at home with ann

We go through a lot of hummus.  It's one of my go-to meals for Colin, and Jon and I will make a pretty serious dent in a container during a snack session.  While Trader Joe's Mediterranean is my all time favorite, it's always good to whip up a batch at home.  I had my usual kitchen helper at my side for this one, which meant a fair amount of lemon sucking, chickpea sampling, pressing buttons on the food processor and finally eating the finished product straight up with a spatula.  It's always a messy adventure in our kitchen these days. Roasted Garlic Hummus 2 cups chickpeas or 1 can, rinsed and drained 1 head garlic 2 tablespoons tahini 1 lemon, juiced Kosher or sea salt 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for garlic Warm water Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the very top off the head of garlic and place on a piece of tin foil. Drizzle with olive oil and wrap tightly. Roast garlic for 1 hour and allow to cool before handling. Once the garlic is cool,...

Like hummus, but not hummus.  If, like Colin, Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas are too much of a mouthful for you, you can gesture wildly and say, "hummah, hummah."  Sometimes in the afternoons I turn on the Food Network while I make dinner.  Barefoot Contessa is on at 4:30 and Colin says "Iinaaaah."  My poor child is growing up without Sesame Street and instead will be saying things like, "how easy is that?" The recipe says to serve this warm, but we also enjoyed it cold and at room temperature.  Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas original recipe from Barefoot Contessa 2 (15.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1/2 cup chicken broth 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for serving 2 ripe medium-size tomatoes, seeded and small-diced (or about half a pint of grape tomatoes) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice Kosher salt and freshly ground black ...

You know how when you order take-out Chinese food and you get way more fortune cookies than the number of people in your party?  The highly sophisticated formula for food per person used by takeout Chinese restaurants is a mystery to me.  Since we always order enough for leftovers, it's ok  to get four cookies for two people.  A few weekends ago we ordered from a new-to-us place that turned out to have extremely generous portions.  Our order of two appetizers and three entrees (we like variety) came with seven fortune cookies.  Seven.  We ate the food for three meals, Jon even had some for extra breakfast and we still ended up throwing some away, along with five of those fortune cookies.  The shame of ordering nearly enough food for a football team prompted me to make a little healthy salad for us to detox on Monday. Wheat Berry Salad 1/2 cup dried wheat berries, steamed - I soak mine overnight, and then simmer in fresh water for about an hour...

As Jon can attest, I've been experimenting with falafel recipes for quite a while.  Not wanting to deal with deep frying, I use a pan fry or oven bake technique.  I'm not ashamed to admit that my past attempts have been less than amazing.  The last batch was so dry that I had to drown them in hummus and hot sauce.  But no more!  Finally, this twist on falafel is a success, and it's all thanks to zucchini.  If you belong to a CSA, shop at farmer's markets, or can't pass up a sale in the produce section of the grocery store, you might find yourself with some extra zucchini on hand lately.  While I actually like zucchini bread (add enough flour, butter and sugar to anything and it's good), this is something a little different. Zucchini Chickpea Falafel Ingredients: 1 large zucchini, shredded (about 2 cups) 28 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 4 cups) 1/2 medium red onion, shredded 1 egg 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup ground flax seed Handf...

I've made Mediterranean Couscous salad many times before.  It's one of my favorite cold summer salads, perfect for a side or main dish.  Excellent to take to parties, and excellent eaten straight out of the fridge.  Perhaps I should stop sharing that I eat food straight from the fridge, fork in hand, lest you think I have no manners.  Last year, I shared a version of it here .  The Lemon Tahini Dressing on that one is amazing, and I highly recommend you make it.  This is essentially the same salad, just with an easy, light vinaigrette dressing instead.  My in-laws came over yesterday to visit Colin, and we had this with lunch.  Colin had been shorted on his morning nap and wasn't his usual cheerful self the whole time, but at least everyone seemed to like the couscous.  Mediterranean Couscous Salad 1 cup whole wheat pearl couscous (also called Israeli couscous) 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered 1 english cucumber, chopped 1 red bell...

There's a problem with the oven.  A problem that means it takes an hour to preheat to a temperature that is no where near the one set, and randomly cools down while it's cooking.  This meant that after "roasting" in a 425 degree oven for nearly 2 hours , the pan came out cool enough to touch and the vegetables were lightly cooked and lukewarm.   Needless to say, Jon's to-do list for this weekend includes fixing the oven or buying a new one.  This meal was inspired by yet another Pinterest find.  This one , to be specific.  I strayed quite a bit from the original recipe, but really it just put the idea into my head to do a roasted vegetable couscous.  Also, the website is British, so it says things like aubergine instead of eggplant, courgettes instead of zucchini, and shallow tin instead of baking sheet.  That's fun.  Roasted Vegetable Couscous 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 r...

I love spinach and artichoke dip.  It's one of my favorite bar foods, and I will frequently make it at home for parties or appetizers-for-dinner nights.  Spinach and artichokes are healthy, but sadly, cream cheese, mayo and sour cream are not especially.  While making my weekly batch of hummus (it's scary how fast we go through it around here), I thought adding spinach and artichoke might be a good change from the usual garlic and lemon flavor.  It was.  Not only are the flavors delicious, but adding these ingredients ups the nutrition and volume considerably.  Spinach and Artichoke Hummus Yield: 6 cups 2 cans or about 3 cups chickpeas 1/4 cup tahini 1/2 lemon, juiced 2 garlic cloves Olive oil Water Hot sauce Salt 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed 1 can artichoke hearts, drained In a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice and a little water.  Process until well mixed. Add in garlic, mix well. Add in chickpeas in 2-3...

Perhaps you are finding yourself in a bit of a lunch rut, staring down that same turkey sandwich or salad every day.  Or you might be in need of a very quick and simple dinner. This is another Pinterest inspired recipe from here .  For the past few weeks I've been cooking a pound of chickpeas at the beginning of the week.  Half goes into the huge quantities of hummus I've been making, and the rest are for recipes, salad toppers and snacking. Of course, this is just one of a million ways you can use chickpeas in a wrap.  Add them to pretty much any flavor combination for a good protein and fiber source.  Keep these ingredients and swap out the barbecue sauce for hot sauce for a buffalo flavor, add them in to Greek salad ingredients, or use them in place of chicken or tuna for salads. Barbecue Chickpea Wrap Serves 1 1/3 cup chickpeas 4 grape tomatoes, quartered 1/2 avocado, chopped 1-2 Tablespoon red onion, diced 1 Tablespoon barbecue sauce Touch of m...

Another crock pot recipe, you say?  Another reddish/brownish bowl of mush?  I know, crock pot stews don't photograph particularly well, but they are delicious and this one is also super nutritious.  I hope you aren't totally bored of crock pot ideas, though, because I have another one cooking away for dinner tonight.  Plus, this is just another opportunity to make crock pot jokes.  Not only that, this is a very affordable recipe, it yielded 8 servings for us, barely over $1 per bowl. Who doesn't need some more convenience in their cooking once in a while, right? Crock Pot Butternut and Kale Stew recipe based on Eat Live Run 1 onion, chopped 1-2 carrots, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeno, minced 2 tsp garam masala 1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes in tomato juice 2 cups vegetable broth 1 cup red lentils 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1/2 bunch kale, ripped into bite sized pieces salt and pep...

This is another easy vegetarian dish.  I usually have the bulk of the ingredients (chickpeas, rice, canned tomatoes, spinach, onion) on hand, so it's a good option to keep in mind.  My completely sporadic posting schedule might make it hard to see, but I usually try to balance our eating for the week by offsetting any meat based or heavy dishes with lighter vegetarian fare.  Mediterranean Casserole 1 cup uncooked brown rice, steamed according to package directions 1/4-1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream Olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes salt and pepper 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice 1 bag fresh spinach, or one box frozen spinach, thawed 8 oz. feta cheese, cubed or crumbled Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook brown rice according to package directions.  Stir in yogurt or sour cream and set aside. In a saute pan, heat olive oil o...

I make a lot of soups in the winter, in case you haven't noticed.  Warm, healthy, and easy, all the things I look for in a recipe.  When I can throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker and be done, that's just an added bonus.  I had intended to save some of this soup and stick it in the freezer for post-baby time, as I've been doing a lot lately, but we managed to eat it all. This was likely due to me eating it directly out of the crock pot for pre-dinner snack the night Jon came home late. Slow Cooker Peanut Stew recipe from Peas and Thank You 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 sweet potato, cubed 1 1/2 teaspoons curry poweder 1/2 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon cumin 1 Tablespoon minced ginger (I used fresh and grated it) 2 teaspoons minced garlic dash of cinnamon 1 14 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice 1 can light coconut milk 2 cups vegetable broth 2 Tablespoons peanut butter 1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed Add all ingredients to t...

This is just a variation on the quinoa recipes I've shared before, but it's so good.  Plus, the addition of the roasted butternut squash is great and fall-ish.  I'll give rough estimates for the quanities of the ingredients, but really I just added until the ratios looked good.  I have a whole bunch of leftover butternut squash, which I've been eating on salads with apples all week.  Of course, you could always make the best risotto with it, too.  Fall Quinoa Olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 cup quinoa, rinsed 2 cups vegetable broth or water 2 cups (or one can) chickpeas 2 cups roasted butternut squash 1 apple, chopped 1/2 cup dried cranberries goat cheese In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion for about 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic, cook for one minute more. Stir in quinoa, cook for one minute, stirring. Pour in broth or water, reduce to simmer and cover for 20-25 minutes, or until liquid is ab...

This is a super fast, super healthy recipe.  Aside from the time to cook rice, it takes about 10 minutes total.  And, it's made from ingredients you can keep stocked in your pantry, so you can throw it together on nights when you have absolutely no idea what to make. I had absolutely zero ideas on what to make for dinner at the beginning of this week.  I knew I was going to cook a batch of dried chickpeas because Jon kept asking when I was going to make more hummus.  As a side note, said hummus contained the hottest jalapenos I have ever come in contact with, and we can barely eat it without chugging milk.  I'm currently brainstorming ideas for what to serve it with to cool it down a bit.  I'm thinking something along the lines of a yogurt feta spread.  More to come on that.  Anyway, a whole batch of chickpeas is a lot of chickpeas, so I used some in this meal, and the rest in a quinoa dish I'll share tomorrow.  Chickpea and Spinach Curry...

You know I am a big fan of kale, although I admittedly mostly eat it in chip form.  Kale is crazy good for you, lots of vitamin K, A, and C, among others.  One of my friends sent me this recipe (I love when they do that!), and I was excited to try it with some of the giant bag of kale I picked this week.  I modified the original recipe a bit to add some more ingredients and make it into a meal (and consequently, no longer officially raw, if you care about that sort of thing). Kale, Tomato and Avocado Salad adapted from Happy Foody 1 bunch of curly kale (I filled up about half a salad spinner to serve 2 as a main course) 1 large tomato, chopped 1/2-1 avocado, chopped 1/2 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil Juice of 1/2 lemon sea salt goat cheese, crumbled, for serving Rip kale leaves off stems and tear into bite size pieces. Mix in olive oil and lemon juice with your hands.  Really, use your hands.  The more it gets worked ...

As you have likely noticed, I like main course salads.  They can be made in advance, and usually get better a day later. This was my first time cooking barley.  I thought it would be with the grains like rice and couscous in the market, and had nearly given up hope and gone to Whole Foods, where you can always find everything, when I found it with dried beans.  So if you want to make this and can't find barley, check with the beans. Peach Cucumber Barley Salad slightly modified from Good Housekeeping Ingredients: 1 cup pearl barley 2 cups water, vegetable broth, or a combination (I just used water) 1 cucumber 2 peaches 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves 2 Tablespoons vinegar (cider or red wine) 1 Tablespoon olive oil salt and pepper 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed Place dry barley in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until toasted. Stir in water/broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, c...

You've seen variations on both caprese and panzanella here before.  They are favorites around our house.  Today's salad included pesto coated chickpeas for a little variation, and a little protein to make it a meal.  Panzanella is one of my favorite ways to use up stale bread, right up there with french toast. Caprese Panzanella with Chickpea s Ingredients: 1/2 loaf french baguette (or really any bakery bread), cut into bite size cubes 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas) 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into cubes 1/4 cup pesto olive oil vinegar (I used red wine, balsamic works, too) Lightly toss bread cubes in olive oil.  Toast in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together chickpeas and pesto. Add in tomatoes and mozzarella. Mix in bread cubes.  Drizzle with a little vinegar.  I really like vinegar, so I'm usually pretty liberal with my pour here,...

If you've been reading for a few months, a form of this quinoa may look familiar to you from back in February .  For that meal, we had it as a side dish, but today I changed it up a bit, and added some protein in the form of chickpeas to make it a light meal.   Apple and Cranberry Quinoa with Chickpeas adapted from Oh She Glows Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked quinoa, washed well 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup diced carrot 2 cups vegetable broth or water 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt, to taste 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 1/2 cups diced Granny Smith apple, not peeled (one large apple) 1/2 cup dried cranberries black pepper, to taste Directions : Rinse your quinoa.  Don't skip this step!  For reasons I can't recall right now, it's very important. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in pan over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and carrots and sauté until the onion is translucent.  Add broth, quinoa, chickpeas, salt, pe...

I apologize for the inconsistency in my blogging lately.  I've been feeling a bit off, and as a result, my cooking isn't very adventurous or interesting.  We still need recipes for off days, though, and this soup has been my go-to all week. Minestrone Soup 1 onion, chopped 2 small zucchini, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced olive oil 1 teaspoon dried thyme 2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon dried parsley 2 cups chickpeas (any bean will do) 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid 28 oz. water or vegetable broth Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Chop and drop the vegetables into the pot- onion through garlic.  Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add in the spices and cook one minute more. Add in the chickpeas, diced tomatoes and water or broth. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 20 minutes. A quick, easy, healthy meal in no time.  If you need extra comfort, pair it with gril...

Before we get started today, I need to jump on the royal wedding bandwagon. I've actually always been on the royal wedding bandwagon.  In 1981, my mother and I watched Charles and Diana's wedding together.  I was too young to remember watching, but I do remember that dress.  I visited St. Paul's Cathedral when I went to England at age 15, and hoped I'd run into William around London and he might decide that I'd make a good princess.  If it wasn't going to be me, Kate makes an excellent choice.  I confess that I haven't seen all the coverage yet today (although of course I DVR'd it), however, my first impression is that she looked lovely and they seem very happy.  It has been reported to me that they had the same hymn at their wedding as we did at ours, and also my mother said Kate didn't look as beautiful as I did on my wedding day, but mothers are supposed to say things like that. I should have made scones.  Instead I made couscous. This salad ...

This is one of those recipes I always come back to.  It's a nice change from the usual Italian or Greek flavored cold salads, and has some of my favorite ingredients (broccoli and feta).  In case you haven't noticed, I like to top almost everything with at least a little cheese. I would make an unsuccessful vegan.  Curried Couscous with Broccoli and Feta recipe from Cooking Light Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked couscous (I used whole wheat) 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets (I probably used about double) 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1/3 cup shredded carrot (I grated the carrots on my large microplane grater) 1/4 cup raisins 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used red wine vinegar) 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder 1 teaspoon ground ginger 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.  Add couscous, remove from heat, and cover for at least 5 minutes, or un...