Another great warm and cozy meal that’s put together in 10 minutes…
Ingredients
3 tblsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 small can chickpeas
1 large can diced tomatoes
3 cups of chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation Instructions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan
Add the onions and garlic. Cook for about ten minutes, until translucent.
Add cumin, cayenne, herbs. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly.
Drain chickpeas. Add to onion mixture. Drain tomatoes (reserve juice for bloody marys!). Add chopped tomatoes to onion and chickpea mixture. Cook 10 minutes.
Add broth and bay leaf.
Cook 20 minutes.
October 15, 2013 | Posted in:
Fire roasted pepper and tomato salad
Here’s a lovely dish to make in the early fall or late summer, when those long thin red peppers are in season. They’re easier to barbecue than traditional rounded bell peppers!
Ingredients
6 marconi (the long thin mild bell peppers) peppers
8 roma tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
10 greek olives (optional)
For dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tblsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
Preparation Instructions
Roast pepper on the bbq, or in the oven, under the broiler, until skins are blackened. Remove from heat and immediately wrap in newspaper or place in a paper or plastic bag. Seal bag and put aside.
Cut tomatoes in half. Remove seeds (run your finger or a spoon inside the tomato to loosen the fleshy pulp and seeds- they will fall right out).
Put 1/4 cup of olive oil and salt in a plastic bag or bowl, add tomatoes, and toss/mix until coated.
Arrange the tomatoes on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and place in a low temperature oven (300 degree Farenheit) for about an hour and a half, turning half way through cooking time.
Peel peppers and remove seeds.
Pull peppers apart with your hands to make long sections of pepper (you can use a knife, but this is so much easier to do while you are seeing the peppers!) Place in bowl. Add the tomatoes, crushed garlic and olives if using. Sprinkle with salt. Add oil and vinegar (balsamic is great if you tend to like a slightly sweeter sauce.) Toss. Serve cold or room temperature.
This salad is best if you can leave it for an hour or two for the flavors to develop.
September 17, 2013 | Posted in:
Tomato Tips For Your Custom Cookbook
I used to live in Little Italy. In early September, the back alleys would turn red with tomato seeds and skins running down the sewers. It didn’t take me long to befriend the nonnas in their garage kitchens and learn the ropes myself. This week-end, we canned two bushels of tomatoes, and ended up with about 60 jars of sauce. If you’re curious about home canning, tomatoes are an easy starting place, delicious, and oh so satisfying. Here’s how:
September 2, 2013 | Posted in:
Quick and easy chicken marvelosa for the High Holidays
Our friend and cookbook author Norene Gilletz of Gourmania.com has contributed this recipe that is perfect for the upcoming Jewish High Holidays, or any festive meal where you need to feed a crowd. In Sept 2008, this recipe was featured on Martha Stewart Living radio when Norene was interviewed by Mario Bosquez. It’s from her book Norene’s Healthy Kitchen (Whitecap books).
It’s easy to put together, can be assembled ahead of time and doubled should your guest list keep growing the way mine tends to!
Ingredients
2 whole chickens (3 lb/1.4 kg each), cut into pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or a mixture of basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary)
6 to 8 cloves garlic (about 2 to 3 Tbsp minced)
3/4 to 1 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1/2 cup dry-packed, sun-dried tomatoes, halved or coarsely chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
2 bay leaves
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Preparation Instructions
1. Rinse the chickens well and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the excess fat. Place the chickens in a large roasting pan sprayed with cooking spray. Season the chickens inside, outside, and under the skin with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Add the apricots, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. (The dried apricots and sun-dried tomatoes will plump up during marinating and cooking.)
2. In a measuring cup, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, and olive oil. Drizzle evenly over the chicken mixture; mix well so that the chicken is thoroughly coated. Pour the wine around the chicken and add the bay leaves. Cover the pan and refrigerate for several hours or for as long as 2 days.
3. When the chicken is marinated, remove from the refrigerator, uncover, and bake in a 350°F oven for 11/4 to 11/2 hours, basting often. When done, the skin will be golden and the juices will run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken mixture to a serving platter. Drizzle with some of the pan juices and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Place the remaining pan juices in a gravy bowl, skim off the fat, and serve alongside the chicken.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings. Keeps for up to 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator; reheats well. Freezes well for up to 4 months.
Find and even healthier variation on her site, www.gourmania.com. Thanks Norene!!
It’s perfect served with Garlic Roasted Carrots.