Moroccan Chickpea Soup with Lemon-Apricot Couscous

I’m going to say something shocking. Get ready. Here it is: I am sick and tired of chicken always thinking it’s invited to dinner. Every time I open the freezer, there it is, that bag of Costco frozen chicken tenders, front and center, waiting for the inevitable invitation. It’s not that I don’t appreciate all the good times we have had together – and there have been many. It’s just that I get tired of trying to make new conversation with my old chicken.

So when I found this intriguing recipe for Moroccan spiced chicken soup with apricot couscous I took a very bold step. I closed the freezer and told chicken, “nope, not tonight.” Instead I added an extra can of garbanzo beans to the pot and renamed the recipe Moroccan Chickpea Soup with Apricot Couscous.

And I am really sorry I don't have a picture. The photographer will be home for Thanksgiving next week and maybe, just maybe she'll help me out.



Moroccan Chickpea Soup

adapted from Cuisine at Home

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven.

Add:
2 cups diced onion

Saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add:
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon each: paprika, ground coriander
½ teaspoon each: cumin, cinnamon, cardamom
¼ teaspoon each: turmeric, nutmeg, red pepper flakes

Cook over medium heat for about 1 minute until spices are fragrant.

Deglaze pan with:

½ cup dry white wine or chicken stock

Reduce until nearly evaporated, then stir in:

4 cups chicken broth
2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 ( 28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes in puree, chopped to your liking
1 (13.75 ounce) can artichoke hearts or bottoms, chopped (NOT the marinated kind)
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Serve with a big scoop of lemon-apricot couscous.

Lemon-Apricot Couscous

*2 cups water
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
minced zest of one lemon
pinch of salt
1 cup dry instant couscous
¼ cup dried apricots, diced

Bring water, honey, oil, lemon juice, zest, and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Off heat, stir in couscous and apricots; cover and let stand until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. *Adjust amount of water to the brand of couscous.

Notes on Recipe:
If you want to invite chicken to dinner go right ahead, I won't think any less of you. Just add a cup or two of shredded rotisserie chicken to the pot when simmering and use just one can of chickpeas.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Special K Bars

What do you do when you have a craving and it just won't go away? These cereal bars have been playing in my mind over and over and over, kind of like the Disney song "It's a Small World After All." I’ve made them four times in the last two weeks and I feel another batch coming on tomorrow.

I think my friends at work are getting tired of them. I tried to convince them that they aren’t that bad for you. I mean really, the cereal box says something about dropping a jean size in two weeks if you eat enough Special K. (Rachel, the dietitian at the hospital told me I should definitely try it and let her know if it works.) Besides that, there is a ton of peanut butter in there and we all know that peanut butter is loaded with protein. And don't even get me started on the benefits of chocolate.

Just give in. That's what I do.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Special K Bars

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
2 cups peanut butter, divided
7 cups Special K cereal
12 ounces (1 bag) milk or semisweet chocolate chips

Line bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine brown sugar and corn syrup in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir mixture. Microwave again for about 2 minutes or until the mixture starts to bubble around the edges.

Add 1 ½ cups peanut butter and stir until smooth.

Add cereal and mix gently. Dump mixture into prepared pan; press down with the back of a measuring cup to make sure it is evenly packed into the pan.

Combine chocolate chips and ½ cup peanut butter in another microwave safe bowl. Gently heat for 1 to 2 minutes in microwave. Stir mixture. Return to microwave and continue to heat in 20 second intervals until chocolate is fully melted. Stir until smooth. Spoon over cereal mixture, smooth top with spatula.

Let cool completely. Using foil as a sling, remove bars from pan and cut into small squares.

Sweet Potato Chipotle Soup

I've developed a crush on sweet potatoes. They are sweet, mushy, earthy, and so handsome, especially when you break through the tough brown exterior to reveal that beautiful orange flesh. I've thought for a long time that sweet potatoes must get tired of being the stand-by date at the Thanksgiving table, usually only getting invited with marshmallows and loads of butter and maybe, on a good year, some pecans and coconut.

It's time for the humble sweet potato to have a new partner. I nominate the chipotle pepper. Try this match and you'll see that in moderation the smoky sauce from a can of chipotle peppers is just what the sweet potato needs to feel new and fresh and vibrant again.


Sweet Potato Chipotle Soup

2 medium sweet potatoes, about 1 ¼ pounds total
1 tablespoon butter OR olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 teaspoons (or more) adobo sauce from a can of chipotles en adobo
1 26 ounce container Swanson’s chicken stock
1 extra large Knorr chicken bouillon cube
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
salt to taste
¼ cup fined chopped fresh cilantro
garnish: sour cream or Mexican crema and tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pierce sweet potatoes with a sharp knife, place on a baking sheet and bake until very tender, about an hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Scoop flesh from potato and discard skins

In a dutch oven melt butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until very soft and beginning to brown on the edges, about 10 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken stock, bouillon cube, adobo sauce, and sweet potato flesh. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.

Working in small batches, puree soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Return soup to dutch oven, stir in fresh lime juice, sugar (if necessary), and salt to taste. Add more adobo sauce if you prefer more heat. Thin with additional chicken stock, if desired. Stir in chopped fresh cilantro and simmer for several minutes until flavors are blended.

Garnish with a spoonful of sour cream or Mexican crema and a handful of tortilla chips.

Notes on the recipe:
1. I think roasting, rather than simmering the sweet potatoes makes them sweeter and more flavorful. Or maybe I'm just too lazy to peel and cube the tubers.
2. Cilantro is NOT optional, at least at my house. Scott only thinks he hates it, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him. He liked the soup and I loaded it up with fresh cilantro. Bobby Flay once said, "If you don't like cilantro, try it again." And so it is. It took me at least 10 times of trying it again, and now i LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I'm thinking (hoping) Scott might come on board soon because I am kind of tired of telling him the green stuff is parsley.

Frozen Key Lime Pie

This really isn’t a recipe for Key Lime Pie. Have you ever seen key limes? They are the size of a large marble. It would be easier to milk a cat than extract ¾ cup of lime juice from key limes. But would you really be interested in a recipe called Frozen Lime Pie? I didn’t think so.

Adapted from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa, Family Style

Frozen Key Lime Pie

Crust:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, crushed from 10 graham crackers (which is really an unfortunate amount since each sleeve contains exactly 9 crackers)
¼ cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
6 extra-large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons grated lime zest
¾ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 4 or 5 limes)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Crust:
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a bowl. Press into the bottom and sides of a 11 inch tart pan. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 8 or 9 minutes. Cool completely on a cooling rack.

Filling:
Beat the yolks and sugar on high speed with an electric or stand mixer until thick, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked shell and freeze until very firm, preferably 24 to 48 hours before serving. Drizzle with a small amount of raspberry sauce, if desired. Serves about 10.

Notes on the recipe:
Ina Garten makes her pie in a regular 9-inch pie pan, but we really prefer the tart pan because it gives a more pleasant crust-to-filling ratio in each bite. Once at a family reunion we cheated and bought a pre-made graham cracker crust. I won’t ever do that again.

Ina also tops her pie with a huge amount of sweetened whipped cream. We prefer a simple raspberry sauce made with only defrosted raspberries, sugar, and a little fresh lemon juice. I am not exactly sure of the proportions, but if I took the time to create a recipe it might read like this: Defrost one bag of frozen raspberries, place in a blender or food processor and add about 1/3 cup sugar. Blend until smooth. Add more sugar to taste and a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavor.

The downside to this pie is that it is absolutely not portable. It must be frozen solid and eaten as soon as possible after removing from the freezer, otherwise you will serve key lime smoothies and they are NOT GOOD. I speak from experience here. If you need a key lime dessert that travels, please see the recipe for key lime bars on this site.

A Little Chocolate Cake

“The little black dress is considered essential to a complete wardrobe by many women and fashion observers, who believe it a "rule of fashion" that every woman should own a simple, elegant black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion: for example, worn with a jacket and pumps for daytime business wear or with more ornate jewelry and accessories for evening. Because it is meant to be a staple of the wardrobe for a number of years, the style of the little black dress ideally should be as simple as possible: a short black dress that is too clearly part of a trend would not qualify because it would soon appear dated.” (Wikipedia)

A little chocolate cake is the baker’s equivalent of the little black dress. It is a rule of baking that every cook should possess a simple, elegant chocolate cake recipe that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion: for example decorated with toasted chopped pecans for taking to work, or with more ornate raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar for an evening dinner party. Because it is meant to be a staple of the bakers repertoire, the little chocolate cake ideally should be as simple as possible: a fussy complicated cake with unusual ingredients that requires hours in the kitchen would never get made.

Here is my recipe for A Little Chocolate Cake adapted from a recipe given to me by my mother-in-law 25 years ago. It has made an appearance at Scott’s birthday every year since. We prefer our chocolate cake dressed down with nothing but the frosting to accentuate the moistness.

A Little Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 16 ½ x 12 baking sheet.

In a microwave safe bowl heat the following until melted:
1 cup water
½ cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

Sift together then add to melted chocolate mixture:
2 cups all-purpose flour (9 ounces)
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Stir until smooth then beat in:
2 eggs
½ cup sour cream

Pour into prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, being careful to not over bake. Immediately pour frosting over warm cake and allow to set before eating.

Frosting:

In a microwave safe bowl heat the following until butter and chocolate are melted:
½ cup butter
6 tablespoons milk
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

Stir in 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Key Lime Bars

I'll let the picture speak for itself.....



Key Lime Bars (adapted from Cooks' Illustrated)

Crust

10 ounces animal crackers (please don't gasp - animal crackers make a much sturdier crust than graham crackers)
6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
2 tablespoons grated lime zest, minced
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
1 cup fresh lime juice (you will totally regret your decision if you cheat and use bottled juice)

Optional Garnish
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted until golden

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil, leaving some overhang to use as handles when lifting the cooked bars from the pan. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Crust: Pulse the animal crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add brown sugar and salt, pulsing again to combine. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and process one more time just until butter is combined. Firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake about 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. Allow crust to cool while preparing the filling.

Filling: Process cream cheese, zest, and salt in a food processor until thoroughly combined and very smooth. If you don't have a food processor use either a stand or hand mixer. Or, if you are patient, just stir by hand. Add sweetened condensed milk and process until smooth. Add egg yolks and process again until smooth. Add lime juice and process one last time.

Pour filling into prepared crust and bake (still at 325 degrees) for about 20 minutes or until the sides of the filling just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack, and allow to cool for an hour or two. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours.

Lift bars from the pan by using the foil overhang. (This is best achieved with two lifters). Place on a flat surface and cut into 32 squares, more or less, depending on your mood. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve. Leftovers will keep about two days, although they start getting a little soggy after the first day.

Cookie Dough Pudding

Guest Blog

Lynnette and I have a working agreement that provides an ideal division of labor for our family. My hobby is in the garage, and her hobby is in the kitchen. I use the woodworking power tools in the garage to remodel the kitchen and the other rooms in the house and Lynnette puts the kitchen to great use. She stays away from the table and circular saws, and I don't mess with the Bosch mixer or the immersion blender. I know how to use my tools, she knows how to use hers and we are both eager recipients of each other's industry (my research lab doesn't fair so badly either, just ask them about the summer long bake-off Lynnette had with herself to perfect her brownie recipe).

But there is one tool in the kitchen that Lynnette has yet to master - the microwave. There is a running joke in the family about the frequency with which "softening butter" becomes "boiling puddles of butter" that spread across the bottom of the microwave. Her perfectly acceptable response is that real cooks don't use a microwave. A microwave is best used for reheating macaroni and cheese, not for real chefs. As a result, the microwave is the one tool in the kitchen that I know how to use (that is unless you need me to make popcorn).

So it is my responsibility to provide the recipe for one of the family's favorite (or at least my favorite) use of the microwave, namely cookie dough pudding. The key to this delicacy is to heat the dough and melt the chocolate without in any way baking the cookie. This requires a careful balance of microwave heat and patience for the perfect cookie dough pudding outcome.

Cookie Dough Pudding


Place one frozen cookie dough blob* into a microwave safe pudding dish

Heat on full power for 15 sec.

Wait one minute for the resulting heat to distribute through the dough

Heat on full power for 5 sec.

Wait an additional 30 sec for the heat to distribute

Heat on full power for 5 sec.

Eat with a spoon while still warm

Note that longer waiting times result in a greater extent of chocolate melting which makes the pudding even more delicious so be as patient as possible through the process.


*The making of this cookie dough blob is beyond my skill set. See the "Strobel Cookie" recipe elsewhere on this blog.