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.

Miso Flavored Chicken Noodle Soup & Lemony Chickpea and Rice Salad

Miso Flavored Chicken Noodle Soup - Serves Two 

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz,) can chicken broth
1 cup cooked noodles
1 cup spinach leaves
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 tablespoon white miso
1 tablespoon soy sauce or a sauce such as Maggi, Tamari, or low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Thai basil leaves (optional)

Place the chicken broth in a sauce pan and whisk in the miso and soy sauce. Heat the liquid to a boil.

While heating the broth, place 1/2 cup noodles, 1/2 cup spinach and 1/2 cup chicken in each of two bowls.

Pour a cup of the boiling broth over the contents of each bowl. Sprinkle each bowl with 2 tablespoons of Thai basil leaves, if using.

Lemony Chickpea and Rice Salad - Serves Four

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup spinach leaves
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red chili flakes

Place rice, chickpeas, spinach leaves and onion in a bowl.

Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and cumin.

Pour dressing in bowl and gently toss. Divide into four servings.

Sprinkle each serving with a 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper or chili flakes.

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.

Field to Fork - Fall Fresh Flavors

Andy Warhol is quoted as saying that everyone experiences 15 minutes of fame. I guess I've had about 15 seconds of it, which is the amount of time it took the nice photographer guy to shoot this particular photo here on the left. I'm the person in the middle of the cover of the October issue of the Greenwood Community Newsletter.  To my left and right are Adam Moody and Cathy Richards. Both are part of the local farm to fork movement.  Each of their third generation family farms has been honored for being a leader in their industry by using best agricultural practices. I had the privilege of featuring them in an article I wrote. My story also included recipes made with the products they raised and grew. The dishes I shared had to be simple and easy to keep the word count down, but they are still delicious - Enjoy! 

Chicken Bombs

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8 slices of high quality bacon

2 to 4 fresh jalapeno peppers

1/4 cup prepared barbecue sauce 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the ends off of each pepper and then slice them down the middle length-wise. Discard the membranes and seeds, keeping each half intact.

Butterfly each breast by slicing it long-wise through the middle, but not cutting all the way through. Place two halves of each pepper inside each piece of chicken and close it up. Wrap two pieces of bacon around each chicken breast by winding one slice of bacon at a time around it.

Place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush each piece with a tablespoon of the prepared barbecue sauce. Replace back in the oven and bake for five more minutes or until the sauce begins to bubble and brown.

Sauted Kale Bacon Salad

Ingredients:

2 large bunches of Lacinato kale

6 slices high quality bacon

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

pinch of sugar (optional)

Directions:

Cook the bacon until crisp, then remove from skillet, and set aside leaving 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Rinse and pat the kale dry with paper towels. Fold each leaf in half and remove the rib by slicing along the edge of it with a sharp knife. Chop the kale leaves and saute them  over medium low heat in the skillet with the bacon drippings. After about 5 minutes, add the vinegar and pinch of sugar if using. Saute for 5 more minutes. The kale will be "wilted" but still have a lot of texture when chewed. Remove to a serving dish. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle on top.

Beets and Butternut Squash with Lemon Shallot Dressing

Ingredients:
4 medium beets
1 medium butternut squash
1 shallot
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Rainbow chard for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Wash the beets, slice off the stems, and cut the bottoms off.  Wrap them in another sheet of aluminum foil and place on one side of the baking sheet. Cut the ends off the butternut squash, slice it down the middle lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and place on the other side of the baking sheet.  Place in the oven and bake for about an hour or until tender (easily pierced with a fork). Check at 50 minutes; the squash may be ready, but the beets might take another 10 minutes or so. When the vegetables are done and have cooled down enough to handle, cut the skin away and cube into large pieces. Place the rainbow chard leaves on a serving platter or individual plates and arrange the squash and beets next to them. Peel and finely dice the shallot. Place in a small bowl along with the oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and whisk to combine.  Drizzle the lemon shallot dressing over the vegetables.  

Sunny California Kale Salad

  After eating all the rich Thanksgiving dishes last week, I found myself dreaming of a healthy but tasty salad Jenn and I had when she was relocating to California.  So - here I go - I have to duplicate one more salad from our travels!  While it has a lot of health benefits (One cup has these percentages of the following daily requirements: 130% vitamin A, 85% vitamin C, and 435% vitamin K), it also has enough rich flavor to be fall-festive holiday fare.  The restaurant we ate this salad at overlooks the ocean and is right down the street from Jenn's apartment. We watched families enjoying a day on the beach as we munched on it!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the salad:

5 oz. package of organic baby kale, about 4 cups

1 large Fuji apple, about 1 cup diced

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup golden raisins

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning

 

 

Directions:

 

Slice and core the apple, then dice enough of it to make 1 cup.  Give the kale a good chopping; you should have about 4 cups worth from the 5 oz. package of organic baby kale.

 

Put the kale, apples, parmesan cheese, sliced almonds, and golden raisins in large bowl. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour 1/4 cup of it over the mixture in the bowl.  Toss.

Lake Part II - The Cherry Capital of the World!

                                                                                                              

Our family lake cottage is nestled among the five major cherry producing counties in northern Michigan.  Each little burg around sells the same coffee mug pictured above naming their village as "The Cherry Capital of the World"!  I got a couple of them in the Elk Rapids pharmacy last year and have really enjoyed using them when at the lake. Besides selling other various articles with cherry motifs, outside each town are stands that sell fresh cherries, pies, and jams.  I bought some dried sour cherries and compared them with a batch Aunt Betsy had made.  Betsy's were so much better!!  So - I wondered if I could make cherry salsa that could be just as good as what was being sold in each town's specialty shops.  To go along with the salsa, I put together some chicken cherry chipotle quesadillas. Allison loved them!  She brought the left overs to work for lunch and said everyone was drooling over the delicious aroma.  To round it out, here is a great kale salad Jenn made with dried cherries.  And last but not least, is my mom's recipe for a three ingredient cheating cherry cobbler - very fast, very yummy, but - in this case -  not very healthy! 

Chicken Cherry Chipotle Quesadillas 

2 cooked, chopped chicken breasts

2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup dried cherries

1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

1/4 cup thinly sliced onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

8 tortillas

1.  Cover baking sheet with foil, spray w/ cooking oil, place four tortillas on foil

2.  Mix the remaining ingredients and place mixture on top of each of the four tortillas

3.  Place remaining tortillas on top of each of the four others, spray with cooking oil, and bake at 350 for 10 minutes

Cherry Salsa
1 1/3 cherries - pitted, chopped up a bit
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries                                    
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped red onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a pan, bring them to a boil, turn down the heat to low, simmer for about 10 minutes.

                                                 

                                                Curly Kale Salad with Dried Cherries



1.  Wash a bunch of kale and tear into bite size pieces, discard center stem of each leaf.  Drizzle leaves with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.  Let this sit for a few minutes or even for several hours in the refrigerator.

2.  Add 1/4 cup dried tart cherries, 1/4 cup of crumbled cheese such as feta, goat, or blue, and 1/4 cup of chopped nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans.  If desired add more lemon and olive oil at a ratio of 1:2

                                                            Lorraine's Cheating Cobbler
For each large can of cherry pie filling you put in a baking dish, top with one box of Jiffy yellow cake mix (dry) and 1 stick of sliced butter.  Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes until brown and bubbly.
(If you can't find a Jiffy cake mix, use 1/2 box of another brand)