Curried Yellow Peas

On one of my recent pilgrimages to the Indian shops on Devon Avenue I picked up what I thought was a four-pound bag of split chickpeas.  Imagine my surprise when I got home and saw that I had picked up a big old bag of yellow split peas instead.  Quelle suprise!

Although to be honest, I am not completely sure that they are yellow split peas.  They might be pigeon peas.  The bag said chana dal, which I thought was the split chickpeas but when I looked up images online for chana dal I found more images of these than the chickpeas.  So I'm not sure what they actually are, or what they are actually called.

No matter, though.  It wasn't so much that I did not want them; I was mainly disappointed because those four-pound bags are heavy, and now I was going to have to go back again to get the chickpeas.  As for the yellow split peas, they are not going to waste.  To start with, I made this quick dal for weekday lunches.  These seem much sturdier than green split peas, which is why I think they might actually be something else.  They do taste like peas.  Who knows?  All I know is they are all delicious, and all provide a powerhouse combo of protein, fiber, and minerals.  How can you lose?

If this recipe seems familiar, it is because by now I have made a lot of dals.  The technique is the same.  The only differences now are which spices I am currently absorbed with and using at any given time.  These days I am adding paprika and amchur to the mix, and I have rediscovered ajwain.

But as usual, if you do not have the separate spices and do not want to deal with them, just leave them all out and throw in a tablespoon or three of your favorite curry powder instead.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipes

CURRIED YELLOW PEAS

Makes 4 servings

1 cup split yellow peas, sorted, rinsed and drained
1 quart water
1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp ginger/garlic paste
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne, or to taste
1/2 tsp amchur
1/2 tsp ajwain, optional
3 tomatoes (canned or fresh), diced
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine the peas and water in a 3-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer until the peas are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

While the peas are cooking, heat the oil and nigella seeds in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start popping, add the onions and ginger/garlic paste and saute until the onions are translucent. Add the spices and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently and being careful not to let them burn. Add tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato breaks down, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the cooked peas to the skillet, including as much water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Serve over rice.
01/03/2015

Exported from Home Cookin 8.59 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Baking Class: Baked Fish

Once again the holidays are upon us and the year seems to have flown by faster than ever.  I read recently that time seems to pass more quickly as we get older due to the fact that we have simply experienced everything so many more times that each event tends to blend together with the preceding years' worth of events.  It is far easier to remember your first ten holidays than the 30- 40- 50-plus that accumulate over time.  There are some particularly memorable holidays that stand out for various reasons, but other than that I would be hard pressed to remember a holiday for a specific year.

An unpleasant side effect of how quickly time seems to pass these days is that I feel like I have less time to get everything done.  So I am always grateful to find a new way to cook that is fast and easy and gets dinner on the table in about half an hour.  And I am especially pleased to have found a way to cook fish so quickly and easily, as I am always trying to incorporate more of that into my diet and it was not around our kitchen much when I was young (other than that awful frozen block of haddock/halibut that my mother tried to pass off as dinner when we were kids.)

When I saw the halibut at the fish counter I was a bit trepidatious, as I am pretty sure that was one of the awful bland mushy frozen blocks of fish my mother used to cook, but it looked so fresh and so good that I decided it was worth the risk.  I brought it home, placed it on a foil-lined baking sheet, seasoned it, poured a little olive oil over it, added a couple of tablespoon's worth of za'atar, and baked it for about 15-20 minutes.

The result was spectacular.  It was cooked all the way through with a firm texture but still moist, and the za'atar added a marvelous burst of flavor.  And it was so quick to prepare and cook that I have since baked many pieces of fish this way.

The beauty of this "recipe" is that is extremely versatile.  You can use any firm fish and any combination of herbs or spices that you have handy or for which you are in the mood.  I have used fresh thyme, fresh dill, ginger and garlic, or a combination of dried herbs, all with great success.  It is virtually foolproof.

Home Cookin Chapter: My Recipe

BAKED FISH

Makes 3-4 servings
3/4 to 1 lb firm fish fillets (halibut, haddock, salmon, arctic char)
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 Tbsp fresh or dried herbs, or a spice blend

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay the fish skin side down on it. Season with the salt and pepper, then pour the oil over it so it spreads evenly across it. Sprinkle the herbs or spices over it.

Place it on a rack in the middle of the oven and bak for 15 to 20 minutes, until the flesh is just firm. Remove from the oven and let it rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

9/27/2014

Exported from Home Cookin 8.59 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Baking Class: Rye Bread

Weekend breakfasts and brunches were of two kinds in our family when I was a child.  If it was just the family on a Sunday morning, my father would be up and in the kitchen at the crack of dawn, rattling pans and banging the cupboards in his best effort to get us kids up and out of bed.  By the time we  roused ourselves awake and out of bed and would wander into the kitchen the potatoes would be browning and the eggs would have just gone into the pan.  And when the bagels went into the toaster we knew it was almost time to eat.  If we were lucky, there would be lox to go along with the cream cheese.  For many years that was my favorite breakfast.

But brunch usually meant company and was a little closer to lunch time, so instead of (or in addition to) the lox and bagels Dad brought home from his regular run to the Three Brothers Bakery he would also bring kosher salami and a beautiful big loaf of Jewish rye.

As far as I was concerned, there was nothing that could beat a salami on rye sandwich with lots of ballpark mustard.  Oh sure, we had all kinds of brown and spicy mustards on the table as well, but there was something about the vinegary tang of good old regular mustard that perfectly complemented the sourness of the rye and the rich salami.  If there was rye bread and salami in the house, I was in heaven.

When we moved away from Houston and the Three Brothers Bakery, salami sandwiches never tasted the same to me.  Although there was a vibrant Jewish community in Dallas and there was a bagel place that made the best bagels I ever tasted, we couldn't find a nice loaf of Jewish rye to match what we were used to in Houston.

There is some question as to what distinguishes Jewish rye from other rye breads, so there is no definitive answer that I have been able to find.  Going by my own experience and the rye bread we ate when I was a child, the main differences seem to be that Jewish rye uses a lighter rye flour and contains caraway seeds.  But since these kinds of differences can be regional as well as ethnic, it might be more appropriate to call it Russian rye rather than Jewish rye, since that seems to be true of Russian ryes as well.  All I know is that as much as I enjoy all kinds of rye breads, it is this one that evokes all of my sense memories and provides the comfort of childhood memories.

I still enjoyed salami sandwiches, but they were no longer my absolute favorite.  So when I started to make bread, I began looking for rye bread recipes that might come close to that bread of my youth.  Most of my attempts were tasty, but neither the texture nor the taste was quite what my tastebuds were craving.

My search finally led me to a recipe in Please to the Table:  The Russian Cookbook, a comprehensive collection of the cuisines of all of the countries that were a part of the previous Soviet Union that I had purchased used at the Printer's Row Bookfair a few years ago. The recipe yields the light chewy taste and texture that I remember from those childhood salami and rye sandwiches. It also toasts beautifully for breakfast.  It is easy and does not take too long to make.  Now if only I could find some decent kosher salami (RIP Best's) I would have it made.

The original recipe calls for two small loaves.  For that, just divide the dough in half and shape two loaves for the final proofing.

RIGA RYE BREAD (Rizhsky Khleb)

Makes 2 small loaves or 1 large loaf

2 packages (12.75g/4.5 tsp) active dry yeast
1 tsp (4g) sugar
1-3/4 cups lukewarm water (105 to 115 deg. F)
1/4 cup molasses
1 Tbsp oil, plus additional to coat during rise
2 tsp (8g) salt
1 Tbsp caraway seeds
2 cups (240g) rye flour
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, with 1/4 cup reserved
1 cup (120g) whole wheat flour

Combine the rye, all-purpose and whole wheat flours in a medium bowl, reserving 1/4 cup of the all-purpose flour. Whisk together and set aside.

Place 1/4 cup of the water, the yeast and the sugar in a large bowl and stir until the yeast dissolves. Let stand for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly. Add all but 1/4 cup of the remaining water, the molasses, oil, salt and caraway seeds to the yeast mixture and stir well.

Add the flour mixture, a cup at a time, stirring well after each addition, preferably with a wooden spoon. Add water in small increments if it looks dry. When all of the flour (except for the reserved 1/4 cup all-purpose flour) has been added, cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let stand for 5 minute.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add the all-purpose flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Pour about a tablespoon of oil into the large bowl and spread it around the bottom. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in the bowl, turning it in the oil so it is completely covered with the oil. Place the kitchen towel over the bowl and set it to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Punch the dough down and knead it briefly. Shape into an oval and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes. Bake the bread for about 45 minutes, until the crust is dark brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped with a knuckle. Cool on a rack.

adapted from Please to the Table by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman (Workman Publishing, 1990)

Exported from Home Cookin 8.54 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Caramelized Carrots with Cumin, Nigella and Chilies

I ran across this recipe when I was looking for ideas for a cumin/caraway/nigella seed potluck dinner I was attending last month.  I made rye bread with the caraway seeds, but I never feel like bread is enough to bring, at least in terms of challenging myself, so I wanted to find a nice vegetable side dish that would let me utilize the cumin and/or nigella seeds, which I have on hand but do not have many recipes that call for it.  I usually use it with cumin seeds in Indian-style dishes, so it seemed like a natural progression to add it here.

The nigella seeds and ground cumin that I added to the recipe made for a more complex range of flavors, and the pepper provided a spicy boost. This is a deceptively simple dish that is full of flavor and would beautifully complement a hearty autumn stew or roast.

Home Cookin 8.5 Chapter: My Recipes

CARAMELIZED CARROTS WITH CUMIN, NIGELLA AND CHILIES

Serves 4 to 6

2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
kosher salt to taste
1 jalapeno, serrano or other hot chili, minced
2-1/2 to 3 lbs carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/3-inch thick slices
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp high quality extra virgin olive oil, for garnish
2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet (or 2 small baking sheets) with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Combine the cumin and nigella seeds with the ground cumin and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the carrots and the chilies in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the spices over the carrots and then add the olive oil. Mix everything together, making sure that the carrots are well coated with the oil and spice mixture.

Spread the carrots into a single layer on the baking sheet(s). Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the carrots are cooked to the desired consistency.

Remove from the oven and mixin the additional olive oil and parsley if using. Can be served hot or at room temperature.

adapted from the Caramelized Cumin Roasted Carrots recipe in Bon Appetit, September 1998

Exported from Home Cookin 8.59 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Slow Cooker Honey Orange Chicken Drumsticks

I was recently offered the opportunity by Hamilton Beach to review their Hamilton Beach Set & Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker.  Every few years or so I get the urge to use one, so I thought "why not?"  I responded to the offer and within two days I was looking at a brand new slow cooker.

Full disclosure:  I have not had much success with slow cookers in the past, other than keeping Chili con Queso warm and dippable at parties.  They are also good for cooking dried beans and making stock, but I have not been a big fan of any other dishes I have tried to make in them.

I think one of the reasons I was not a big fan of them for much else is because they tend to cook everything to the same consistency, and vegetables always came out overcooked with an odd taste that seemed to come from a lack of oxygen caused by the seal created by the process.  I am sure that is not the case, but psychologically that is the best way that I can explain how it tastes to me - as if the vegetables suffocated for lack of oxygen.  And because I did not like the way vegetables came out, I wasn't going to risk more expensive items like meat, especially if it was going to have that weird aftertaste.  So I would use it for a few reliable dishes every now and then, try a vegetable dish, get put off by that weird aftertaste, and put it back into storage for another few years.

I was somewhat hesitant to take advantage of this offer for that reason, but then I decided maybe it would be good for me to try it.  I know the technology has changed quite a bit since the last time I bought a slow cooker, so I decided to request a review model.

This is not new to the slow cooker world, but I have not had an oval model before and I liked that right away.  It seemed to suggest meat, being shaped more like a roaster, so I decided to make my test recipe a meat-based dish, both to give it a fair shake and to meet the "fall cooking and bringing families back to the dinner table theme."  I was also curious to try the probe, which allows you to program the cooker to switch to the warm setting once the dish reaches the desired temperature. 

To give it a fair shake, I tried a few recipes to put it through its paces.  I used the manual setting, the programmed setting, and the probe.  I cooked a pork shoulder, chicken, and vegetables.  The eggplant and peppers came out with that weird aftertaste I get with all vegetable dishes.  I used the programmable setting for the pork shoulder and that came out just fine.

But what makes the Set & Forget worthwhile to me is the Probe setting.  I used it for making the Honey Orange Chicken Drumsticks pictured above, and it was delicious.  The chicken was cooked through but not overdone as my chicken so often is, since I did not have to worry about undercooking it.

I found the recipe in the May/June issue of Eating Well magazine.  There were actually a few slow cooker recipes in that issue that looked appealing.  It was easy to make and delicious.  I served it over cilantro rice (which is my dill rice with lime and cilantro in place of the lemon and dill) with my Napa Cabbage Salad with Snow Peas and Toasted Almonds on the side.  It was a big hit and the leftovers travelled well for workday lunches the next day.

The bottom line?  While I wouldn't say that it is a necessary appliance and you should run out and get one right away, I am glad that I have it and will continue to use it, especially for braised meats.  If you are a heavy slow cooker user and are looking for a new one, this would be a good choice.

I did not make any changes to the original recipe so that I could be more objective in my review of the slow cooker, so I will just point you in its direction.  You can find it here. (My photo will definitely suffer in comparison to the original, but I can assure you that it had no impact whatsoever on the way it tasted.

DIY Condiments: Candied Ginger

The second spice-related potluck that I attended for the Spiced-Up Meetup group that I recently joined featured ginger.  As with any theme-related activities in which I participate, I like to look for dishes that stretch my culinary skills and challenge my creativity.  Often, that means I look for savory uses for those ingredients most closely-associated with sweet, and vice versa.

Ginger is one of those spices that straddles both sides of the sweet/savory spectrum quite evenly, so I was having a hard time choosing between sweet or savory.  I finally decided to focus more on stretching my skills than on challenging my creativity and concentrated on finding something with which I had little experienced.  I remembered that I had seen Nigella Lawson pull out some ginger marmalade for a dish she was preparing on her show and I was immediately intrigued by that, and just as immediately forgot about it.  But now that I was racking my brain trying to think of something new to try with ginger, it popped back into my memory and I decided to take a stab at ginger marmalade.

When I started looking up recipes, though, I realized that I am not ready to tackle actual marmalade yet.  I do see jams and jellies in my future, but I am just not there yet so I decided to make a quick ginger jam.  There weren't a lot of recipes out there, but the one I found at livestrong.com looked viable.  So I bought about a pound of ginger and got to work.

I peeled and chopped the ginger.  I chopped it as finely as I could, but was not sure how fine it should be, as the recipe was not specific about that.  I put it into a saucepan with the lemon and sugar and turned on the heat.

And it became almost immediately apparent to me that it was not going to turn into jam.  Unlike fruit, ginger does not break down as it cooks.  I realized then how much I rely on the breakdown of the fruit to determine the consistency of the few freezer jams I had made so far.  So I cooked it, and I cooked it, and I cooked it some more.  Because the ginger held its shape, I couldn't really get a sense of how thick the liquid was getting.  By the time I realized that it was never going to come together in the way that I had been expecting it to, the liquid had cooked almost completely down and I was not sure what would remain.  And there was a LOT of it.  I had no choice but to put it all into a bowl and pop it into the refrigerator.

Once it had cooled and I could taste it and analyze it, I realized that what I had made was more candied ginger than ginger jam.  Super sweet and biting hot, it was one of those times where it was a happy event, however, and I realized that I could still use it with my intended dish, just not exactly as I had intended it.

I had planned to make ginger scones and top them with a dollop of creme fraiche and the ginger jam.  I couldn't really use the ginger as a jam, but I realized I could combine it with another fruit, so I threw together a batch of strawberry jam to which I added about a tablespoon of the ginger.  It was quite tasty, and a big hit at the potluck.  It was such a big hit, in fact, that it disappeared before I could put one together for a picture.

I did have scones left over, as I had made a double batch), so I was able to enjoy the scones with creme fraiche and some of the candied ginger by itself, which was delicious as well.  I was able to manage to snap a photo of that, as you can see.

I am so happy that I have discovered how easy it is to make candied ginger.  I had a lot of it, but there is so much sugar in it that it stores well and I can dole it out in small amounts whenever I want to indulge in a little sweet treat.  I also was able to gift a few fellow bakers with some and still have enough to last me a while.  It's a huge payback for such a small effort.

CANDIED GINGER

1 lb ginger root, peeled and diced into small pieces
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat slightly and cook until the liquid has basically boiled down and just covers the ginger. Let cool.

10/27/14 based on recipe found at http://www.livestrong.com/article/449479-how-to-make-ginger-jam/

Flageolet Beans with Lamb

And just like that, summer is over and fall is on the way.  Even though the weather will continue to periodically climb up into the seventies, the sun is already visibly lower in the sky and the winds have changed and the leaves are starting to fall.

And apples are back at the Green Market which makes me oh so very happy!

This Flageolet Beans with Lamb is a riff on the White Beans with Lamb (Etli Kuru Fasulye) that I made the winter before last.  I had the lamb chop in the freezer and some flageolet beans (which are quickly becoming one of my favorites), and I was in the mood for a some good hearty beans for lunch.  This method of adding meat to beans is a great one, because I already had the beans cooking on the stove before I decided to add the lamb.  It added no time to the overall dish to sear and braise the chop while the beans were still cooking and then add them all together at the end.

The method I used to cook the beans is one that I adapted from the oven-baked no soak method I wrote about here.  I quickly realized that the method should work just as well on the stove top, and it seems much faster and easier to do it this way.  I will usually just cook up a batch of some kind of beans a few days before I need to think about what to make for work lunches, and then I will come up with the idea for how I want to use them by the time that I need them.  And if I do not need them, they freeze well so I will have them on hand and available if I want them and don't have time to cook them.

It's about as close to having canned beans on hand as you can get without actually buying canned beans.  I highly recommend it.  Dried beans are so much cheaper than canned, and you know from whence the ingredients came.

As with most bean dishes, this travels extremely well for work lunches.  In fact, it actually works well for school lunches as well.  I have taken to not putting my lunches in the refrigerator when I get to work, and by lunch time they are warm enough to eat without re-heating.  I am sure some of you will gag at the thought, but I have found that most dishes are just as tasty this way and I don't have to worry about microwaving in plastic (which I avoid) or getting an extra dish dirty when I transfer the contents to a glass bowl so I can microwave it.  Obviously this does not work for everything, but I am re-heating less and less of my lunches at work.  YMMV.

Home Cookin 8.59 Chapter: My Recipes

FLAGEOLET BEANS WITH LAMB

Makes 6-8 servings

1 cup (about 1/2 lb) dried flageolet or other white beans, or 3 cups cooked
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil oil
1 6-oz lamb blade chop
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp Spanish sweet smoked paprika
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Sort through the beans then rinse them well and drain them.  Place them into a 3-quart saucepan and add half a tablespoon of salt.  Cover with cold water up to two inches over the top of the beans.  Bring to a boil over high heat and let boil for a good minute or so before lowering the heat to a simmer and covering the pot.  Cook the beans over the low heat until they have all settled down to the bottom of the pan and are tender, anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half (start testing after half an hour).  If you are using canned beans, you can skip this step (obviously).

While the beans are cooking, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 10-inch skillet. Add the lamb chop and brown it, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside.

Adding more oil if necessary and lowering the heat to medium, add the fennel seeds to the skillet and cook until they are sizzling and have released their aroma. Be careful not to let them burn. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and season with the salt and pepper. Cook until the mixture has thickened, about 10 minutes, still stirring occasionally.

Add the wine, thyme, smoked paprika and the water. Place the lamb chop back in the pan and bring to a simmer. Cover, lower the heat, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lamb is fork tender. Take the lamb chop out of the skillet, remove the meat from the bone and cut it into bite-sized pieces, then return it back to the pan. Add the beans and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.

adapted from Stewed White Beans recipe from Saveur Magazine Number 120

Exported from Home Cookin 8.59 (www.mountain-software.com)

Baking Class: Homemade Vanilla Wafers

I haven't been baking much lately, but the weather is cooling and I've been feeling the urge.  We had our first company lunch after a summer hiatus this week and I decided to make dessert.

I had been looking at a recipe for homemade vanilla wafers for quite a while and this seemed the perfect time to try it.  The last time I decided to buy Vanilla Wafers at the store I took one look at the ingredients and put the box right back on the shelf.

I have always had a love/hate relationship with this humble little cookie.  When I was a child, it was pretty much the only sweet thing we had in the house on a regular basis that I liked.  Note that I did not love them.  But if I wanted something sweet, it was vanilla wafers or nothing.  So I ate them.

And I think I've written before about the time I was eating them for an afternoon snack and my great-aunt was sitting at the table with me and asked me if I wouldn't rather have moon cookies.  I asked what they were and she said she would only tell me what they were if I said yes.  So I said yes. And she immediately the cookies up from plate and took a half bite out of each and every one of them and laid them back down on my plate and smiled smugly at me.

And as usual, I knew there was some lesson I was supposed to be learning from that, but the only one I learned was to never trust my great-aunt again.  (Further incidents only served to cement this lesson, I am sorry to say.)

Having had so much success with my homemade graham crackers, I wondered if the difference between homemade and store-bought vanilla wafers would be just as striking.

And it was.  These are warm gems of vanilla sweetness with none of the chemical aftertaste I have always noticed in the store bought variety.  And they are easy to throw together.  I actually made the dough the night before I baked them, so it was a total of about half an hour each night, and they could be kept in the refrigerator for a few days before baking if necessary.

I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour here.  I have always thought of vanilla wafers as one of the healthier options in the cookie world.  Whole wheat pastry flour makes it even more healthy without compromising the flavor, in my humble opinion.  If you try it I'm sure you will agree.

Home Cooking 8.59 Chapter: Baked Goods (Sweet/Savory)

HOMEMADE VANILLA WAFERS

Makes 4 dozen cookies

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder

Combine the butter, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl and use a hand mixer on medium high to cream the ingredients together. Add the flour and mix well. The result will be somewhat wet and sticky. Chill for at least half an hour or up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 400° and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roughly form the dough into small round balls about an inch in diameter and place them on the parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown.


from Penzeys Holiday 2013 catalog

exported from Home Cookin 8.59 (www.mountainsoftware.com)

Chickpea and Greens Curry Soup

My years-long streak of bad luck with Vegetarian Times recipes seems to have finally broken.  I had some chickpeas in the freezer and was looking for something to do with them when I ran across this reader recipe I had torn out of the magazine back in 2011.  I had everything on hand except for the greens so I grabbed some Swiss Chard at the store and was ready to go.

This cooks up pretty quickly and makes a satisfying lunch or dinner.  And you can add it to your repertoire of workday lunches, as it also travels well.

As usual, if you do not have the spices required, you can easily substitute with an equal amount of curry powder (which is what the original recipes calls for, so you won't even be cheating).

Home Cookin Version 8.59 Chapter: Soups and Stews

CHICKPEA AND GREENS CURRY SOUP

6-8 Servings

1 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp paprika
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 bunches Swiss chard, stems removed and chopped; leaves roughly chopped
1-1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth or water
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 Tbsp cup chopped fresh dill (optional)
Yogurt for garnish (optional)

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin and mustard seeds and cook for about 30 seconds, until the mustard seeds start popping. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes, then add the jalapeno and chard stems and continue cook, stirring, until the onions have started to brown.

Add the spices and cook for 1 minute to release the spices, then add the tomato and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to soften.

Add the chickpeas, coconut milk, and broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the chard leaves and coconut milk and cook until the chard leaves have wilted, 5 to 10 more minutes. Add the cilantro and dill if using and serve garnished with the yogurt and more cilantro and dill, if desired.

adapted from Vegetarian Times, March 2011

Exported from Home Cookin 8.59 (www.mountain-software.com)