Spicy Chickpea Potato Stew

So yummy! And I love the spiciness of it.

Ingredients:

2 15-oz. cans chickpeas
2 cups water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1-2 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp turmeric
12 oz tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 lb yellow potatoes, cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
1 small cucumber, sliced
chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Place 3/4 cup of chickpeas and 3/4 cup water in a blender and process until smooth, set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno, and saute until the onion is lightly browned on the edges. Add cumin and turmeric and stir to distribute evenly.
3. Transfer to a stockpot or crockpot, add tomatoes and chickpea puree, bring to a boil.
4. Add potatoes and remaining water, simmer covered until potatoes are nearly done.
5. Add the remaining chickpeas. Simmer covered until the potatoes are tender but not mushy.
6. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste. Garnish with cucumber slices and cilantro, and enjoy!

Black Bean Salsa

Again, modified from a recipe on allrecipes.com. I've been looking for recipes with specific ingredients I've had around the house this summer, and the website has been a good go to for easy to modify recipes. This was originally a salad, but is way better as a salsa served with blue corn tortilla chips!

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can white hominy, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 diced white onion
• 1 diced green bell pepper
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 1 diced green onions
• 2 seeded and chopped jalapeno peppers
• 1 (24 ounce) jar salsa
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

Directions

1. In a large bowl, gently stir together all ingredients. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Fried Pickles

My roomies were shocked I'd never tried fried pickles, so we made some! Recipe modified from a recipe on allrecipes.com. We veganized it and used different spices. We had left over batter at the end, so we also fried peaches and potatoes, which were delicious. The pickles were the best though.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup buttermilk (soy milk with 1 tsp lemon juice, let sit 5 minutes)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) jar dill pickle slices
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups fine cornmeal
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 quart oil for frying

Directions

1. Cover a plate with parchment paper or wax paper. In a shallow dish, combine buttermilk, salt, and pepper. Place pickles in mixture and set aside.
2. Pour the flour, cornmeal, and cayenne into a large, resealable plastic bag; shake to mix well. Add pickles a few at a time and tumble gently to coat evenly with the flour mixture. Remove and place on prepared plate.
3. Fry pickles in several batches until golden brown and slightly crisp on the outside with a moist interior, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Delicious Veggie Soup

Up to your ears in zucchini? Try this soup! If you're a meat-eater, chicken would be a good addition. This recipe was modified from a recipe found on allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped
• 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 (15 ounce) can white hominy
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
• 3 cubes vegetable bouillon
• 5 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2 yellow potatoes, cubed
• 2 jalapeno peppers, julienned
• 8 1/2 cups water

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine zucchini, yellow squash, onion, green beans, corn, hominy, chickpeas, bouillon, tomato sauce, garlic powder, potatoes, jalapenos, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until flavors are well blended, about 1 hour.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Pie

I have this crazy habit of trying brand new recipes on food I'm giving away...seems to work out, though! Maybe I'll have an epic fail one day and get wise. Ha ha. This recipe is courtesy of allrecipes.com. I also added some nutmeg to the pie filling, which was a delicious addition!

• 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place one crust in a nine inch pie pan.
2. Mix together sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Mix lightly through the berries. Pour filling into pastry lined pan, and dot fruit with butter or margarine. Cover with top crust, and cut slits in the top. Seal and flute the edges.
3. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the crust is slightly browned.

Roasted Tomatoes

Ok, the point of this post is the TOMATOES...so good!!! You should make them. And put them on whatever you want, because they're amazing. Thanks to my roomie Christina for teaching me how to do this!

Step 1: Slice Maters
Step 2: Coat Maters with Olive Oil
Step 3: Add Random Spices (i.e. Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper, etc.)
Step 4: Lay Maters on Broiling Pan and Broil until Done (brownish on edges)
Step 5: Enjoy
Step 6: Make More!