Saturday, March 19, 2011

Quick Garbanzo Bean Salad

This recipe came from an adaptation of one in Bon Apetit! It was so super tasty and convenient to make I thought I should share it.

Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2-4 tbs of fresh basil and oregano, chopped (or substitute 1-2 tbs of dried)
2 tbs olive oil
Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
1 inch piece of hard Parmesan, shredded in medium chunks

Dressing- Mix to taste
minced garlic
dijon mustard
olive oil
finely minced onion or shallots
salt

Mix all ingredients together into a bowl and enjoy!! I am serving this one tonight with some roasted beets and linguini with califlower in white wine reduction sauce with dried cranberries and chilis! Yum!

This should make enough for 3-4 small sides or two main dish salads.

Smoky Split Pea Soup

It was really poopy out the other night and so I was inspired to make this tasty soup. It turned out really great!

Ingredients:
-1 pound of applewood smoked natural turkey or ham bacon (the ethical stuff)- to make vegetarian you can omit and add olive oil and liquid smoke
-1 medium red onion, chopped
-2 cups of split peas
-8 cups of water
-2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
-1 leek, chopped
-2 boullion cubes
-1 ancho chili, chopped
-salt and pepper to taste
-1-2 tbs butter or olive oil
-2-3 garlic cloves

In large heavy bottomed soup pot, add chopped bacon and cook on medium heat until lightly browned but not crisp.

Add split peas and water. Stir. Cover and allow to cook for one hour.

In a separate cast iron pan, heat your butter or oil and add onions cooking 3-4 minutes until slightly translucent. Add garlic, celery and leeks and turn heat to low. Cook 20-30 minutes on low heat, stirring to keep from sticking and adding additional oil/butter as needed.

Once peas have been cooking about one hour, add contents of skillet to pot. Also add boullion and chili. Continue to simmer, covered for another hour or so, until the soup is fully incorporated and has a nice thick pea soup consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with toasty garlic bread!!

This should make enough soup for 4-6 people.

Name Change- AGAIN

Sorry folks.... We decided to change the name of our blog back to its original moniker!

We will keep posting all sorts of delicious recipes! However, since we are soon making the move out to the old East Coast of the USA for me to attend law school in the fall, we wanted to start blogging our adventures outside the kitchen again as well!

We hope you continue to enjoy our blog- recipes, adventures and all!

Lots of Love,

Alletta and Ryan