Tomato Chickpea Stew

Around our house, everyone knows I can throw together a meal in minutes. Maybe it's years of practice but I know the real secret is opening a can! Lately, chickpeas have become one of my favorite cans to open. I know many people think that it's a cheat not soak beans and cook them for hours, but who has time for that? Canned goods have great nutritional value as long as you don't see a lot of additives on the label ingredient list and they taste just about the same as fresh. This recipe includes three cans to open - but it also involves fresh kale! So, I don't feel too guilty about making this fast and yummy stew.

Ingredients for Two Large Servings:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (8 oz.) package of cubed ham or 1 cup of left-over ham, cubed

2 good sized cloves garlic, put through a press or finally minced
1 (14.5 oz.) cans beef broth

1 (16 oz.) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can of chopped tomatoes

1 large bunch kale, ribs removed and chopped 

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Place olive oil in large saucepan over medium low heat. When the oil shimmers, add the ham cubes. Saute the ham for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow all sides to brown. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 30 more seconds.

Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up any bits that might be clinging to the bottom.

Then gently stir in the chickpeas, chopped kale, tomatoes and pepper.

   Bring the mixture up to a boil, then turn it back down to medium low heat and allow to simmer for five minutes.

  Ladle into soup bowls and serve.

Soup in a Snap: Kale, Butter Bean, and Ham

This winter when we were living the Florida RV life, the campground we stayed at in Fort Myers had an added amenity. It was right across the street from ECHO Global Farm and Research Center, a nonprofit faith-based organization that is dedicated to finding agricultural solutions to fighting hunger in Africa and urban food deserts in the United States. They used discarded tires, cement blocks and even old carpet to grow all manner of veggies - especially leafy greens. Every Friday, they sold the produce to the public and I found myself buying lots of kale. We ate it in salads and crispy fried it to sprinkle over eggs, but we also enjoyed it in soup. This one is healthy but still robust enough to be hearty on a chilly spring day. A bonus: it can be make in a snap!

Ingredients for Four Servings:

4 good sized cloves garlic, put through a press or finally minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 (8 oz.) package of diced ham or 1 cup of left-over ham

2 (14.5 oz.) cans beef broth

2 (16 oz.) cans butter beans, rinsed and drained

1 large bunch kale, ribs removed and chopped (Lacinato is nice, but any variety works.)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Procedure:

Place olive oil in large saucepan over medium low heat. When the oil shimmers, add the garlic. Cook for a minute or until the garlic browns. Add the ham and cook, stirring occasionally, until it browns - about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up any bits that might be clinging to the bottom. Then gently stir in the beans, chopped kale, and pepper. Bring the mixture up to a boil, then turn it back down to medium low heat and allow to simmer for five minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.

Lentil (or Any Luscious Legume) Soup

In the Midwest there is no such thing as an endless summer. Each year in mid-September the night time temperatures start to drop into the low 50's and as the month progresses the days begin to get chilly as well. It's sad to see summer go, but it's also strangely refreshing to witness the change of seasons. The sunshine seems to look golden, the air is crisp, and the changing leaves give the eye a break from the dried out colors of August.  In the hot weather, we eat a lot of salads at our house.  When it starts to get cool, everyone wants soup. This soup is so easy; no sauteing necessary - just throw everything into a soup pot and simmer until it's done. This recipe works with any legume but our favorites are brown lentils and dried split peas. Serve with some crusty bread and a small salad.

Ingredients:
16 oz. legumes: lentils, peas, or dried beans
8 cups chicken broth
1 (8 oz.) package cubed ham
1/2 cup water
2 medium carrots
2 medium celery stalks
1 medium onion
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme

Directions:

Peel and slice the carrots, dice the celery, and peel and dice the onion.

Put the carrots, celery, onions, bay leaf, thyme, broth, and water into a soup pan.

Rinse, drain, and pick out anything that isn't whatever legume you have decided on.and add them to the pot. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to medium low.  Cook until the legume of choice is tender. It will be about 40 minutes if you are using brown lentils. If you are using split peas or dried mixed beans (the beans have to be soaked over night), it will take one hour and 15 minutes. For lentils like the red ones or Belugas, the time will be much shorter, about 20 minutes.  Stir every so often, making sure it is not burning on the bottom.  Add  a bit more water if it gets too thick before legumes have a chance to get tender.  Ladle into bowls.

Easy Entertaining: Eternally Elegant Quiche

     Eternally elegant quiche, just like Jackie O., never goes out of style.  It's really delicious and can be made with almost any variations of meat, veggies, and cheese.  Individual ones, like the ones above, are just as simple to make as a whole quiche. However, it's also so easy to make large 13 x 9 quiche casseroles which I recently did for an early morning baby shower at school. (I just doubled the recipe and used a couple of premade pie crusts to fit the pan.)  My basic recipe came from a fellow school teacher who gave it to me when I was planning a brunch open house for Jenn's graduation from high school.  I hit upon the idea of putting the cheese and fillings in the pie crust the night before and storing the blended up eggs, milk, and cream in a zip lock bag to add just before baking.  If you want to cut carbs and calories, quiche can be made without the crust and milk can be substituted for the cream - just make sure you spray the baking dish well with cooking oil. Below the basic directions for quiche posted here, are the recipes for two of our family's favorite quiches: Ham & Cheese and Spinach. For a special occasion - quiche is forever chic!

Steps to Build a Great Quiche

1.  Place and "flute" a premade crust in a pie pan and fill it with:

•  1 1/4 cup shredded cheese ( basic combo is 1 cup swiss + 1/4 cup cheddar)

• Some kind of meat and/or veggie such as bacon, ham, mushrooms, broccoli, chicken, spinach

• Seasonings: sprinkle of garlic powder, dry mustard, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes

• Diced onion (standard amount is 1 tablespoon)

2. In a blender mix together and pour over the ingredients in the pie shell

• 1 cup whipping cream

• 1/3 cup milk

• 6 eggs

3.  Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Then, lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for at least 45 more minutes until the the quiche is puffed up, cracked, browned, and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Individual Spinach Cheese Quiches

10 oz. package of cooked and drained frozen spinach

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/8 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, and red pepper flakes

1/4 cup diced yellow onion

1 cup cream

1/3 cup milk

6 eggs

2 premade piecrusts 

Spray the insides of a muffin tin with cooking oil.  With the two premade pie crusts, cut out twelve 3 1/2 inch circles by using the top of the glass.  Place the pie crust rounds into each muffin cup. Mix spinach, cheeses, spices, and onion in a bowl. Divide the spinach mixture between the muffin cups. Using a blender, combine the cream, milk, and eggs. Pour the egg mixture into each muffin cup just up to the top.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Individual quiches should be browned, puffed, and an inserted toothpick should come out clean.

Ham and Cheese Quiche

1 nine inch pie shell

1 ¼ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

1 cup cubed ham1 bunch green onionssliced

1 teaspoon onion diced

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Pinch crushed red pepper

1 cup whipping cream

1/3 cup milk

6 eggs

Fill pie shell with cheese, ham, and green onions.
Sprinkle in the garlic powder, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and red pepper.Using blender, mix up whipping cream, milk, and eggs.Pour egg mixture into pie shell until full. Bake 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until puffed, lightly browned, cracked, and toothpick comes out clean.