Bright and Fresh Chickpea Salad

It's growing season again! Every Saturday morning from here until winter will be spent at the Kansas City Farmer's Market, where I will buy produce from my favorite farmers! See the "Food Sources" page to see links to my favorite stalls and farms. There isn't too much available just yet, and a lot of my favorite stalls (such as Hun's Garden) were still only selling plants, but I did come out with some good buys! Here's the loot I came home with this week!


Bryson's Farm:
- 4 red, juicy tomatoes
- 2 lovely bunches of asparagus
- 1/2 pound of creamy fingerling potatoes
- 3 exquisite heads of garlic
- 1 bunch of crisp red radishes


Goode Acres:
- 1 bag of crunchy baby romaine lettuce
- 1 bag of delicious curly green kale

I saw a stall I had never seen before, drawn in by the signs declaring "RAWSOME DELIGHTS." They were selling two different kinds of raw cacao treats! One was a coconut chocolate truffle and the other had dates and pecans. I went for the dates! Ingredients:
coconut, pecans, cashews, cacao, walnuts, dates, agave, coconut oil, sea salt
All organic. $3.50 for three treats - we haven't eaten any yet. I think I'll save them for late at night ;)

Carollo's Gourmet Grocery is a fantastic little Italian deli and shop in the farmer's market area. From there I brought home:
- about a pound of mixed olives: Sicilian green, Greek black and Gaeta olives
- (what I was really excited about!!) THREE POUNDS of dried cannellini beans!!!! I can hardly ever find these anywhere... so when I saw them, I bought three pounds! I'll be giving some to my mom. I'll probably be making a pasta fagioli soup with the kale from Goode Acres very soon :)

Another part of Market Saturdays is coming home and making lunch out of all the produce left in the kitchen from last week. I must use the old stuff before touching the new! I had a lot leftover this week and managed to make a very delicious salad from it.

This salad is light, fresh tasting, crunchy and nutritious. The dressing is slightly spicy and dances on your tongue. My husband says he is going to use the leftovers to make a pita sandwich for dinner this evening. I used leftover white basmati rice, but I can imagine that any sort of rice will be great, or even another grain like quinoa or kamut that you may have sitting around.

I hope some of you get as excited for growing season as I do. Here's to months and months of farmer's market Saturdays! CHEERS :)

Bright and Fresh Chickpea Salad

• 2 cups cold, cooked chickpeas
• 1 cup cold, cooked rice
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/2 a zucchini
• 1/2 tomato
• 1/2 bunch green onion
• 1-2 romaine lettuce leaves
• 1/2 a jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons or so of fresh parsley leaves
• small chunk of fresh ginger, skin removed
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 teaspoon stone ground or dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Chop the carrot and zucchini into very small pieces. Dice the green onions and tomato and tear the romaine lettuce into bite size pieces. Toss in a bowl along with the chickpeas and rice.

Roughly chop the jalapeno, garlic cloves, parsley and ginger and add to a food processor. Pulse a couple of times, then add in the lime juice, dijon mustard and olive oil. Combine until they form a thick, creamy dressing.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix thoroughly. Let sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about fifteen minutes before enjoying.

(P.S. I know my pictures are never exactly professional - haha - but lately I've just been using my camera phone. So believe me, this salad is much brighter and delicious looking than the pictures allow for :)

Egg Flower Soup with Crispy Wonton Chips

I have had a strange relationship with Chinese five-spice powder. It is a combination of spiced used throughout much of Chinese cooking. There are some variations, but five-spice powder usually contains star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, ginger root, cassia buds, and/or Szechuan or black pepper. I have a nice bottle of it in my spice drawer, but so far I have been unable to use it successfully. I think each time I have used too much - those spices have very strong, distinct flavors. When I found this recipe, I was eager to try using it again and was very happy with the results. The strong flavors are definitely present, especially in the leftovers, but very delicious.

Egg drop soup and the crispy chips that come with them are two of my favorite items at Chinese restaurants, ever since I was a little child. I am so happy to be able to make these simple, delicious, comforting foods at home - and the homemade flavor makes it much better quality than most restaurants, in my opinion. They are also quite simple.

The recipe for the Egg Flower Soup is from the cookbook 500 Chinese Recipes. This is one of my favorite cookbooks, with delicious recipes for soups, street foods, noodles, rice and vegetables from all over China and the surrounding areas.

Egg Flower Soup
four servings

• 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 tablespoons cold water, separated
• garnishes: sliced green onion, chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, hot chilli sauce, Crispy Wonton Chips

Mix the stock, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and five-spice powder in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch with two tablespoons water in a small container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well combined. Stir into the broth until well combined.

Combine the eggs two tablespoons of cold water in a measuring cup with a spout. Beat well. Raise the heat on the broth to medium. Use a spoon to stir clockwise while slowly pouring the eggs in the pot. Serve immediately with the garnishes of your choosing.

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Crispy Wonton Chips

• 8-10 wonton wrappers (or more, if you'd like to make enough to last a while)
• 4-5 tablespoons olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a small frying pan. Use only enough oil for a 1/2 inch depth in the pan. You can tell when it is hot enough when a wooden chopstick inserted in the oil forms bubbles out the tip. Cut the wonton wrappers in half lengthwise, then cut each into 1/2 inch wide strips. Fry in the olive oil until golden brown, about two minutes per batch, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Remove with a slotted spoon and let gently drain before eating. These are great on their own or in your favorite soup or salad.

 

Split Pea and Broccoli Curry

Here's another simple, delicious dinner to add to my current obsession with Indian-flavored curries. I've already eaten lentils once this week, and I had a lot of split peas leftover from the last time I made split pea soup, so I decided to use those in this recipe. I used green split peas, but I'm sure yellow split peas or a combination would be delightful.

We ate this over hot basmati rice. I usually only buy whole grains, so brown basmati is a popular choice - but sometimes I really want the texture and flavor of white rice, so I bought some and used it in this meal. I also enjoyed this with a tall glass of vanilla coconut milk, with plain fresh strawberries for dessert

Split Pea and Broccoli Curry

• 1 cup split peas
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 2 heads broccoli, cut into florets
• garnishes: fresh cilantro, peanuts, cashews, shredded coconut
• ghee, olive oil or butter

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil or butter in a large saucepan with a lid over medium heat. Add in the onion and carrots and saute for about five minutes. Add the cumin, garam masala, turmeric, ginger, garlic, jalapeno and split peas, stir to combine, and cook for about two minutes. Add in the vegetable broth and cover. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low.

If you like your broccoli very tender, add the florets in after the split peas have cooked for about twenty minutes. If you like it more firm, wait for twenty-five minutes or so. The split peas should take about 35-40 minutes to become tender - you don't want them mushy like in a split pea soup.

 

Sending this to My Legume Love Affair, event hosted by Desi Soccer Mom

Sweet Chili Noodles

I love making stir-fried noodles loaded with vegetables and covered in delicious, tasty sauce. I have experimented with many combinations of ingredients to make sauces that are sweet, spicy or salty, with different noodle shapes and various vegetables.

This dish is sweet and slightly spicy, loaded with delicate but filling vegetables. Even though this is an Asian-style dish, I used whole wheat spaghetti pasta - simply because that's what I had on hand. Udon, rice, egg or any other grain-noodle would work well.

I first came across sweet chili sauce as a topping for plain grilled tofu from the prepared foods area of Whole Foods Market. It tastes exactly how it is named: slightly spicy but mostly sweet with a bright red color and thick texture. I get it in a bottle at Whole Foods Market, and it will definitely be at any Asian food store or maybe even the supermarket (be sure to watch out for funky ingredients). I would love to one day make my own sweet chili sauce!

The leftovers for this, I imagine, would be delicious eaten cold. I don't know for sure though because we didn't have leftovers :)

Sweet Chili Noodles

• 12-14 ounces noodles
• 4 tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 6-8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup peas
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup minced fresh parsley
• olive oil
• Sriracha hot sauce for garnish

Cook the noodles according to the package directions and drain.

Combine the liquid aminos, sesame oil, chili sauce, garlic and ginger in a small bowl with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until well combined. Toss with the noodles in a large bowl and set aside.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for about five minutes or so. Add in the cabbage and balsamic vinegar, stir and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, then add in the mushrooms and peas. Continue cooking and stirring until the vegetables are cooked to your liking, an additional 2-10 minutes depending on how crunchy you like things.

Pour the vegetables over the top of the noodles and add in the minced parsley. Toss to combine everything together and serve with Sriracha if you'd like more heat.

Masala Chai Concentrate

Mmmmm, delicious masala chai... to me, the perfect masala chai is hot, spicy, thick, creamy and only slightly sweet. My husband has told me about the chai he would drink everywhere when he studied abroad in Kathmandu, Nepal, everywhere from his host home to the movie theater. It was everything I described above, but served with whole goat's milk, so that made it almost a snack in itself.


"Chai tea lattes" from coffee shops always disappoint me. Commercially available chai concentrates leave something to be desired - too sweet, not enough warm spice. When I've bought pre-made chai spiced black tea blends, they also leave something to be desired - they sort of taste how I want, but they aren't quite there yet. I think I've discovered what was missing.


In order to get the full, intense flavor from the spices - the cinnamon, the cloves, the ginger, the anise - requires much more than the five minute steep time of black tea... but you can't steep black tea too long or else it turns bitter. In comes the crock pot. Here, I've taken all of the spices needed to create a delicious cup of chai and simmered them for hours, making a highly flavored concentrate one can then use to steep black tea and mix with milk to create a steaming, warming, wonderful cup of masala chai!


This recipe makes a masala chai spiced concentrate.  I like to make concentrates because they are easier to store in my refrigerator (I can't ever seem to have enough room in there) and I can still have the same cup of tea all week with minimal effort. To make the perfect cup of masala chai from the concentrate, simply follow these instructions:

• To make hot masala chai: Heat one part of the concentrate to a boil. Remove from heat, quickly stir in one part of your choice of milk (such as half a cup of each), then pour over your favorite black tea and steep for five minutes. Remove the tea leaves, sweeten to taste (if desired) and enjoy.
• To make iced masala chai: Heat one part of the concentrate to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over your favorite black tea and steep for five minutes. Remove the tea leaves and sweeten to taste (if desired). Mix in one part of your choice of cold milk and pour over ice.

If you do not wish to have a caffeinated  beverage, simply leave out the black tea leaves - mix one part concentrate with one part milk and sip any time of the day!


Milks: Traditionally, masala chai is made with whole cow's milk or goat's milk. You can use any milk you prefer - whole, skim, 2%, soy, rice, almond, hemp, coconut... personally, I like to use vanilla almond milk. It adds a little bit of sweetness and the subtle nutty flavor goes very well with the spices. Condensed milk will make a thick, creamy tea that is sweet enough without adding sugar.
Sweeteners: Honey, raw honey, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, agave nectar or pure cane sugar.


When you make this, your entire home will smell delicious. Cheers to tea!!!


Masala Chai Concentrate
Makes enough for about eight to ten cups of tea.
Use whole spices - not ground

• one thumb sized section of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
• 20 green cardamom pods
• 25 cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 3 black peppercorns
• 5 allspice berries
• 5 star anise

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker with four cups of water. Set to the high heat setting and let simmer for six to eight hours. When finished, strain out the spices and cool the concentrate. Store in the refrigerator for about one week. To make a cup of tea, follow the instructions above.


If you don't own a slow cooker, simmer the spices on the stove in a pot with a tight-fitting lid over low heat for 3-4 hours.

Orange-Ginger Tofu Triangles

If you're skeptical of tofu, don't be. It is pretty bland by itself, but soaks up the flavor of any marinade like a sponge. This Chinese takeout inspired recipe will make light and delicious tofu that anyone will love. Slicing the tofu thinly and baking it in the oven gives it a nice firm texture to serve as a main dish.

Serve these tofu triangles atop brown rice and sauteed or raw vegetables, such as bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, peas and onions. The recipe makes enough sauce to enjoy this way. Use the red pepper flakes and Szechuan peppercorn to make this as mild or as spicy as you'd like.


Orange-Ginger Tofu Triangles

• 1 block of firm or extra firm tofu
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup Bragg liquid aminos
• 4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger root
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more)
• freshly ground Szechuan peppercorn
• 2 tablespoons organic cornstarch

Turn the tofu block on its side and slice into three thick slices. Cut each slice on the diagonal to make six triangles. In a long, flat container with a tight fitting lid, mix together the orange juice, vinegar, aminos, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and ground Szechuan pepper. Dredge each piece of tofu in the marinade, then lay in a single layer, if possible, or a double layer. Attach the lid and let marinade in the refrigerator for two hours, or overnight if possible, flipping once halfway through.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove each tofu slice from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and place on the paper in a single layer. Bake until golden and firm to your liking, anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes. Check often to ensure the edges don't burn. Flip the pieces over once in the middle of cooking.

To serve, mix the reserved marinade with the cornstarch in a small pot over medium heat until thick. Pour over the top of the tofu triangles.

Millet and Vegetable Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are fun to make and fun to eat. They're pretty and always something special, even on a weeknight. They take a little bit of time and effort but are relatively easy and the results and delicious and fun. 

If you've never had millet before, you're in for a treat! This was my first time using millet and I am very satisfied. Toasting the millet before boiling gives it a nutty flavor and helps cook the grains evenly on the inside and outside. Unfortunately, I accidentally left the lid off the pot for a little while, so I don't think I cooked the millet in the correct way, nor do I know exactly how much liquid I used. I started with one cup, but I ended up adding quite a bit more before the millet got tender. Fortunately, it isn't like rice and is very forgiving if you make a mistake - I had the lid on and off, adding more liquid and stirring, quite a bit and the texture was just perfect.

Grind the hazelnuts in a blender or a food processor, or place them in a sturdy plastic bag and give them a few whacks with a hammer or a mallet.

These stuffed peppers are hearty, filling and nutritious but not heavy. You don't have to use the kale, broccoli and corn listed here - experiment with whatever vegetables you have on hand. The nutty flavor from the millet and the hazelnuts is very warm and pleasant. This is a good meal to have if you are serving meat lovers or if you are transitioning to more vegetarian meals - it is hearty, full of flavor, and using a knife and fork to cut the pepper mimics the cutting of meat. Enjoy!


Millet and Vegetable Stuffed Peppers

• 1/2 cup millet
• about 2 cups vegetable stock or water at room temperature (see note above)
• 4 large bell peppers, any color 
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4-5 stalks of curly green kale, chopped in small pieces
• florets from 2 heads of broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• sea salt
• olive oil
• Topping ideas (optional): tomato sauce, yogurt raita, warm salsa, fresh herbs

Preheat the oven to 350°. Slice off the tops of the peppers and reserve for another use. Remove the seeds and ribs from the peppers. Heat a few cups of water in a pot large enough to fit all the peppers until simmering. Add in the peppers, lower the heat and cover. Let steam until they are tender but still firm enough to stand up - ten to twenty minutes, depending on your preference. When finished, remove the peppers but reserve some of the cooking liquid.

Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a medium sized pot. Add the millet and toast, stirring, over medium heat until the millet becomes golden and fragrant. Add in the vegetable stock and cook, covered, until the millet becomes tender and the mixture becomes thick, about fifteen to twenty minutes. If there is too much liquid, take off the lid for a few minutes while cooking - if there is not enough, add more and stir. The millet is done when it is soft or slightly crunchy (depending on how you want it).

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Add in the onion and turmeric and cook until soft, about five minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger, kale, broccoli and about a quarter cup of the boiling water from the peppers. Cover and steam over low heat for about ten minutes. Remove the lid and add in the corn, lemon zest and juice, balsamic vinegar and hazelnuts. Let cook until the kale and broccoli are as tender as you'd like and the corn is thawed and warm, five to fifteen more minutes.

Place the peppers standing upright in a baking sheet or dish. A muffin tin works nicely to ensure they don't tip. Lightly spoon the filling into each pepper and bake in the oven until they are golden brown and the peppers are only beginning to wrinkle around the edges - ten to fifteen minutes.

If you'd like, serve these on their own or with a sauce of your choosing.

I prefer red peppers :)

Pear and Oatmeal Muffins

These, I think, are the best muffin recipe I have come up with so far. They are moist without being squishy and are firm enough to eat without too many crumbs. To top it all off, they are reasonably healthy enough for breakfast and also sweet enough for dessert. Try enjoying them warm with a small spread of Shatto unsalted butter. Yum!



Pear and Oatmeal Muffins

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups diced fresh Anjou pear (do not peel - about 1 large or two medium)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat an oven to 400°. Line a muffin tin with If You Care Baking Cups (eco-friendly brand of unbleached parchment paper liners - I looove them! They peel off the muffins very easily :) or spray generously with non-hydrogenated cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flours, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, salt and walnuts. In a separate large bowl, mix together the almond milk, applesauce, eggs, ginger, vanilla extract and fresh pear. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined - be careful not to over mix or the muffins could be dense.

Carefully fill the lined muffin tin with batter using two spoons and immediately wiping off any batter that drips onto the top of the tin. Bake in the oven until they are golden brown and the centers feel springy to the touch - about 15-18 minutes.