Roasted Chickpea, Heirloom tomato, Avocado, Lemon Tarragon and Basil Salad.

My mom is in the background reminiscing about how she always used to win the spelling bee. Every year she says, and there was a big stage and real prizes, that's how they did it in my day. All because I asked her how to spell extraordinaire. I should have known better. She's still going on and on (can't blame a gal for reminiscing) so of course I ask her how to spell reminiscing and she pauses with a bit of doubt..... HA! I totally know how to spell doubt! So I promptly turn to my handy dandy, new age spelling check thingy on my state of the art MAC computer and it shuts my poor mom down and tells me how to spell reminiscing before she can spout it out.   Pooooor  mommy.

I can't really feel all that proud about my somewhat limited technological (spell check told me how to spell that, I'm not ashamed) abilities because right after I was congratulating myself on my ability to spell a couple of 5th grade words and patting myself on the back for navigating through Photo shop to produce a half way reasonable food pic I found myself cursing my wireless mouse. You see, when I moved right, the arrow would go left. When I move up, the arrow would go down.  Gahhhh!  Why can't technology be simple?!!


Because idiots like me can't figure out when a mouse is turned upside down. In my defense it is wireless and is completely anatomical.

Yeah. I know.



It's a good thing I know how to cook without burning the house down. I love uncomplicated summer dinners. I'm declaring it summer here in Phoenix. It's in the 90's, good enough reason for me to turn off the stove and focus on quick and simple meals with fresh ingredients.






Simple, fresh ingredients. Heirloom tomatoes, chick peas drizzled with a good quality olive oil and sprinkled with some Himalayan Pink Sea Salt. Roasted to crispy perfection.  Don't feel like turning on your oven? No problem, neither do I come May. This salad tastes equally amazing with out roasting the chick peas. I happen to loooove the crispy texture and flavor that roasting brings to them but in a pinch, plain ol' cooked chick peas will do.



You can use canned chick peas or dry ones. If using canned, drain and rinse thoroughly. Put into a small bowl, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a salt. Spread onto a baking pan, I love my stone one which absorbs flavor and allows you to use less oil and is super easy to clean. During the hot summer months I can see myself skipping the oven all together but I do love the crispiness and flavor that roasting the beans adds.

Roast in the oven at 375F for 20-25 minutes to desired crispiness. I highly recommend investing in a baking stone. I use mine to roast veggies, bake cookies and pizza crust. You use a minimal amount of oil with a baking stone and it roasts more evenly that a metal one.  Check out this Rada Cutlery Stoneware

When I can find them, I love these pretty little Heirloom tomatoes. They are naturally sweet and so good for you, think no GMO's. Real tomatoes not genetically modified. Don't want to spend the money or can't find them in your hood. Use cherry or grape tomatoes instead.

Slice a semi-ripe avocado into bite size pieces. Sprinkle with a generous amount of dried tarragon. Tarragon goes amazing with avocado! Squeeze the juice of 1 whole lemon over the avocado and gently toss to coat. Lemon not only adds fresh flavor but helps the avocado not to brown quickly. Set aside.

Avocado tossed with tarragon and lemon.

This one was an instant keeper! Usually I make recipes several time before posting them on my blog. But I am sitting here writing this with a bowl full of this yummy salad sitting in front of me.

 It's  that  good.



Light, lemony, healthy and fresh. What more do you want in a summer salad?

Perfect to bring on a picnic! Enjoy with a cold glass of Pinot Grigio and an herbed salad mix.

TIME     20 MINUTES       SERVES     4-6 

Ingredients: 

2 cans (or 3 cups cooked) chick peas/garbanzo beans1 pint baby heirloom tomatoes, sliced in half ~ can sub cherry or grape tomatoes2 avocados, dicedsmall handful fresh basil leaves, sliced thinly1 teaspoon dried tarragon2 teaspoons divided extra virgin olive oiljuice from one lemonsalt ~ I love my pink Himalayan sea salt

Preheat oven to 375F.  

Drain and rinse chick peas if using canned. Put into a large bowl and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat. Spread evenly onto a baking pan, I love my stone baking sheet.  Bake on center rack for 20-30 minutes to desired crispiness. 

Meanwhile, slice tomatoes in half and dice up your semi-firm avocado. Put avocado into a large bowl first and sprinkle with tarragon. Drizzle lemon juice over avocado and toss gently to coat. Add tomatoes to the bowl and sprinkle with a bit of salt and sliced basil. Add chickpeas and gently toss to combine salad.  

Serve with a green salad to make it a meal. Don't forget the Pinot Grigio! 

Flour Less Chocolate {Garbanzo Bean} Cake

Today was a great day.... in a completely and utterly exhausting sort of way. In fact, if I had time to think about it, most every day seems to end up that way. Especially lately, the kids are out of school for the summer and it is hot here, damn HOT. The poor little bugs are cooped up in the house most of the day unless they are swimming or I can come up with somewhere cheap, cool and fun to take them. Also,  I've been working more than usual at the hospital because people are on vacation and want the surgery that they've been putting off for months or years done N.O.W. All of a sudden everything is an emergency. This means less time to get every day things done and even less time to entertain the kids.

4 very hot, extremely bored, cooped up kids   =   NOTHING GOOD.   Complete madness I tell you.

It also makes for one  very  scatter brained and irritated mommy.


*Cue me to enter the picture with my unkempt hair and unpainted toe nails dragging my tired,  out-of-shape-B.U.T.T.  into the embarrassingly neglected house. 

Case and point:

I made this cake weeks ago for a friend of mines birthday who has a severe gluten intolerance and have been trying since then in vain to get a post and recipe up on my blog. I've sat down at least 9 times this evening alone trying to edit pictures and write something articulate and witty or  at least  legible and coherent and am quickly coming to the conclusion that smart, funny and easy are things of the past for me. Replaced with loud, messy and bewildered.

Flour- Less Chocolate Garbanzo Bean Cake

Like I said, at least it was a good day. We went to the MIM (Musical Instrument Museum) in Phoenix and had an amazing time! It was far more beautiful and grand than I thought it would be. I could definitely spend my summer there. Even the little ones had a good time and enjoyed listening to all of the different music from around the world.

Mona Claire enjoying a musical selection from Germany and the costumes from Africa.

Most flour less cakes have an exorbitant amount of eggs in them which is fine in moderation I suppose but wanted a healthier option for an every day sort of cake. I searched high and low and found this recipe which sounded too good to be true but in fact was perfect. I love garbanzo beans and all of their healthy benefits but in a cake?  I chose not to tell that tid bit of information to my unsuspecting co-workers. 

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

• 4 eggs

• 1 teaspoon real vanilla

• 3/4 cup turbinado sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan.Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent.Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Be Merry and EAT CAKE!

Linked to:

Iron Chef Mom's Chocolate Edition 

South Western Chickpea Burgers on Portobellos with Creamy Adobe Sauce

A spicy twist to chickpea burgers. These aren't for sissy's. Sweet, spicy and smokey Chipotle peppers in Adobe sauce give these some serious personality


Let me just start by saying that this was the best meal I have ever had. Do I say that a lot? Well, this time I mean it. I've had chickpea burgers and falafel several times in the past and I love them. Usually however, it's all about the toppings or garnishes since chickpea burgers/falafel are very mild and usually slightly dry in texture. Like in Greek falafel pitas, the cucumber, tomatoes and tahini sauce are what makes them so yummy IMHO. Well, I suppose that the garnishes in this dish are exceptionally amazing but the burgers themselves were so flavorful and perfect I have been up the last several nights in anticipation of sharing them with you.

I hope someone out there actually tries these babies and loves them as much as we did. Let me know! Mamma knows South West flavors!

I have to admit that the portobello mushrooms and adobe sauce were what made this completely over the top fantastic for me. If you don't like mushrooms *sighhh then of course you could use a whole grain bun or pita, or just wrap it in lettuce and stuff it with veggies. If you've never had Chipotle peppers in Adobe sauce, now's your chance! They are super spicy and smokey and freaking amazing! Just don't dip your finger into the sauce like I did and stick it in your mouth, Ouch! I thought I was going to start throwing flames from my throat! I couldn't help it, they smell so dang good.




First, using home made bread crumbs is mucho importante. The boxed variety are old and dry and tasteless.
It's so simple to make your own. Just leave a few pieces of your favorite bread out on the counter for a few hours or overnight. Throw into your food processor and pulse a few times. I make a small batch and keep it in a mason jar in my freezer. If your making just enough for a recipe, you could always use your coffee grinder for quick bread crumbs.


I have to tell you, I know everyone says you can't use a blender as a food processor, but my Ninja blender kicks butt! I use it for everything. It has 3 blades so foods are always blended super smooth and perfect consistency. Also, it has 3 speeds and a pulse button for stuff like bread crumbs, nuts and dried fruit. Just thought I'd get the word out in case your in the neighborhood for a new blender.

Oh sweet smokey Chipotle Peppers in Adobe sauce, how I love you so.

Mix with sour cream to cool them off.

Chipotle peppers are actually smoked jalapeno peppers. Adobe sauce typically is
a tomato puree, paprika, salt, onions, oil, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and oregano.
Not for sissy's! These babies pack a punch. I L.O.V.E. them.
Mix with sour cream to cool them off.

Mix 2-14oz. cans of Garbanzo Beans (chick peas), 1-4 oz. can diced green chiles, small handful of chopped cilantro or parsley, 1 Organic, Free-Range egg, 1 cup bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Mix with a spoon to combine. Add more bread crumbs if needed.

 Heat a grill pan over medium high heat. Spray lightly with oil. Form small patties with your hand and place on pan. Let me tell you a little trick I've learned. Don't smash the patties while they are like this-soft side up. Wait until you flip them, then lightly press with a spatula. These 'burgers' are moist and will stick to your spatula and fall apart if you try to press them before they've been flipped. Also, when flipping them over, go against the grill 'bumps'. They flip much easier this way. Sensitive little guys aren't they?

Using a grill pan makes these cook up much better I think. It allows the moisture to escape a little
so they don't fall apart and finish crisp with pretty grill lines. ;)

Serve on a grilled Portobello mushroom if you please and garnish with avocado, lettuce, green onion and of course Chipotle Peppers in  Adobe Sauce blended with sour cream.

Don't like the heat? Got kids?
These burgers are just as good on a whole grain bun with fork smashed Avacado.

Yeilds  10-12 Patties      TIME  20 MINUTES

You Will Need:

For the Burgers:


2- 14 oz. cans garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained
1- 4 oz. can diced green chiles
1 cup home made bread crumbs plus more if needed
1 Organic, Free-Range egg
1 small handful cilantro or parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
If your not going to use Chipotle peppers, add 1 teaspoon chile powder + 1 teaspoon cumin




Garnishes:


Portobello Mushroom caps, wipe clean with wet towell
Avacado, sliced or smashed
Green Onions, sliced
sour cream
6 oz. can of Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, blended with 1 cup of light sour cream








Putting them together:




In a food processor or blender, combine chick peas, 1/2 of the green chiles, lime juice, cilantro, salt and spices if using. Pulse just a few times till blended but not pureed. You want them slightly chunky.
Transfer to a bowl and add egg and bread crumbs. Mix with a spoon till combined.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Spray lightly with oil. Brush a little bit of oil over both sides of Portobello and ssprinkle with salt. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.


Meanwhile, put Chipotle peppers and 1 cup sour cream into blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl.


Using your hands, make small patties with the bean mixture and place them on the pan. Let cook for 4 minutes until browned. Using a spatula and going against the grill bumps, gently flip them over. Cook another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and place on mushroom or bun. Top with garnishes and sauce.

Gobi Chana Beans Subzi ~ Cauliflower, ChickPea and Bean Stir Fry

It all started with another beautiful dish from Anja's Thought for Food. Well, maybe it started before that with my introduction to real Indian food 9 years ago at a friends Sikh and Hindu wedding, but we won't get into that right now. Even though it's a really great story...

As I was saying, I found another wonderful recipe for 'Mustard Cauliflower' at Anja's site and knew I had to have it immediatly. As luck would have it, I had most all ingredients on hand already, save for fenugreek seeds, which I never did get. :(     Next time!

I decided to make this into a complete meal so the recipe below is mine. If you'd like Anja's recipe, I encourage you to head over to her wonderful site!

However, I Can Not for the life of me decide what to call this dish!

I NEED ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS, ESPECIALLY FROM ANYONE WHO KNOWS ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT INDIAN CUISINE!

Update:

Thank You Swathi from Zesty South Indian Kitchen for coming up with a title for this dish!

If you like Indian food but don't think that making it yourself is an easy task, THINK AGAIN!

Really, most Indian food is created by using common spices that can be used in other cuisines as well.

Cumin, Corriander, Turmeric, Mustard seed, Cardamom, Chili powder and Curry just to name a few.

photo from Lovely India

Soooo, what to call my wonderful Indian dish? I scoured the Internet and can't come up with anything official. Most dishes are prepared as curries or with coconut milk.  I did however find some very interesting Indian cooking terminology.

Baghar (Tempering):

Bhunao (Saute/stir-fry):

mustard seeds ~ raai
cauliflower ~ phool gobi
salt ~ namak
green beans ~ flas beans
oil ~ tel
cumin ~ jeera
garlic ~ lahsun
 

For a complete terminology of common ingredients used in Indian cooking visit Indian Food Forever.

 

 

 

Without further ado, I present you with my very delicious, not overly spice, super easy,
No Name Indian Dish

 

 

 

You Will Need:

 

3 cups cauliflower florets (1 medium cauliflower)

1 cup fresh green beans

1 cup dry chick peas/garbanzo beans

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds ( did I mention all I had was mustard powder, it worked)

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds ( use em if you got em )
1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground chili

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons peanut oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (divided)

1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste  ( I used lime )



Serves 2-4     *** I set aside some cauliflower, green beans and chick peas without spices for the littlest kids. I didn't want the drama of " It's to spiceeeeeee!"
 Mamma wanted Indian food and mamma gets what she wants!

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Putting it all together:

Cook garbanzo beans according to directions. I used my pressure cooker and it took 12 minutes. If you boil them I think it takes about 40 minutes. Fresh garbanzo beans taste so much better and honestly more authentic tasting than canned, not to mention wayyy cheaper!
Combine mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds in a small bowl. Set aside.

In another small bowl, combine cumin, turmeric, chili and salt. Keep all spices near the stove.

Heat oil in a deep pan until very hot. Add all seeds. When mustard seeds turn grey, reduce heat to medium and stir in ground spices. Cook for a few seconds, then stir in minced garlic and chopped tomatoes. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add cauliflower florets and stir so it becomes coated with the spices mix. Cook for 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water, green beans, cooked chick peas and 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro leaves. Cover pan with a lid and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes. Add more water, if needed.

Add lemon or lime juice and season with salt to taste. Garnish with remaining cilantro. Serve immediately.