Pumpkin and Chick Pea Soup

There is nothing better on a cold raining day than a bowl of warm, comforting soup. I love pumpkin soup. I have my own recipe for it, and this time decided to add a twist with some garbanzo beans. So here you have it: Pumpkin and Chick Pea Soup! This recipe made enough for 3-4 servings as a side soup. For a main course, you may want to increase portions. :)




Chick Peas:
1/2 cup dry chick peas
3-4 cups water + 3-4 more cups water
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. sea salt
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. ground sage

The best prep method is to soak the bean overnight. However, if you're running short of time, you can use the "quick soak" method: bring peas and water to a rapid boil, and boil for 2 minute. Remove from heat and let set for 1 hour. Drain, rinse, add an additional 3-4 cups water, and bring to a boil again. Once the peas are boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours. While the peas are cooking prepare the pumpkin.

Pumpkin:
2 cups fresh, pureed pumpkin
1 cup milk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. butter
1/4 med. white onion, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. bacon drippings (Every time I cook bacon, I save the drippings in a container in the fridge. It works well for instances such as this.)
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
1 tsp. ground sage
 salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter and bacon drippings in skillet. Add garlic and onions and saute until onions are clear. All all other ingredients, except pumpkin and milk. Mix together until the mixture thickens and somewhat of a sauce forms. Add the pumpkin and milk. Let simmer until warm. Drain the peas, and add the pumpkin mixture. Combine and add more milk if necessary for texture. salt and pepper to taste.

If you want to save time, you can always use 1 can of garbanzo beans and 1 can of pumpkin. I like the taste of the fresh better. :) Enjoy!

Thanksgiving in a bite...

This time if the year is culinary heaven for anyone who even remotely likes food. :) It also begs for experimentation and creativity at its height. On that note, I created a fun way to use up some of those Thanksgiving leftovers, or just put a fun twist on your holiday taste palette.


Turkey and Stuffing Meatballs with Cranberry Glaze


Meatballs:


2 lb. ground turkey
1 large egg
1/2 bag of your favorite stuffing mix (I used sage and onion)
1/2 cup diced sweet onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. ground sage
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper


Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Once al ingredients are mixed, pull off sections of the mixture and form into balls. Place on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake about 30 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with cranberry glaze. Makes 30 large meatballs, and about 60 small meatballs.


Cranberry Glaze:


1 lb. fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. garlic salt
dash of ground sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. flour


In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Place on stovetop on high heat, and bring to a boil. Once the mixture boils, reduce heat to low, and simmer until cranberries are tender (about 30-45 minutes. When cranberries are tender, stir in flour, being careful to avoid lumps. This will thicken the mixture. Serve immediately.


These meatballs can be eaten by themselves or atop mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes. Bon appetite! 

Whole Wheat Strawberry Cottage Cheese Scones

It has been a while. :) Through the craziness of life, I'm still finding time to cook. It is my creative outlet. I've especially loved cooking with my husband and little boy lately. I just do not always have time to post my recipes. 

I got this basic recipe from a very sweet couple that own the B&B where Scott and I stayed on our honeymoon. They gave us the cookbook as a gift. I improvised the recipe quite a bit, and this is what I came up with. Bon appetite!

Scone Recipe:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/3 cup sugar, plus more for topping

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

3/4 cup heavy cream (I just used milk)

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries

1/2 cup cottage cheese

Preheat oven to 400.  Place dry ingredients into a food processor, and pulse to mix. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients, and whisk. Remove butter from refrigerator and add to dry ingredients. Pulse until the butter is completely cut through. The mixture will resemble course meal. Pour dry ingredients over wet ingredients and add strawberries. Mix until a ball forms. Spoon or drop balls of dough onto a baking sheet. Brush with butter and top with sugar. Bake 20 minutes or until scones are golden brown.

I did not use a food processor for this recipe. A fork or pastry knife works great! It's all about preference. :)

20 Minute Egg Souffle

I made a souffle for breakfast this morning. It was the first I had made, possibly the first I had ever eaten (not usually big on eggs). While it didn't "rise" as much as I would have liked, it was still fluffy and pretty tasty if I do say so myself. It had a satisfying savory flavor with just a hint of sweetness. It also made the perfect amount for 2 servings. Unfortunately I do not have a picture to show you, but that aside, here's what I did:

What you'll need:
2 eggs (calculate about 1 egg per person, or more for a more generous serving)
about 1/3 - 1/2 milk
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
cracker crumbs
1/2 tsp. sugar

How it works:
Preheat oven to 400. Whisk together eggs, milk and cheese. Pour into baking dish or 2 individual souffle cups (Mine did stick a little bit, so you may want to lightly oil or flour the bottom and sides of the dish). Sprinkle with cracker crumbs and sugar. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the top is a golden brown.  Super easy dish that can be made on a busy morning...ours was busy this morning, and this worked perfectly! Bon appetite!

My Take on Middle Eastern

• Baked Coconut Curried Chicken 
• Seasoned Rice
• Garbanzo Beans
• Roasted Asparagus
• Homemade Pita Bread
• Mint Yogurt

Which recipe would you like first? :)

Dessert "Nachos"

Necessity is the mother of invention. While dessert is not a necessity, we do like to have it frequently around here! :) This came about after a moment of creativity, and being about to cook uninterrupted.

What you'll need:


2 whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. butter (roughly)
sliced strawberries
1/8 - 1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup cinnamon (roughly)
a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips
shredded coconut for garnish

Directions: 

1. Cut each tortilla into quarters so that you have 8 triangles. Mix cinnamon and sugar so that you have a homogenous mixture.

2. Place 1 Tbsp. butter in a warm skillet until it melts and coats the bottom of the skillet (do not let it burn or bubble). Place 4 tortilla triangles in the skillet at a time and coat both sides with butter. Cover heavily with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Cook on low heat for about 3 minutes or until the edges start to curl. Remove from skillet and place on hard surface (a plate works great) to let cook and harden. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

3. While the tortillas are cooking, prepare the toppings. Mix together the sour cream, honey and a dash of cinnamon. Slice the strawberries.

4. Once the tortilla chips have cooled and hardened, place the on the bottom of a bowl or plate. Top with strawberries, sour cream mixture and chocolate chips. Garnish with coconut.

Makes 2 generous servings. Bon appetite!

Coconut Curry Chicken Over Seasoned Rice

Believe it or not, I just threw this meal together at the last minute. I worked all day and got home later than planned, so I was looking for something fast with simple ingredients. A creative streak hit me on the way home, and a basic plan formed. I had never really tried cooking with curry, let alone making a whole meal based on it, but it sounded good, and it was something different. I decided to give it a whirl. This meal took less than 30 minutes to prepare, and passed the yummy test (my husband liked it!). :) Needless to say, I plan on making it again in the near future!

This recipe makes enough for 2 servings. You can adjust as needed by using about 1 chicken breast per person, and adjusting the rest of the ingredients accordingly.

Ingredients:

Rice:
1/2 cup brown rice
1 1/4 cup water
1 tsp. olive oil
1 chicken bouillon cube 
1 tsp. coriander

Directions: Place all ingredients in a saucepan on high heat until the mixture begins to boil. When boiling is reached, turn the heat to low and simmer until rice is fluffy (about 30 minutes). While rice is cooking, prepare the chicken.
 
Chicken: 
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup milk
2 cloves garlic
5 tsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sage
dash of coriander
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Place the chicken in warm skillet and drizzle with olive oil. Add the orange juice, milk, coconut, garlic, curry powder, sage and coriander. The liquids will make a sauce and form a coating for the dry ingredients. Make sure to stir so that everything is evenly coated. Cook in skillet on medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through. Salt and pepper to taste. 

I served this dish with sauteed herbed green beans, and red grapes. Warm and comforting, yet light and refreshing. :) Bon appetite!