together. It gives the meatballs moisture and heft. I think it also makes the meatballs more mild, soft, and plyable
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, onion, garlic, herbs, ketchup and hoisin
3. Squeeze the bread/milk panade so you remove excess milk. Crumble the panade into a thick pasteand mix into the meat bowl. Discard the extra milk.
4. Get your hands in there - Mix around so all the bits are distributed evenly. Add half the salt and pepper, mix mix mix. If you see extra small white bits of panade, squish it some more.
5. Feel the texture - is the mix sticky and plyable like play doh? That's good. Does it crumble apart (too dry or your onion/garlic is too big)? Add another egg or more ketchup. Does it drip (too wet)? Add some breadcrumbs or more meat.
6. Take a dollop and send it to the frying pan with some hot oil. Make a little patty or ball and cook through. Taste test. Does it need more salt? More pepper? As cooked, is it too "tight" or "loose"? (Tight meaning add more egg/liquid, loose meaning add more bread or meat.)
7. Adjust for any additional salt, pepper, herbs, and texture. Remember that the meatballs will be in sauce later, so consider the sweet tangy sauce in your taste test. Don't start rolling until you're happy!
8. When you get to a mixture you like, start rolling the balls. I like to take a tablespoon of meat mix, make a patty in my hand, put a cheese cube in the middle, and seal the cheese with the meat. Roll into a ball and put it on a plate for now. 
9. When you have enough to fill a frying pan, heat the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil on high. Fry the meatballs, making sure to sear all the sides and so they're cooked through (or mostly through.) This step ensures the meatballs stay in their round little shapes when you transfer it to the sauce. 
10. Transfer the meatballs (not the olive oil!) to the slow cooker/pasta pot. allow to stew together for at least an hour so the flavors mingle and so the sauce takes on the meaty flavor!
11. If serving with pasta, prepare pasta to directions, until al dente. Transfer drained pasta to a saute pan. Add in a few ladles of the pasta sauce so the pasta and sauce can stick to each other. Plate and add additional sauce and meatballs on top. Top with parmesan.
12. If serving as a sandwich, toast some bread, slice it down the center, and add your meatballs. Top with enough sauce to keep sandwich together. Add some mozzarella on top. Maybe some red chili flakes or basil too. 
13. If serving as a side, plate meatballs with just a little bit of sauce. Add some festive toothpicks and garlic toast on the side.

Green Herb Chicken

Green sauce/chimichurri:
1 serrano chile (or 2 jalapeno)
1 cup chopped cilantro
5 cloves garlic
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Four chicken quarters

1. Rough chop all green sauce ingredients, then blend until a chunky sauce 
2. Prep four chicken hind quarters (leg and thigh), removing excess fat, guts, the butt, and anything you won't eat. Try to separate the skin from the meat to form little pockets
3. Apply a teaspoon and a half to each chicken pocket, between skin and meat and smush it to distribute. Its okay if it leaks a little
4. On the outside skin and bottom (with no skin), rub some additional salt, garlic powder, and oregano
5. Heat a large skillet, cast iron, or your favorite heavy saute pan. Add two teaspoons vegetable (or other neutral oil) and wait until the pan and oil are nice and hot.
6. Preheat oven to 425 and prep a roasting pan with a rack
7. In the skillet, sear the chicken on both sides until skin starts to crisp (will take about 10 minutes)
8. When chicken no longer sticks to pan and skin is a lovely crisp brown, remove chicken to the roasting pan (you can keep the saute pan and cook vegetables in it if there isn't too much oil!)
9. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until a thermometer reads 155 degrees F
10. Allow chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before plating and serving

Any leftover green sauce also would serve as a chimichurri, topping a seared steak or cold chicken breast. Also use to season precooked roasted vegetables or chickpeas.

Pork Chops with Summer Peach Salsa

Perry and I just went through a prodigious pork phase (say that three times fast!) because we were testing out pork chop recipes. This version is lighter than the other two recipes because it requires the least amount of seasoning and adds a fruity salsa on top to carry the flavor punch.

This salsa is summery, using ripe peach, tomato, crisp red pepper, and green jalapeno. You could also add cilantro, mint, or red onion if you so desire. The salsa would also pair nicely with grilled chicken breasts or a spinach salad.

Pork Chops with Summer Peach Salsa

Serves 2

Chops:

2 bone in pork chops

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

Salsa:

1 peach
1 tsp sugar
1 tomato
1/2 red pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
6 leaves basil
1/4 lemon (juice and zest)

1. In a shallow dish, mix the soy sauce, garlic powder, and chili powder. Add the pork chops, coating both sides in the mix. Allow pork chops to rest in marinade for about 30 min.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet and rack.
3. Cook chops for 15 minutes, flip, and then another 15 minutes, adjusting for the fat content and thickness of the chops.
4. Check that chops are cooked through, with no trace of pink. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
5. Dice the peach, tomato, red pepper into 1 cm cubes. Mince the jalapeno (with or without seeds and ribs, your choice. I do without.) Chiffonade the basil leaves.
6. Combine vegetables with the sugar and lemon juice and zest. Allow to sit in the fridge until chops are cooked and rested.
7. Plate pork chops, top with several tablespoons of salsa, and enjoy!

Green California Hummus

A friend introduced me to "California hummus" at a local restaurant called Pita Grill, which is a small NYC chain with California Mediterranean flavors. The California hummus is so good, I haven't bothered to check out the rest of the menu. I'm hooked on it. And I decided the only way to cure myself was to try making it on my own!

California hummus is green, herby, but also has that warm nourishment that comes from chickpeas. It doesn't feel as heavy as a typical hummus, but it still carries its weight as a tasty dip at your next event, or mixed with chicken salad. Nom nom!

California Hummus
Serves 4 as a side dish

1 16 oz can chickpeas (garbanzos)
2/3 cup chopped cilantro (stems okay)
1/3 cup chopped parsley (stems okay)
1 jalapeno, chopped (seeds optional)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice, and spices.
3. Using a hand blender or food processor, add half the olive oil and pulse to blend. continue adding olive oil as needed to get the desired consistency.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
5. Serve with carrot chips, celery, pita chips, over grilled chicken, with falafel, wrapped in an omelette...
6. Optional add ins can include red pepper, spinach, cheeses - go crazy.

July 4th Menu - Summer Indoor Birthday!

Summer picnics are a lot of fun - but they're also prone to finicky weather, bugs, noise, humidity, and not enough ice, ever. I wanted to combine a way to celebrate our country, summers, and birthdays all together - but indoors. After all, a hurricane was coming and I happen to love air conditioning and fully functional bathrooms.

I wanted an easy picky menu - something that guests could enjoy eating off a plate, but with one utensil. It had to be something they could pick up and eat over and over, going back for seconds or thirds as desired. Dishes should be happy at room temperature and made in advance. The ingredients also needed to be affordable - we were expecting 20-30 people over several hours!!

Here's what we served:
Pulled Pork Tacos (Pork Tinga)
Meatballs
Herbed Ricotta Pasta Salad
Green Bean Almondine with Sesame Ginger Dressing
California Hummus
Bruschetta
Salsa and Chips
Homemade Ginger Ale
Cold Chai

Winter Entertaining Menus

Feeding large groups is always an endeavor. To usher in the new year, Perry and I decided to go big - we would host two back to back parties. Different groups of friends. December 31 and January 1. And like the overachiever I am, dinner would be homemade, tasty, and hearty.

December 31 was our old church friends, a ladies "cookie party", which was really an excuse for me to bake like it was going out of style (new year's resolutions, anyone?). We had eight ladies and one husband at the table.

Menu:
Soft Pumpkin Cookies
Chocolate Peppermint Crinkles (vegan)
Soft Ginger Cookies (made small, not giant)
Sausage and Pea Tomato Cream Pasta
Sautéed Broccoli
Affogato


In day two of the entertaining extraordinaire, we serve seven guests a hearty winter meal, rich on flavor, but low on kitchen time. This meal does require a good amount of advance planning and prep, but its totally worth it. Then you can spend more time being with people important to you!

Menu:
Miso chicken wings
Seaweed, mushroom, and tofu soup
Slow Cooker Asian Short Ribs - which I would TOTALLY make again
Garlic string beans
White rice
Cookies and ice cream

Sausage and Pea Pasta in Tomato Cream

Feeding large groups is always an endeavor. To usher in the new year, Perry and I decided to go big - we would host two back to back parties. Different groups of friends. December 31 and January 1. And like the overachiever I am, dinner would be homemade, balanced, and hearty.

December 31 was our old church friends, a ladies "cookie party", which was really an excuse for me to bake like it was going out of style (new year's resolutions, anyone?). The number of diners was flexible, so I needed a dish that could be made quickly to accommodate more or less people. Pasta is always a great option here - add more or less pasta to accommodate the group, it cooks quickly, and can be eaten with a gazillion sauces and toppings. This version relies on Italian sausage for the flavor punch. It's flavorful, but you don't need a lot, tastes rich, and mediates me having to salt my own dish. I served the pasta with a side of blanched broccoli and everyone ate until satisfied! (But keep in mind that we also had four different types of cookies around, which will be separate posts!)

Sausage and Pea Pasta in Tomato Cream
Serves 8

6 italian sausage links, squeezed out of casing
2 medium onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon oregano
1/2 pound of elbow macaroni
12 oz of frozen peas
1 cup diced mushrooms
1 pint heavy cream
cornstarch for thickening

1. Heat a nonstick tall pan or a pot. If you are using a pot that may stick, add olive oil.
2. Brown the sausage, breaking apart the meat into small bite sized pieces. Cook until there is no more pink, then drain any excess oil.
3. Simultaneously, heat a pot of salted water and prepare the macaroni as directed, until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside.
4. Reduce the pot to medium high. Add the onions to the pan, scraping the bottom of the pot to remove the suc.
5. When the onions are browned, lower the heat to medium and add the garlic, tomato paste, bay leaf, and oregano, frying together for a few minutes.
6. Add the peas and stir to incorporate. If the pan is getting too dry, add a half cup of the hot pasta water to the pan.
7. Add the mushrooms and cook through.
8. A few minutes before serving, add the heavy cream. Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
9. Make a cornstarch slurry with two tablespoons cornstarch and four tablespoons pasta water. stir until thick yet runny. Pour two teaspoons into the pan at a time, vigorously stirring in the cornstarch before it cooks. Repeat in different parts of the pan until the sauce has desired thickness.
10. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, stirring to incorporate flavors and allowing the sauce to stick to the pasta.
11. Serve! Actually tastes better the day after if you have leftovers.

Stuffed Pork Chops (Mushroom Celery Ricotta)

Stuffed pork chops sound difficult to prepare, but they're really not and totally worth it! Its a fun way to spice up a pork chop without marinating and took me about 20 minutes to whip together tonight. In addition, it uses up potential leftovers in your fridge. Tonight, I served the chops with a complementary kale and apple salad with a mustard dressing.

Mushroom Ricotta Stuffed Pork Chops
Serves 2

2 thick cut pork chops (bone in, about 1 inch thick)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
2 stalks celery hearts (or 1/2 stalk of regular celery)
1 Shitake mushroom
Salt
Pepper
Parsley (optional)
Cumin
Garlic powder
Toothpicks (the round ones are sturdier than the flat ones)

1. Mince the celery and mushroom until fine. 
2. Mix with the ricotta, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper and (any other herbs you like).
3. With a sharp paring knife, cut a slit in the no-bone-side of the pork chops. The slit needs to be about 1.5 inches long, and cut out a large pocket in the inside of the chop. The bone will help you not cut too far in, but allow you to get a large enough pocket to stuff. 
4. Stuff the cheese mixture into the pocket. I managed to get all the stuffing into both chops, but don't be surprised if you have a little extra. The chop will end up being about an inch and a half thick.
5. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. 
6. Using a toothpick, seal the slit in the chop. Basically you want to stick the chop closed in one side and out the other, then back, making a U shaped seam. If your slit ended up being too big, you will need two toothpicks. Try to seal the chop well - the ricotta will melt!
7. Season the outside of the chops with 1/4 tsp cumin and garlic and a pinch of salt. Pay close mind to the parts of the chop without the pocket - you want to make sure they're salted even though they don't have salty stuffing in those bites. 
8. Heat a saute pan with two tablespoons olive oil. 
9. Sear the chops until browned on either side. 
10. Put in the oven for about 5 minutes, until cooked through. 
11. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving (don't want anyone getting burned with nuclear cheese)

Maple Brown Sugar Soy Glazed Pork Chops

Spontaneous dinner parties lead to spontaneous meal planning! I had several pork chops in the fridge and guests coming over in an hour. The chops wouldn't have a lot of time to marinate, so how best to make them delectable? Brainstorming with ingredients at hand, I decided that our menu could use a sweet touch and whipped up a quick glaze to spoon over the chops. The result was tasty, sweet yet savory, and yielded a tender broiled chop that was easy to make and tasty to eat.

Maple Brown Sugar Soy Glazed Pork Chops
Makes enough glaze for 5 chops

2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl, until sugar is incorporated.
2. Place the chops on a broiling rack and tray, bone side facing the outer perimeter of the tray
3. Spoon a teaspoon of the glaze over the meat of the chops, spreading the glaze to the edges. Try not to spill any into the tray, as it could burn easily.
4. Let the chops sit for a few minutes, until you have to put the in the oven.
5. Broil for 10 minutes. When you remove the chops, tops should be caramelized.
6. Turn the chops over, dripping any excess liquid into the tray.
7. Spoon another teaspoon over the pork chops, spreading to the edges, just like the first time.
8. Broil chops for another 10 minutes.
9. Check that the chops are cooked through. Allow to sit for a few minutes and settle. Then serve. 

Quick Dry Rub Pork Chops

Perry surprised me last week by coming over for dinner. I had nothing in my fridge and stopped at the grocery store to see what was good. Pork chops looked great, but when Perry saw them, he lamented, "but now I have to wait for them to marinate!"

Fear not, hungry one.

Quick Dry-Rub Pork Chops
Makes 5 chops

1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Mix.
2. Rub on both sides of chop
3. Pan fry or grill per usual until rub caramelizes and chop is cooked through.
4. Eat.

Roasted Cauliflowe​r Soup

I am constantly craving soup as the temperatures drop and my grumpy-o-meter goes through the roof. Soup has this way of making you warm from the inside out. Any ingredient you have can be made into a tasty soup to warm your soup (and make me a bit less grumpy!)

 

Last night I had a few guests over and had to spontaneously menu plan. I spied some cauliflower on sale in the market - and cauliflower has been surprisingly expensive this year - so I snapped it up to make a creamy vegetable based soup. Roasting the cauliflower imparts a much warmer and round flavor while the roasted garlic adds a layer of pungent but gentle aroma. You can make the soup without the chicken broth or milk and it will still be hearty, smooth, and flavorful, and vegan friendly. Or you can be a bit decadent and add some heavy cream and bacon to the top for an added flavor boost and richness.

 

 

Pureed Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Serves 6-8

 



1 large head of cauliflower
Olive oil
Half head garlic
2 stalks celery
1 large onion
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
2 cups chicken stock
5 cups boiling water
1 cup whole milk (or half cup heavy cream)
Tablespoon salt
Teaspoon pepper
 

Optional: Bacon bits

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Wash cauliflower and break into florets, around 2-3 inches large. Precision isn't key because you are going to puree the soup later.
3. Line a tray with foil and add the cauliflower in a single layer. Drizzle with several tablespoons of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Mix to coat the cauliflower in oil.
4. Take the half head of garlic and slice the top few millimeters from the top, exposing a cross section of the cloves. Drizzle olive oil into the cloves, wrap in foil and place seam side up in the cauliflower tray to roast.
5. Optional: take a small broiling rack and position on top of the cauliflower. Lay three or four strips of bacon to cook and let the fat render over the cauliflower. Bacon can be diced later for bacon bits!
6. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, then stir to distribute heat and surface. Bake another 20 minutes or until golden on the edges.
7. While roasting, dice the onion and celery.
8. In a large stockpot, add the stock, water, bay leaf, celery, and onion to simmer. (I used my new crockpot! Hooray!)
9. When cauliflower and garlic are fully roasted, add to stock pot and allow soup to simmer for a few hours.
10. Before serving, fish out the bay leaf. Puree the soup mixture until smooth. Then add the milk or heavy cream. Salt and pepper to taste.
11. Serve in bowls and top with a spoonful of bacon bits. I imagine sliced scallions, parsley, or fried garlic slices would also make excellent toppers!
     

Ricotta Pasta Salad

The summer is here and that means time with friends and family - pot lucks, beaches, barbecues! That means hotdogs, hamburgers, coleslaw, wings, and potato salad. The All-American cookout.

A dear friend asked me to bring a pasta salad as a side to her barbecue. Of course, I'll be happy to bring what ever you need. Rather than opt for a traditional mayonnaise based salad,  I decided to get creative and stick to my cooking mantra.  Fresh is always better. And unfortunately, nothing spoils a picnic like lukewarm egg products. I decided that ricotta would make a more stable dish. I modeled my dish after the classic Caprese salad, with fresh soft cheese, cherry tomatoes, and basil. Baby spinach lightens the mix of flavors and adds a crunchy texture to the otherwise soft dish.

Ricotta Pasta Salad
Serves 10

1 pound dry pasta, orchiette preferred (I used shells but they tended to roll into each other) 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
8 ounces baby spinach, chopped
16 ounces ricotta
Three handfuls fresh basil leaves, minced (yes, that looks like a lot)
One garlic clove minced
5 sprigs fresh oregano or parsley, minced

1. Slice tomatoes in half, sprinkle with salt and a little sugar and place in a colander to drain excess water.
2. Prepare pasta in salt water as directed until cooked to desired softness
3. Chop spinach and place in the bottom of the serving dish
4. Slice and mince all other ingredients until pasta is done.
5. Drain pasta, and immediately transfer to serving dish, to cover the spinach (this wilts the spinach to take some of the rawness out.) Stir to incorporate.
6. Spread the ricotta over the top, allowing the cheese to melt a little.
7. Mix in the herbs and garlic into the ricotta a little at a time to control herb intensity.
8. Season the dish with salt and pepper liberally, and to taste.
9. Serve cold, room temperature, or hot (if you like creamy sauces).

Cabbage Kielbasa Soup

I never buy the same groceries. I always scour the window ads and browse the weekly circular to see what is on sale and menu plan based on my good finds. While I know this idea may not work for everyone, for most dishes I can plan ingredients and recipes on the go. Today's soup was born out of two purchases I never have on my radar: cabbage and kielbasa. (I channeled my secret Polish grandma that I never had.) The outcome was so tasty, I would definitely make it again.

Cabbage Kielbasa Soup

1 medium white onion
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
1 pound beef kielbasa
1 red pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 16 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 head green cabbage (about 3 pounds)

1. Prepare the onion, celery, carrot, kielbasa, and red pepper by dicing them into 1/2 inch cubes. Mince the garlic. Core and cut the cabbage into ribbons (1/4 inch by 1 1/2 inches).
2. In a 4 quart stock pot (or larger) heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sautè the kielbasa, onion, and garlic. When the onions have softened, add the celery, carrot, and red pepper. Sautè until soft.
3. On the side, boil a quart of water.
4. Add the can of tomatoes to the kielbasa and vegetable mix. Add the cabbage and boiling water to cover and reach the consistency you like.
5. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Season liberally with salt and pepper. A bay leaf, basil, oregano, or a little chili would be good too.

Serves an army.

Escarole, Sausage, and Split Pea Stew

It is 35 degrees in New York. My toes are cold, my humidifier is on high, and I have more layers on than an onion. Which means that it is time for SOUP! I pretty much exclusively live off of soup in the winter months and I have made more soups than is probably normal for someone my age. But I digress, I love soup and here is another recipe.

Escarole is a leafy green vegetable. I was first introduced to it in lentil soup, Progresso to be precise, which I ate with slices of whole wheat toast as a winter after school snack. I rediscovered it in my local supermarket and it tends to be on sale often. Its a bit temperamental as a vegetable - if you cook it even a tiny bit too long, it acquires a bitter aftertaste. So the key to this recipe really is simple: add the escarole at the very last minute.

The following recipe is a meld of two foods I enjoy - lentil soup and yellow daal (an Indian pea soup). It has a lot of meatiness in the sausage and chicken broth and requires very little seasoning.

Escarole, Sausage, and Split Pea Stew
Serves four, about an hour

1/2 pound (1 cup) of dried split yellow peas
1/2 pound of sausage (I used breakfast sausage, but italian is good too)
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, cut into coins
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 head escarole, sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons, no longer than 2 inches
5 leaves lettuce (Optional: if you have a small head of escarole or want to mellow the flavor)

1. Boil three cups of water. Soak the dried split peas
2. Prep all vegetables and remove the sausage from the casing
3. Heat a stockpot on medium. When hot, add the sausage, crumbling into small pieces.
4. When the sausage is mostly cooked through, add the onion, carrots, and garlic. Saute until onion is cooked through.
5. Drain the split peas and rinse.
6. Add the chicken broth, water, bay leaf, curry, and the split peas. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until lentils are cooked through and are soft.
7. Add the escarole and lettuce and stir to incorporate. Cook for about 3 minutes and serve with crusty bread. 
8. Can be served as a hearty side, a chunky stew, or pureed with more water as a creamy soup.

Pumpkin Oat Pancakes (Gluten Free)

Autumn is good for only a few things: crisp apples, no air conditioning, pretty landscapes, and the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte. Otherwise, it really just portends the winter apocalypse, but you know, let's be positive about my toes being perpetually cold between now and April.

To cheer myself of the cold morning blues, I was craving something that tasted like fall, but preferably with slightly less sugar. Pancakes came to mind as a great carrier of pumpkin spice, and a quick scan for similar recipes landed me on Cookie + Kate's banana oat pancakes. Now, Kate is a pro - her photos are amazing, the measurements exacting. and the recipes make you drool. I adapted her recipe, adopting the oat flour so the pancakes would be more whole grain, but substituting pumpkin for the banana.

Pumpkin Oat Pancakes
1 dry cup oats
12 oz pumpkin puree
1 inch grated ginger
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt, and nutmeg
1/2 cup warm water

1. Make oat flour out of old-fashioned oats: Pour one cup of oats into a food processor and process until it is ground well. (I also added a handful of almonds to the food processor to make the pancakes nuttier.)
2. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the pumpkin puree, butter, ginger, and sugar to the eggs and mix.
4. In a larger mixing bowl, mix the oat flour, baking soda, salt, and spices
5. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir a few times to incorporate.
6. The batter should be the consistency of melted ice cream. If it is too thick, add water or milk to thin it. Let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes for the oats to soak up the liquid.
7. Heat up a skillet or non stick pan. Spray with cooking spray if you're not using a nonstick.
8. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan (to make a regular sized pancake). I made mini's so these were about 2 tablespoons of batter.
9. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the pancake is cooked at the edges and the pancake comes off the pan easily. The pan side should be golden brown.
10. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes
11. Serve with maple syrup and apples.

Beef Taco Hamburger Helper Hack

Okay okay, you should know by now that we don't do processed food here at the Chic-Peas. The most processed we get is canned pumpkin and pre-made tomato sauce for lazy days. Kelly is probably going to facepalm that I'm even writing this recipe. Buuuuuuut I'll admit I grew up on things like Hamburger Helper, and Old El Paso taco mixes, and frozen pizza. That's because as a high school student, it was MY job to get dinner on the table most nights, and poor mom had to settle for what I was capable of making unassisted. Since then, thankfully, my eating habits and cooking skills have improved dramatically.

I had a pound of ground beef in the freezer and I was craving something savory, but would pack well for lunches. I had already made stir fry and fried rice this week, so rice was out. And ground beef should be cooked with a sauce that helps you pick up the little bits. And so I thought of Hamburger Helper. I haven't had Hamburger Helper in about 15 years.  Buuuuuuuuuuut I wanted it with veggies. I wanted it to be just a tiny bit cheesy. And I sure as heck was not going to buy a box to help me out. So we're going to do this the right way!

Beef Taco Stove Top Pasta (Hamburger Helper Hack)
1/2 pound lean ground beef
2 small potatoes
1 small onion
1 small bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
1 cup pasta sauce or tomato puree
1 cup milk
3 dry cups pasta shells (get the quick cook variety if available)
4 oz mild cheddar cheese
Salt, paprika, cumin
Cilantro to top

1. Prep your veggies and cheese by cutting them into 1 cm dice.
2. Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or saute pan. Using non-stick is ideal for this as this recipe can get rather messy!
3. Brown the ground beef and the potatoes until 90% cooked and crumbled.
4. Add the onion and peppers. Saute for a few minutes.
5. Add the tomato puree and the milk. Bring to a simmer.
6. Add the dry pasta and lower the heat to medium low. Stir the pot to make sure the pasta is wet. If the mixture doesn't have enough free liquid, add half a cup of water. Cover and stir every 2-3 minutes for about 10 minutes.
7. Add the cheese, which should be roughly chopped or shredded. Mix into the liquid so it melts.
8. When the pasta is cooked through, serve in bowls topped with chopped cilantro.

Parsley Pesto

Maoz is a falafel chain down the street from my office. The falafel aren't my favorite, but they have a vegetable topping bar that is vegetarian heaven! One of my favorite toppings is roasted broccoli and cauliflower with a spicy parsley sauce on top, maybe mixed with some hummus. It's fresh, tasty, and packed with flavor. Since cauliflower and broccoli were on sale this week, I figured I should try my hand at making it myself.

The roasted veggies were easy. Line a tray with aluminum foil, toss with olive oil and maybe some spices and salt, roast for an hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Done.

The parsley sauce would be more complicated. Its a watery sauce, bright green, with flecks of dried chile pepper. Moaz has a picture here.I knew it was obviously parsley, something spicy, but I wasn't sure about the rest. What I ended up with was not really Maoz, but more of a parsley sauce pesto medley that softened the heat (I added way too much jalapeno) but ended up being a great hearty sauce at the end. It ended up not being very spicy at all!

Parsley Pesto, inspired by Maoz
Yields 3/4 cup sauce (which will last me a week and a half)

Special equipment: Food processor or blender

1 bunch parsley, chopped roughly
a few spoons of water
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
1 jalapeno, chopped, no seeds
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
12 almonds

1. Place all the parsley in the blender and add a teaspoon of water. Blend until pureed. You may have to add more water, but only add a tiny bit at a time. We don't want watery sauce.
2. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and parmesan. Blend.
3. Add the almonds a few at a time until you reach a consistency where the sauce isn't separating out the water any longer, or until at desired spiciness.
4. Enjoy on roasted veggies, steaks, fish, pita chips, and anything else that needs a bright green kick!

Japchae! Well, sort of. Korean inspired stir fried glass noodles

One of my favorite sides at Korean restaurants is Japchae. Its a cold or warm stir fry dish of sweet potato noodles and various veggies and sometimes beef. Its tasty, savory, filling, but not heavy, and full of healthy things.

However, I knew that making japchae (like making bimbimbap) requires many steps. All the vegetables are prepared one by one so that they retain the cleanest flavors. So with fair warning, this recipe does take some time. I think the results are totally worth it, but only if you're making 4+ servings.

The type of noodles used in japchae are also not easy to find unless you're around a specialty store. I cheated and used bean strings (mai fun) which is a thin rice noodle. The rice noodle also requires no boiling, just a soak and a quick fry in the pan. The results are similar enough where I would happily substitute mai fun in the future!

Recipe courtesy of Transparent Korean Language Blog.

Spicy Eggplant Tofu

After my two week vacation, I wanted to detox a little and get my eating habits back in order. I'm typically vegetarian 4 days out of 7 and I've definitely trying to pack lunches more often too.  I made a run to Chinatown and picked up some eggplant and tofu, among other things. I wanted something savory tasting, but not too heavy feeling, and this is what I got!

Spicy Eggplant with Silken Tofu 

1 block silken tofu

2 medium Chinese eggplant, in 1/3rd inch thick half moons

1 tablespoon sugar

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 coin ginger, minced

1 large tomato, chopped

1 large pinch red chili flakes

1 star anise

1 teaspoon gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

4 leaves basil

Optional: Cornstarch

1. Drain water from silken tofu container. Turn tofu out of container and onto a plate. Cut the tofu into 1.5 inch cubes and spread out into a single layer, gently. Sprinkle with salt (you'll use about two teaspoons). Allow water to drain from tofu for about 30 minutes.
2. Wash and cut the eggplant. In a bowl, toss with the sugar. 
3. Prep the onion, garlic, ginger, and tomato. 
4. Heat a large saute pan with two tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil.
5. Pan fry the eggplant for 2-4 minutes on medium high heat.
6. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute another 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
7. Add the tomato, star anise, chili flakes, gochujang, and  vinegar. Saute 2 minutes.
8. Drain the tofu again. Add the tofu to the pan and fold in lightly, trying to maintain the shape of the tofu. 
9. Reduce heat to medium. More water will drain from the tomato. Allow to simmer off until you have a thicker gravy. You can also cheat and make a cornstarch and water slurry to thicken it. 
10. Serve over rice. 

Almond Honey Nut Clusters

After my experiments with Snack Packs and working with raw nuts, I definitely learned a lot - about what I liked, about what tasted good, and what was practical for the kitchen. I wanted to tweak and keep trying. This last batch was sooooo tasty, it disappeared in under a week. This version is also made entirely on the stove top - no hot ovens! I will admit though - I eyeballed the entire recipe, so so made additions/substitutions.

Almond Honey Nut Clusters
Makes 8-10 snack servings

1 1/2 lb almonds
3/4 cups pumpkin seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup honey
1 tbsp butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garam masala

1. Heat a large frying pan on medium until warm. Add the almonds and toast, stirring every few minutes. It should take 15-20 minutes to roast and become crunchy.
2. In a small pot, heat the honey and butter on medium to medium low heat. Make sure the pot is big enough to hold all the nuts. Stir every few minutes to create a thick caramel. If it starts getting bubbly, its a good sign, but if it gets really bubbly, turn the heat down a notch. Caramel should form in around 20 minutes.
3. At the 15 minute mark (when your caramel is almost done and your almonds need an extra 5 minutes) toss in the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds in with the almonds. Roast for the 5 minutes. Since these seeds are smaller and thinner, they take much less time to become crunchy.
4. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Scatter the cranberries across the pan. 
5. When the caramel and the nuts are done, pour the nuts into the pot with the honey caramel. If one needs more time, you can set the heat to low on the other to give yourself enough time to get things to equal out. 
6. Stir the nut mix and honey thoroughly, making sure to coat the almonds well. I had too much caramel and ended up dumping in more almonds, but do what you like!
7. Pour the nut and honey mixture out on to the baking sheet, over the cranberries. Flatten out and try to separate into clusters. (But don't burn yourself!)
8. Allow the nut mix to cool at room temperature and for the caramel to harden to a nice glossy shine. 
9. When cool to the touch, separate into smaller clusters and store in an airtight bag or container. So far they've been good up to two weeks later. Keep in a cool place. If they get hot they'll stick together all over again!