chickpea and vegetable stew

I came across this recipe looking for a soup to make for a friend who leans toward the vegetarian side of things.

olive oil
2 cups zucchini, cubed
1 cup onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced

Heat your soup pot and cook these ingredients, covered, for about five minutes. Stir in

4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 t ground ginger
1 1/2 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1 t salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground pepper
1 small can diced green chiles
2 cans (15.5 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, with juice

Bring mixture to a boil , reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes until the chickpeas are tender, stirring occasionally.

Peace,
Milton

spicy shrimp and peanut butter pizza

One of the things I was asked to do on the retreat at Laity Lodge (read Gordon's post about it -- photo courtesy of RLP) was a cooking demonstration. As Ginger I talked about it, I decided I wanted to do something that had some metaphorical nutrition to it as well as something that tasted good. Since our retreat theme had to do with finding our vocation, which translates to me as figuring out what to make of the ingredients of our lives, I gave five people the chance to go into the pantry and refrigerator at the lodge and pick an ingredient. I promised I would use those things (along with a few additions of my own) to make our evening snack.

They chose

scallions
shrimp
jalapenos (we were in Texas)
phyllo dough

and peanut butter.

I spent the afternoon thinking and preparing and then we gathered after our evening session so they could see me assemble the dish and we could eat our Spicy Shrimp and Peanut Butter Pizzas together.

You, too, can make them at home.

½ cup melted butter
8 sheets phyllo dough

Take each sheet of phyllo, one at a time, paint with butter and stack them one on top of the other. Fold in the sides to make about a ½ inch border, or crust, and then put it in a 350 oven for about eight minutes, until it is lightly browned.

½ cup peanut butter
½ cup crushed pineapple
½ cup jalapenos, chopped
½ sweet chili sauce
¼ cup honey

Blend the mixture in a food processor and then heat in a sauté pan until it thickens a bit. Set aside.

10 medium sized shrimp

Boil, grill, or sauté the shrimp (your pick) and let them cool.

½ cup corn kernels
½ roasted red peppers, chopped
½ cup jalapenos, chopped
½ cup scallions chopped
½ cup cooked bacon, chopped
lime juice
salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients together to make a salsa of sorts.

Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon the peanut sauce in the middle of the crust, leaving the turned in edges dry. Chop the shrimp and spread over the peanut sauce, then spread the salsa on top (you may not use all of it). The final touch is a layer of crumbled

queso fresco

and then the pizza goes in a 350 oven for five to seven minutes, until everything is warmed through. Sprinkle some more chopped scallions on top to serve.

A couple of notes: you could use a regular pizza crust if you don’t want to fool with the phyllo. You can use another kind of cheese; I used what was available. This isn’t a fast recipe, but it seemed worth it as I watched every last piece of pizza disappear.

Peace,
Milton

guiltless granola

I cook for a friend at church from time to time who is pre-diabetic. She asked if I could come up with a granola that has a low glycemic index and this is an amalgamation of a couple of recipes I found.

1 cup chopped dates
1 cup water

Combine and cook over medium heat until most of the water has either been absorbed or evaporated. Set aside to cool.

8 cups rolled oats (oatmeal)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried fruit (your pick)
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl. Cook in batches by spreading a thin layer on a baking sheet and baking for about seven minutes. (It took me about four batches.) Put the mixture back in the big bowl. Add

1/4 frozen apple concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup vegetable oil

to the date paste and mix together. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix well. Return the mixture to the baking sheet and cook for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool before storing in an airtight container.

Peace,
Milton

triple a pesto

We invited some folks over for dinner last night who have just moved into the neighborhood, which sent me to the refrigerator and the pantry to see what I could make of what I had on hand. I have a couple of recipes to post, but I'll start with this one. I found

marinated aritchokes
dried unsulphured apricots (an equal amount)
almonds (about half the volume of the first two ingredients)
cinnamon basil (from our garden)

I added

a little lemon juice
salt and pepper

and pulsed it in the food processor. Once it was fairly well pureed, I began pouring a slow stream of

olive oil

into the food processor and let it run for a good bit, until the mix was the consistency I wanted. It turned out to be quite good.

Peace,
Milton

balsamic berry chicken

This has way more to do with the sauce than it does the chicken.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Grill the chicken or saute it. Remember, we're trying to get to the sauce. If you saute the bird, remove it from the saute pan and set aside. If you grill it, you can start the sauce while the chicken is on the grill. Add

8 oz raspberry fruit spread
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 small finely diced onion

Cook over pretty high heat until it begins to bubble; lower the heat and let the sauce reduce by about half. You can either add the chicken to the skillet to coat, or plate them and pour the sauce over the top.

Note: I found a good deal on fresh raspberries at the grocery store and covered a pint of raspberries with water and added about 3 tablespoons of honey and let it simmer until the berries fell apart. Then I added the balsamic vinegar and finished the sauce.

Peace,
Milton

chilled minty carrot and orange soup

I made this soup for one of the people in our church and also made enough for our potluck Wednesday night.

1 sweet onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red bell peppers
4 cups carrots, sliced 1/8 inch thick
4 cups vegetable stock

In a stockpot, sweat the onions with the oil for six or eight minutes and then add the peppers and cook until they soften. I like to keep the pot covered to keep in the juices created by the vegetables. Add the carrots and let the mixture continue to cook down until the carrots begin to soften. Add the vegetable stock, bring the whole thing to a boil and then lower the heat so that the soup simmers for a good fifteen minutes at least. When the carrots are good and soft, turn off the heat and use a hand mixer to puree the soup. (You can also do it in batches with a food processor.)

1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper

Add the orange and lemon juices and make sure everything is mixed well. Season to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more orange juice, or – if you think the orange taste is right – a little cold water.

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

The mint is the final touch. Do a fine chop on the leaves and then stir them into the soup. Cool it down before serving. You want it to taste like it just came out of the refrigerator. The easiest way to cool it is to put the soup in several smaller containers.

Peace,
Milton

shrimp salad

Here's the last of the recipes from the lunch I did last weekend.

1 cup corn
1 tablespoon olive oil

Get a saute pan hot and then add the oil. When it is hot, add the corn and cook until it begins to brown. Set aside to cool.

Mix together

1 lb shrimp, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup celery, diced small
1/2 cup scallions, diced small
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup roasted corn
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients well and serve.

Peace,
Milton

gigi's chicken salad

Answering the musical question: what do you do when she wants chicken salad but hates celery and is allergic to onions?

chicken, cooked and diced
granny smith apple, diced
lemon juice
dried cranberries
pecans, toasted and rough chopped
dijon mustard
mayonnaise
salt and pepper

I didn't put amounts because I think chicken salad is one of those things best balanced as you go. I will say this, for a couple of pounds of chicken, you won't need more than a tablespoon of mustard. I pour a tablespoon or two of lemon juice over the apples while I'm getting everything else ready so they don't turn brown. To toast the pecans, set the oven at 400, put the pecan halves in a pie plate and cook for about five minutes. Chop them after they cool.

Peace,
Milton

caponata

I prepared lunch for a denominational workshop last Saturday and came across a couple of good recipes I adapted for the meal, which was different kinds of salads. They felt worth sharing.

2 lbs. eggplant, cubed
salt

Put the eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle with salt, toss and set aside to drain.

2 medium zucchini, cubed
1 red pepper, julienned
olive oil
1 sweet onion, julienned

Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the zucchini and pepper slices at fairly high heat until the zucchini is slightly browned – about five minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add another tablespoon or so of oil to the pan along with the onion slices and sauté on medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent – about six minutes. Add the onion to the bowl with the squash and peppers.

Rinse the eggplant and pat dry. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan, bring it to a fairly high heat and brown the eggplant. You may have to do this in a couple of batches. Add more oil with each batch. Drain on paper towels.

Put everything but the eggplant in a large saucepan or soup pot, bring up the heat and add

1 14 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons capers, drained
1 small jar manzanilla olives stuffed with pimentos (about two dozen)
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted (optional)

Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about ten mintues. Remove from heat and cool. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for twenty-four hour to let the flavors absorb. Serve at room temperature. Just before serving, taste to season and add salt and pepper as you wish, along with a little more red wine vinegar.

Serves 8.

Peace,
Milton

lentil salad

This may sound a little plain, but it tastes good.

1/2 onion
4 cloves

Stud the onion with the cloves and place in a saucepan with

1 2/3 cups French green lentils
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin

Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Discard the onion and the bay leaf. Reserve the garlic cloves and chop finely. Combine the garlic with

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin

Whisk together well (or put in a blender) and stir through the lentils. Then add

2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
3 scallions, finely chopped

Stir well. Taste to see if you need additional seasonings or salt and pepper. Let stand for at least thirty minutes to let the flavors absorb and serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6.

Peace,
Milton