Which Name Do You Prefer Chick Pea or Garbanzo Bean?

It really does not matter which on you prefer, this little legume is filled with protein, zinc and foliate. Just one cup provides 45 grams of carbohydrates, and 12 grams of fiber. For a woman that is half of our suggested daily intake of fiber. If you are battling, high cholesterol levels, fiber has been known to help reduce the levels.

So how do you eat these little beauties besides loading them on your green salad? There are a million recipes out there. If you have any vegetarian, friends ask them if they could recommend a few. The Chick Pea is a staple in many vegetarian diets because of the high protein levels.

So here a couple of my favorite recipes, that uses the Garbanzo Bean or Chick Pea

Chick Pea and Parmesan Salad

This is such a simple salad, that pairs well with summer picnic foods.

 If you like spicy food, increase the crushed red pepper. We love garlic; I always double the garlic in most recipes. During the summer months, I might even triple the amounts to help ward off mosquitoes.

Since canned chick peas are high in sodium, make sure you drain and rinse well to eliminate the majority of the sodium.

The secret behind this salad is letting the ingredients to marry for at least half hour for before serving.

You can mix everything but the chick peas and parmesan cheese a day ahead of time if needed.   

2 15-ounce cans chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

 In a bowl, toss together adding the parmesan just before serving.

 

Chick Pea and Tomato Curry

Since my family likes spicy food, a curry dish is always a good choice. What I like about this recipe, is instead of using an over abundance of curry powder, you can adjust the flavors you want to bring out with this recipe. Curry powder is after all, a combination of most of the spices listed below.

If you don’t like spicy food, I would omit the jalapeño.

 Serve over steamed rice and place a dollop of you plain or vanilla yogurt on top. If you can’t get past the idea of yogurt, use sour cream.

For a more traditional Indian Curry, take the time to make fresh Chick Peas, instead of canned. Again make sure you drain and rinse them well to reduce the sodium they are packed in.

 

1  medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp Garam Masala

 1 tsp ground Cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

 ¼ teaspoon cloves,

 ½ teaspoon ground  cinnamon,

 1 chopped Jalapeno

1 tablespoon finely chopped gingerroot

2 cans (15 oz each) chick peas, drained, rinsed

2 cans (14.5 oz each) Muir Glen® organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt)

Hot steamed rice, if desired

Plain yogurt, if desired

 

In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook the first, ten ingredients in 1-tablespoon olive oil

For  about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender.

Stir in chick peas and tomatoes. Heat to boiling.

Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 Stir in cilantro, lemon juice and salt.

Serve over rice; top each serving with yogurt.

Greek Spinach Pie...

This is a simple recipe to master. The hardest part is working with Phyllo sheets, which can be found in the freezer section of your grocery store. Once you master Phyllo, a whole new world will open to you, such as making Baklava... can you hear my tummy growling?

Spanakopita,is a Greek style spinach and feta pie wrapped in light and flaky golden brown phyllo dough. The abundance of fresh herbs including dill as what truly makes this pie special. Since I am highly anemic, I have to eat foods that are high in iron, or my doctor threatens me with getting shots... no thank you doc! Spinach is one of those foods with high iron content and I love eating it! Spinach, feta and dill have to be one my favorites flavor combinations!

You can serve this as an appetizer by slicing it into tiny triangles. I like to cut into large portions for a meal. If you have or are an ovo-lacto vegitarian, this would be great recipe for you master.

Make sure you the Phyllo pastry sheets are defrosted be starting this recipe!

 

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs. spinach, chopped (you can substitute frozen, thawed well)

1/2 cup olive oil

4 large onions, diced

2 bunches green onions, diced (incl. 4 inches green)

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped (substitute 3 tbsp. dried)

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 lb. feta cheese, crumbled

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 lb. ricotta or cottage cheese

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lb. phyllo pastry sheets

Preparation:

Wash and drain the chopped spinach very well. If using frozen spinach, thaw completely and squeeze out excess water. Spinach should be dry.

Heat the olive oil in a deep saute pan or large dutch oven. Saute the onions and green onions until tender. Add the spinach, parsley, and dill and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the spinach is wilted and heated through. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

If using frozen spinach, you will want to cook until excess moisture evaporates. Spinach mixture should be on the dry side.

Remove from heat and set the spinach aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the feta, eggs, and ricotta (cottage) cheese. Add the cooled spinach mixture and mix until combined.

Combine the melted butter with the olive oil in a bowl. Using a pastry brush, lightly grease two 9 x 12 rectangular pans.

Unwrap the Phyllo:

Carefully remove the Phyllo roll from the plastic sleeve. Most packages come in 12 x 18 inch sheets when opened fully. Using a scissor or sharp knife, cut the sheets in half to make two stacks of 9x12 inch sheets. To prevent drying, cover one stack with wax paper and a damp paper towel while working with the other.

Prepare the Pita:

Layer about 10 sheets on the bottom of the pan making sure to brush each sheet with the butter/olive oil mixture. Add half of the spinach mixture in an even layer and press with a spatula to flatten.

Layer another 10 sheets on top of the spinach mixture making sure to brush well with butter/olive oil mixture. Repeat the process with the second pan.

Before baking, score the top layer of phyllo (making sure not to puncture filling layer) to enable easier cutting of pieces later. I place the pan in the freezer to harden the top layers and then use a serrated knife.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until the pita turns a deep golden brown. If the pita is frozen when you put it in the oven, you will need approximately 45 minutes cooking time. If fresh, plan for approximately 20 to 25 minutes of cooking time.

 

Hot and Sour Soup…

My daughter and l love hot and sour soup. I had been looking for a while for a recipe that was simple, and had the right balance between hot and sour.  Some were to hot others to sour, the balance has to be just right.

Most Americanized versions of the soup have cornstarch in it. There are no health benefits from the cornstarch, and it is only there to thicken the soup. Traditional Asian versions do not add the cornstarch. I have had it both ways; I actually prefer it with a thinner broth.

To me hot and sour soup is the Asian version of Chicken Noodle Soup. This tastes so good when you are sick and congested. The more congested I am, the spicier I make soup.  If you have ever eaten Wasabi and had your nasal passages cleared out, hot and sour soup reacts the same way. It usually takes about ten to twenty minutes and you are breathing out of both nostrils.

 There have been several articles written about the health benefits of eating the soup. The soup is typically lower in salt than chicken noodle. The tofu is a low fat wonderful way to add protein into your diet. This recipe does not have the traditional lily buds and for black fungus, I have chosen to use straw mushrooms. The only reason is this recipe is meant to be easy, quick and ingredients easy to find. I was thinking of my dear friends, Cheryl and Victor, living in rural Kansas when I put this together.

 I do not use any meat in the soup; this is also the only time I can slip Tofu into the family diet without much protest. If you are an Ovo-lacto Vegan, you can replace the chicken broth for vegetable stock.

**One side note, when you purchase the tofu try to find it already cubed. This will cut one step and make the prep-time quicker**

Follow This Link For The Recipe!

Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

I love Pride and Prejudice. I read any "what if" or extended version of the story I can find. I do not think there has been any author in history who has left so many wondering what happened after the wedding.

Most of the followers, believe Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth lived happily ever after… what do you think smooth sailing like Captain Wentworth and Anne Elliott? Or just as bumpy life of miss understandings as their courtship?

In Pride and Prejudice, there is line about when there is enough white soup made, Mr. Bingley will send his invitations for the ball.   

I found different versions of white soup you might like to try. Either sounds like they would really good as a starter for a holiday meal.

White Soup

2 ½ pints of veal or light beef stock.

2oz blanched almonds

10z white bread, weighed without crusts

1 egg yolk

¼ pint each double and soured cream or milk salt, pepper,

lemon juice,

Cayenne pepper

2 oz toasted or fried almonds to garnish.

Serves 6

To make the soup, put the almonds and bread into a blender, add some of the stock and liquidize to a smooth paste.
Using a sieve, strain into the remaining stock, pushing through as much as you can. Beat the egg yolk with the creams or cream and milk and add to the soup. If possible leave for an hour or two; this will improve and mellow the flavor.
Reheat, keeping the soup well below boiling point so as not to curdle the egg. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and Cayenne pepper to taste and bring out the flavor. Serve garnished with almonds.

This second recipe is actually a vegetarian version I found another blog called Out of the Ordinary, I personally like this recipe better than the first.

3/4 cups blanched almonds, flaked or slivered
1 piece of white country bread or baguette (1/2 a cup, maybe? Maybe a little less) de-crusted and soaked in water
2 T olive oil
1/2 a head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can (15 ounces) small white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
2 small shallots – finely diced
2 cloves garlic – finely diced
1/2 t. sage
1/2 t. thyme
1 t. rosemary
1 t. basil
red pepper flakes
1/2 t. mustard powder
salt/pepper
dollop of butter
dash of white wine vinegar

pomegranate seeds and pistachio kernals for garnish.

1. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pan. Add the shallots, then the garlic, then the herbs. When everything starts to brown slightly, add the mustard powder, the pepper flakes and the white wine. Stir and cook till it’s syrupy and the pan starts to dry out again.

2. In a blender, combine the almonds, the bread (which has been squeezed dryish) and 2 1/2 cups water. Blend for quite a while till it’s pretty smooth.

3. Add the cauliflower – stir to coat and cook till it starts to brown. Add the beans. Stir and cook for a few minutes.

4. Pour the almond/bread mixture over the veg and beans. Add 1/2 t. salt. Stir and cook. Add enough water to make sure everything is covered with liquid, and it’s not too thick. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, till the cauliflower is just soft.

5. Add a dollop of butter and a dash of vinegar.

6. Remove the bay leaves, and blend the soup till it’s velvety smooth.

7. Return to the pot. Add enough water to make everything the consistency

The Original Hot Pockets...

Since I married a Sailor, I have lived all over the United States. Northern California though will always be home. Where I was raised, it was the perfect spot geographically to live. Within a span of three hours, I could change my view of the world.

The shortest destination was the Sacramento- San Joaquin River Delta; farthest away was the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. Want to escape to the romance of Tuscany, a short drive to the Napa Valley with a little imagination and you are there. Want the bustle of a large city or feel like escaping into Italy, China, or even Japan? San Francisco is where you have to go!

 To quote the movie, A River Runs Through it, “Water sooths my soul.” I prefer the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean, or the snowmelt on the Yuba River in Nevada County. There is nothing more soothing than lying on slab of granite, warmed by the sun and listening to the Yuba dance its way to the Pacific. 

Taylor sitting on the Manskip with Uncle Doug



If you are on the South Fork of the Yuba, you should pan for gold. This is gold country and Coloma, where the Gold Rush started is an hour away. 





http://www.empiremine.org/photos.html



Grass Valley had two of the riches gold mines in the state, the Empire and North Star mines. The Empire mine was the deepest and largest mine, extracting gold out of quartz. This type of mining attracted the tin miners from Cornwall, England, they had the technology and skills to make the Empire successful.







Kids with Daddy, Grandpa and Uncle Doug





With the miners came Cornish culture, these influences are still celebrated today. In Grass Valley, California, every Friday after Thanksgiving through December 17, the city has Cornish Christmas. Among the festivities is the Cornish Gold Miner Choir. Some of the current choir members are descendants of the original Cornish gold miners.



Empire Mine State Park, Grass Valley, CA



Grass Valley also celebrates St Piran’s Day, which is held in the spring. St Piran’s Day is the day to celebrate the Patron Saint of Cornwall, the patron saint of tin miners. On this day, Grass Valley holds the Pastie (Pass-TEE) Olympics. The games are centered on Cornish foods; one game is the Pastie shot put.

The Cornish miners, brought with them Pastie’s. Pastie’s are the original “Hot Pocket” we know today. The miners need easily portable, filling meat and potato meals, that could be warmed while working in the cool, dampness of the mine. The miners would warm their Pastie atop of a candle and then enjoy their meal.



Aunt Mo, and the kids



You can try a traditional Pastie at Marshall’s. Marshall’s has been in the same location on Mill Street for 43 years. If you live in the Bay Area and travel to Lake Tahoe or Reno, you have to stop and get lunch, forget the fast food chains. You will start to crave these flakey, little gems. I would even say on your way back down the mountain, you will stop and get a few dozen to take home with you.

My Aunt and Uncle have lived in Grass Valley, for over 30 years and I always enjoyed my visits in Nevada County. My cousin, Tamara has entered her Vegetarian recipe in the Pastie making contests. Since I now live in North Carolina, and have not been home in eight years, she was sweet enough to send me her recipe to share with you. I hope you enjoy it!

Tamara’s Vegetarian Pastie

Ingredients:

I use a basic Pie Crust recipe from Betty Crocker

Quantities are based on personal preference

3 – 4 medium size zucchini

1 – 2 carrots

½ or more or less Yellow onion, shredded or if you have a Cuisinart use the shredder on that

2 or 3 medium size potatoes, I slice thick about ¼” or more

Directions:

Mix all the above together, I only season with salt and pepper

Roll out pie crust about 7” round, butter crust, layer potatoes and veggie mixture on HALF the crust.

Fold crust over and roll to seal the edge.

These can be made smaller if wanted.

Cook in 350 degree oven until golden brown. Serve hot, with catsup, malt vinegar or? (Kyrie enjoys soy sauce on hers)