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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!

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

You know it's good when the kids shut up and actually eat for 10 minutes straight!  

1 lb favorite pasta

1 T butter

3 T white wine (we used white grape juice)

2 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp parsley

1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Boil your pasta in salted water.  In a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat, add wine, cheese, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer over low heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.  

Increase heat to medium high and add shrimp.  Cook for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp begins to turn pink.  

Serve over pasta and garnish with Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Got this recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Honey-Ginger Glazed Tilapia

So, Bryan and I have been trying to change our eating habits and loose weight - stuff like that.  I am proud to say that between the 2 of us we have lost a total weight of 24 lbs!!!  Go us!  Anyways, we have been trying to eat healthy and we found this recipe from my cousins food blog ( http://cabbagepatchcait.wordpress.com/ ) which had a link to www.ourbestbites.com. 

Seriously enjoy becasue it was SO YUMMY that I will be making it again.  (Mom and Dad we are making this for you when you come :)  )

Marinade:
3 T honey
3 T light soy sauce
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp grated ginger root (I used ground)
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp olive oil

Whisk together all ingredients.  Marinate the 2-6 tilapia for 20 minutes - 1 hour. 
Broil for 4-6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes with a fork. 

If you follow the link there is a recipe for a Creamy Dipping Sauce, we didn't do this, but I am sure it is yummy too. 

We had this with brown rice and steamed broccoli.  Yummy!

Lemon Cookies

I found the recipe on Pinterest which then directed me HERE. 

These were soooooo yummy!  I ommitted the poppyseeds because honestly, I can't ever taste them AND they are pricy!  I made a special trip to the store to buy lemons and the the zested lemons are STILL sitting in my fridge.  These were so good that I made them AGAIN the next day because we devoured them so quickly.  SO GOOD.

Lemon Glazed Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon zest
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp poppyseeds

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or just grease a cookie sheet :)
In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Beat in egg.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined, then stir in poppyseeds.
Drop by 1-inch balls onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, until cookies are set and just begin to brown at the edges (the bottoms may be lightly browned, but not the top of the cookies)
Cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to a wire rack to cool before glazing.

Lemon Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2-3 tbsp lemon juice

Whisk together juice and sugar until icing is a smooth, pourable consistency. Add additional juice if yours is too thick to drizzle easily or additional sugar if it is too thick.
Drizzle over cookies. Cookies should not be hot, but it is ok if they are not completely at room temperature before frosting.

Bridal Shower Tea Party Style

I love throwing bridal showers! This one was super fun. See below recipes for Ginger Berry Lemonade, Lavender Lemonade, Orange Pistachio Cupcakes, and Cucumber Sandwiches! We also put fresh fruit in cute little cups with colored toothpicks.

Ginger Berry Lemonade

You'll need: 3 cups sugar, 1 1/4 cups finely chopped ginger, 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries and/or raspberries, 4 cups fresh lemons (from about 32 lemons), 4 cups cold water, and extra lemons/berries for garnish

What to do: In a large saucepan over high heat, combine sugar and ginger with 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Boil for 15 minutes. Transfer from heat, and let cool for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, discarding solids, and refrigerate until well chilled. Set aside about a third of the berries for garnish. In a blender or food processor, process remaining berries until smooth. Strain puree through a mesh sieve, pressing berries with back of a wooden spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Discard solids. In a pitcher, combine ginger syrup, strained berries, lemon juice, and water. Serve over ice, garnished with reserved berries and lemon slices.

Lavender Lemonade

You'll need: 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh lavender buds, 1 1/3 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice, 8 cups water

What to do: Bring sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and add lavender, simmer 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely or overnight. Combine syrup with lemon juice and water, and enjoy! This is also delicious served warm.

Orange Pistachio Cupcakes

You'll need: 1/2 cup vanilla soy yogurt, 2/3 cup soy milk, 1/3 cup canola oil, 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar, 1-2 tsp orange extract, 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour, 2 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, generous pinch cardamom, 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios, about 1/2 cup chopped pistachios and pink sugar sprinkles for decorating

For the frosting you'll need: 1/2 cup shortening, 1/2 cup vegan butter, 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp orange extract, 1/4 cup soy milk

What to do: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, soy milk, oil, sugar, and orange extract. Sift in dry ingredients, mix until relatively smooth. Fold in pistachios. Fill linters three-quarters of the way, bake 20-22 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

How to make the frosting: Beat the shortening and butter together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes. Add the vanilla, orange, and soy milk. Beat for another 5-7 minutes until fluffy.

To assemble: Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, and sprinkle with chopped pistachios and sprinkles!

Cucumber Sandwiches

You'll need: rye bread, vegenaise or cream cheese, salt, pepper, oregano, cucumbers, and fresh mint or Italian parlesy leaves.

What to do: Spread your vegenaise or cream cheese on the bread. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. Peel the cucumbers lengthwise with a vegetable peeler to produce thin cucumber strips. Layer the strips diagonally on the bread. Remove the crusts and cut the sandwiches into the desired shape. Place a mint or parsley leave in the middle for extra garnish.

Black Bean Taco Filling

I've been looking for a yummy taco filling for a LONG time...found one! And it's easy, which is even better. :) Also, I think it would be a good chip dip, and it's about a million times better than refried beans.

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained, rinsed, and smashed

2 Tbsp yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 cup salsa

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, pepper, and garlic, cook until tender. Stir in mashed beans, then add the cornmeal. Stir in the spices and salsa. Cover and cook 5 minutes. See, easy peasy!

Scalloped Coconut Curry Potatoes

These are super delicious! Taunalee and I made up the recipe in a fit of creativity last night, and it turned out really good!

You'll need:

10 small-mediumish yukon gold potatoes

1 medium onion

1-2 cups fresh spinach leaves

2 parts salt: 1 part yellow curry powder, to taste

1 can coconut milk

¼ cup soy milk

1/3 cup flour

unsweetened coconut flakes

Slice the potatoes and mince the onion. Grease a 9x13 pan and layer half the potatoes, half the onion, and half the spinach leaves. Sprinkle half the flour and half the seasonings on top. Repeat with remaining potatoes, onions, spinach leaves, flour, and seasonings. Pour the milk over top of the entire dish, and sprinkle with coconut flakes. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for an hour. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes.

Taunalee says they're so creamy you can't even tell there's no dairy in them.