New Perfect Snack: Crunchy Toasted Chickpeas

If you love snacking on nuts and are looking for a healthier option, try this recipe!  I think chickpeas are delicious in any form, but even if you're not crazy about them, you should still give these a shot.  Roasting them in the oven crisps the outer shell so they taste crunchy and nutty at the same time.  If you don't have sesame oil, that's okay, they'll still turn out great!  I just might have to double the recipe next time; they're pretty addicting. . .


Ingredients:

• 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp paprika

Make sure the chickpeas are completely dry; this will give them the maximum crunch.  Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients and mix to coat the chickpeas in the oil and spices.  Spread the chickpeas evenly on a sheet pan with edges and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until toasty.  The chickpeas will have shrunk slightly and turned a light brown color.  Cool on paper towels and serve warm or at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Tangy Potato Salad with Garlic and Capers

So I've gone on a bit of a recipe rampage, but I've had some free time lately and what's more fun than making up recipes??  Here's the sell on this recipe:  it's perfect if you're tired of the typical, mayonnaise-y, heavy potato salads.  The dish has a lot of tang from the capers and vinegar, which I think is great for potatoes.  Make this side dish for your next grill night; I think it'll become a favorite!

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 pounds small potatoes (red or baby Yukon)
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp capers + 1 tbsp of the caper juice
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 minced garlic clove

Rinse and scrub the potatoes, but leave the skin on.  Slice them thinly, about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Dump the sliced potatoes in a medium stockpot and cover with cold water.  Sprinkle a good pinch of kosher salt in with the water and bring to a boil.  When the water boils, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients (add salt and pepper to taste, though I used 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp pepper).  When the potatoes are done, drain them and toss them with the dressing in a bowl.  Again, taste for seasoning.  I think these potatoes are best served warm, not piping hot from the pan, so allow them to sit in the dressing at room temperature for a bit.  Feel free to garnish with some chopped parsley and enjoy!

Gnocchi with Creamy Spinach

This pasta dish was a snap to put together and absolutely delicious!  I have not attempted to make my own gnocchi pasta yet, so for now, I just used a frozen gnocchi from the grocery store.  Feel free to use either goat cheese or sheep's milk cheese.  I recommend using an herbed cheese to provide even more flavor (my sheep's milk cheese was infused with chopped rosemary).

Ingredients (for 2 servings):

• 1/2 lb gnocchi pasta
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 - 3 tablespoons sheep's milk cheese
• salt and pepper

Just cook the gnocchi according to package directions.  Be mindful of the cooking time; gnocchi only takes 2 to 3 minutes, so when the spinach cheese sauce is almost ready, drop in the pasta to the boiling water.  

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the chopped green onion and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Saute until softened, about 2 minutes, then add the garlic and spinach.  When the spinach has wilted, turn the heat to low, and add the cheese.  Stir to melt the cheese, and taste the sauce for additional seasoning.  Keep the sauce warm, but not bubbling, while you wait for the pasta.  Serve the pasta tossed together with the sauce and enjoy!

Blueberry Pound Cake

This is a delicious pound cake recipe from the cookbook Baking Illustrated.  The original recipe was for plain pound cake, but I decided to brighten it up with lemon zest and a sprinkling of summer-fresh blueberries.  The blueberries sink to the bottom as they bake, which looks really cool when you slice into it.  Baking this cake takes a little bit of patience (and maybe a trip to the grocery store if you don't have cake flour), but it is SO worth it.   I made this in an 8 x 8 pan, but you could use a large loaf pan or 4 mini loaf pans.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs + 3 yolks, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups plain cake flour
• 1 cup blueberries, washed and dried

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and grease a loaf pan or 8 x 8 pan.  For easy removal from the 8 x 8 pan, I recommend lining with parchment paper after spraying with cooking spray.  Beat the butter with a mixer at medium-high speed for 15 seconds until smooth.  With the machine still running, slowly add the sugar and beat for another 4 to 5 minutes, until light, fluffy, and almost white.  In a 2-cup measuring cup, stir together the eggs, yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, and water.  With the mixer running at medium-high speed, add the egg mixture to the butter and sugar in a very slow, thin stream.  Finally, beat in the salt.  Sift 1/2 cup of the cake flour over the batter bowl.  Gently fold it in with a spatula, scraping up from the bottom of the bowl to incorporate all of the flour.  Repeat with another 1/2 cup of cake flour.  Next, fold in the blueberries with the final sifted 1/2 cup cake flour.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the batter evenly into corners.  Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 60 - 70 minutes if using an 8 x 8 pan or 70 - 80 minutes if using a loaf pan.  Let the cake rest for 5 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack so that it is right-side up.  (It will take an extra plate or cooling rack to accomplish this.)  Cool to room temperature and serve in slices, alone or with some sliced fresh fruit and whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Saucy, Spicy Red Beans & Rice

This is maybe a strange time of year to make red beans and rice; I've mostly been making tons of light, summery recipes with fresh veggies.  However, I recently saw an episode of "Five Ingredient Fix" that spurred me to try it!  This is sort of a mix between Claire Robinson's recipe from the show and a Cook's Illustrated recipe.  Red beans and rice is a delicious, comforting food, and very low maintenance.  The only thing I had to specifically buy for the recipe was the sausage!  I used dried beans that I soaked overnight; the advantage over canned beans is that soaked, dried beans will absorb all the spice and flavors as they cook.
                                                     [PICTURE COMING SOON]
Ingredients:

• 1 tsp canola oil
• 1/2 lb andouille sausage, cut into chunks
• 1 cup dried red beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
• 4 oz can of tomato paste
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large clove minced garlic
• 2 small bay leaves (or 1 large)
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 to 1/2  tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 
• salt and pepper
• cooked rice, for serving

     Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees.  In a large dutch oven (or large saucepan), heat the oil over medium-high heat; saute the onion and pepper and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  After 2 - 3 minutes, add the sausage and garlic, stirring to make sure the garlic does not burn.  When vegetables have a little color, add the tomato paste, water, beans, bay leaves, oregano, cayenne, 1 tsp kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper.  Stir to combine, and bring to a boil before transferring to the preheated oven. 

     Bake for 1 hour, stirring after 30 minutes.  Taste the beans for tenderness; if they are still not soft enough, continue to bake the dish.  Discard the bay leaves; serve the beans over hot cooked rice.  Enjoy!