Roasted Chickpeas

Here's a super quick, 6-ingredient recipe for you. And, I'm guessing that the only ingredient you don't already have in your pantry is 2 cans of chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans). These would be perfect to set out for guests (just like you would with peanuts or chips) but would also make a healthy, low fat snack for work or the road. Feel free to experiment with various seasonings: I stayed true to the original recipe, but I would also like to try these with cajun seasoning, or jalepeno powder, or even a salt/sugar combo.

Enjoy!

Roasted Chickpeas

2 cans (15 oz) chickpeas

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp cumin

1 dash cayenne

1 dash black pepper

1 TBS olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Rinse and drain chickpeas; dry well on paper towels. Place chickpeas on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and shake. Return to oven for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine all seasonings. Remove chickpeas from oven. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Shake pan to coat chickpeas well. Return to oven and bake another 10-15 minutes until chickpeas are crunchy and brown.

Drunken Cajun Chicken

When looking for a new slow cooker recipe, I generally ask myself a few quick questions >>

1. How long does it take to prepare? This includes both prep time and finishing things up.

2. How much does it cost to make?

3. How well do the ingredients hold up cooking all day, without being stirred? (potatoes = good. Mushrooms = bad.)

4. How much food does it make?

And most importantly:

5. Is it something new? Something different? Something other than roast and vegetables?

This Drunken Cajun Chicken recipe passes the test with flying colors, AND its crazy delicious. Preparation time? 10 minutes, literally, to prepare as it goes in. 1 minute, literally, to finish up for serving. Unless you count the rice, which of course takes about 20 minutes.

Cost? Dirt cheap. 3 chicken breasts = $4.50. 2 cans of tomatoes = $1.20. The beer, olive oil, and spices are freebies. (Rice is too, we buy it in bulk.) That's $5.70 total, for 2 people, for 2 nights. That's dinner for a buck-forty-three.

Ingredients hold up great. There's plenty of food. And its not roast and vegetables.

Aaaand it makes your house smell too good to be true when coming home from work at 5:15 pm in an irritable mood.

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Drunken Cajun Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts

2 cans (15 oz) stewed tomatoes

drizzle olive oil

1 can light beer

2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp black pepper

sprinkle of salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp basil

2 whole bay leaves

steamed rice

1. Put everything from chicken through bay leaves into the slow cooker. Stir around a bit.

2. Cook on low 6 hours.

3. Shred with a fork before serving; this takes only a minute as the chicken is so tender.

4. Serve over steamed rice.

Pork Chops with Apple-Pear Chutney

I'm gonna be honest with you tonight - posting a cute little blog story is just not on my priority list! Finishing my wedding programs, however, is - so I'm gonna make this short.

Real short.

Mom - thanks for this awesome chutney recipe!

Everyone else - I'd like to introduce you to an awesome chutney recipe!

But seriously - on pan-fried pork, this chutney is divine. It's more of a Fall/Winter recipe, thanks to the apples and yummy carmelized cinnamon flavors - but deliciousness isn't dependent on the season. Alongside a huge pot of creamy mashed potatoes, it just doesn't get any more yummy or comforting.

Pork Chops with Apple-Pear Chutney

4 center-cut pork chops

1 TBS butter

salt + pepper

1 TBS butter

1 pear, peeled + cored + diced

1 granny smith apple, peeled + cored + diced

1/4 C finely chopped white onion

1 medium garlic clove, minced

2 T apple cider or white vinegar

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 T honey

1 T dried cranberries (these plump up when cooked! so fun!)

sprinkle of cinnamon

sprinkle of nutmeg

sprinkle of allspice

sprinkle of ground ginger

salt and pepper

Make chutney: heat 1 T butter in medium saucepan. Add the pear, apple, onion and garlic. Cook 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients through ground ginger, and cook over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.

While chutney is going, pan fry pork chops: sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 T butter over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add pork chops. Cook for several minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove from heat and let sit several minutes for juices to distribute.

Serve chutney alongside pork chops.

I did say that a huge pot of mashed potatoes is a "must," didn't I?

Crab Rangoon

Do you have any idea how much I love crab rangoon? I don't think you do. In high school, I would sometimes order a 6-piece of crab rangoon and eat it for dinner. Disgusting, in a totally delicious way.

These days, I like to think that I make smarter choices. I cannot eat crab rangoon from a chinese restaurant without feeling horribly guilty. I hate greasy fingers, and I hate that full, oily feeling that it leaves.

In order to find middle ground, I've tried two variations of crab rangoon at home, where I can use reduced-fat ingredients and heart-healthy canola oil. The first is baked crab rangoon. It's essentially the same ingredients, but the wontons are placed in muffin cups and filled with the crab mixture, then baked. This second variation, though more fattening, is totally blog-worthy. The wontons are super crispy and light; the crab filling is rich, creamy, and flavorful. I didn't serve these with any sauce, and they don't need it.

A quick note - these guys are a bit of work. The recipe written below makes about 3 dozen crab rangoons; I wish I'd known this beforehand, as we went through about a dozen and I have no clue how we'll get through the rest. And, because I'm picky about presentation and because I "should have been a chef," I had to make each one perfect, so I spent quite a while "crafting" them.

This recipe is definitely a keeper and I can't wait to make these for friends or family!

Crab Rangoon

1 pkg wonton wrappers (found in produce section, often near tofu)

16 oz cream cheese, softened - reduced fat (either blocks or tubs work fine)

1/2 C green onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBS sugar

1 large egg

1 TBS milk

1 can crab meat

1 tsp soy sauce

1 egg white

1-2 C canola oil

1. In bowl, mix everything except the wonton wrappers, 1 egg white and canola oil.

2. This next step takes about 20 minutes, if you make this recipe as written. Take each wonton wrapper and fill with a small tablespoon of crab mixture. Brush all four edges with egg white and fold the wonton in half in order to make a triangle. Seal both edges by pinching tightly all the way around. If the wontons aren't tightly sealed, or overfilled, the crab mixture will seep into the hot oil when cooking.

3. Heat oil over high heat in large skillet*. Working in batches, place several crab rangoons into oil and cook for several minutes until corners start to brown lightly. Using metal tongs or slotted spoon, flip crab rangoons over and fry several additional minutes on the other side. Remove and set on paper towels to drain.

*For me, frying isn't fun. I'm scared of it, it splatters on my shirt, it splatters on my stovetop, its loud, and I'm always convinced that I'm about to burn the place down. I've never been comfortable frying in hot oil and luckily, I rarely do it. Part of my issue is that the LESS hot the oil is, the more in-control it seems - but the MORE hot the oil is, the better the food reacts to the oil - it doesn't absorb it and get greasy. So, there's a fine line - if you're fearless, get your oil super hot and go for it. And, if you own a deep fryer, you're in luck - no splatters, no fear, perfect temp.

Cream Cheese Black Bean Burritos

I don't want to scare you away but....these burritos are meatless.

(Pretend I didn't just say that. Now keep reading.)

I stumbled across this recipe a LONG time ago - over a year, I'd say. It had (has) rave reviews - and I gotta say, I totally get it. I more than get it: I want you to get it.

After letting this recipe sit in my binder, un-used and un-appreciated, for so long - it almost hurts! I could seriously sell these burritos mass-market, and I think people would buy them. The bean filling is, well, scrumptious. The black beans provide a mild "flavor base" (I made that up) and are completely coated in melted cream cheese. The jalepeno offers a nice kick while the green peppers and tomatoes add a ton of color and variety in texture. I'm not trying to sound like a food editor (my dream job, lately) but I do want each and every one of you to fully understand that these burritos are worthy of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

(And dessert.)

Delicious Black Bean Burritos

10-inch flour tortillas

olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 bell pepper, finely diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Rotel

1 jalepeno, minced

1 block cream cheese

salt, pepper

small handful of chopped cilantro

mexican spice blend, cumin

1 C shredded colby jack cheese

1. Heat 2 TBS oil over med-high heat in large skillet. Sautee onions, jalepeno and bell pepper for several minutes. Add garlic and sautee another minute. Add beans to skillet. Cook several minutes, stirring often.

2. Reduce heat to low. Add Rotel and cream cheese. Stir well, and add cilantro, spices, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste.

3. Heat tortillas in microwave for 15 seconds apiece. Place a bit of shredded cheese in warm tortilla and top with approx. 1/2 C bean filling per tortilla. Wrap tightly.

***Note - this recipe as written makes 6 very good-size burritos. Brett can't eat more than one - and this recipe makes just a tad too much food for us. I would recommend cutting this recipe in half, but you could also make several burritos and freeze them. For breakfast or lunch, like I said! =) ***

(the bean filling which I read is very good as a dip with tortilla chips...)