Chickpea Salad with Tomatoes, Lemon, and Herbs

I don't know about you but side dishes frustrate me. I find myself making the same boring things over and over again because they're either easy or because I'm too lazy to think of something better. I had seen this recipe for Chickpea Salad with Tomatoes, Lemon, and Herbs on Kelsey's blog awhile back and thought it sounded like a great, light side dish (she serves it as a main course).

Then I completely forgot about it until I was trying to come up with something to serve with black bean burgers from the freezer. It needed to be something I could make in advance since I was planning to serve it for dinner on a Tuesday after my exercise class. Baby Girl and I threw together a half order after I picked her up from daycare and it sat in the fridge until SP and I enjoyed it about 4 hours later. I think it got better the next day once the flavors had married a little more and I finished it off for lunch.

I'm excited to have a new quick and easy side dish in my repertoire. This went well with the black bean burgers (I had mine with mashed avocado and it was divine). It would also go great with grilled chicken, steak, pork chops, seafood, portabello mushrooms, alongside a traditional burger or chicken sandwich, or as a salad tossed with chopped lettuce.

Chickpea Salad with Tomatoes, Lemon, and Herbs
As seen on Apple a Day, adapted from Bon Appetit, April 2011

2 (15-oz.) cans low-sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Zest of one lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon each coarse sea salt and black pepper, plus more to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste salad and adjust seasonings as desired. The salad can (and should) be made ahead of time and chilled to allow the flavors to marry.

Cheese Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

Every weekday morning the ladies on my cooking board post blog updates. One morning last week Coleen over at Does Not Cook Well With Others posted these Cheese Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce. It looked absolutely delicious and I immediately printed out the recipe.

Then I had second thoughts. Even though Coleen said the pumpkin flavor was very mild I couldn't imagine how it would taste. Sweet? Savory? I wasn't sure. Despite those misgiving I put it on the menu. I even bought fresh tortellini since our store had a coupon. I told myself I'd make the sauce, toss just one tortellini in it to see how it tasted and if it wasn't good I'd open a jar of sauce and call it dinner.

Thankfully the jar of sauce stayed in the pantry for another day. This was fantastic. The pumpkin flavor is very mild, just like Coleen said, and the cheese and onion help keep it savory. Even Baby Girl loved this. She's a pasta fiend so I wasn't worried, but she practically inhaled her serving and asked for more.

Cheese Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce
From Food Network, as seen on Does Not Cook Well with Others

2 (9-ounce) packages of fresh cheese tortellini
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small shallot, finely minced
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
Pinch of nutmeg (ground or fresh)
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper

Bring a pot of generously-salted water to boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions. Reserve one cup of cooking water before draining. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and sauté, stirring often, until the shallot begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and the nutmeg, and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in the cream, and bring the mixture to a slow (not rolling) boil. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese, and cook until the cheese melts and thickens the sauce, about another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the tortellini to the skillet, and toss with the pumpkin alfredo sauce, adding some of the reserved cooking water to thin the sauce.

Divide among 4 plates and grate some Parmesan cheese over top.

Onion Ring Topped BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers

It's been awhile since we've had beef burgers but as soon as I saw these Onion Ring Topped BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers over at Lauren's Latest I had to put them on the menu. SP is a big onion ring fan and he also enjoys BBQ sauce on his burger.

I forgot to buy a slicing tomato at the supermarket so I opted to leave off the lettuce and tomato. Big mistake. These burgers were good, don't get me wrong, but I was missing something green. A side salad or something to cut the richness of the beef and onion rings. I've also decided I don't like pieces of onion in my burgers since they don't have a chance to fully cook on the grill.

Once again I was blown away by an Alexia product. We've been enjoying their shoestring fries for some time now but the onion rings were a new purchase. Delicious and crispy in the oven - you can't beat that.

Onion Ring Topped BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers
Slightly modified from Lauren’s Latest

1 13.5 oz. package frozen onion rings, such as Alexia brand
4 slices thick cut bacon
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup BBQ sauce + more for the burgers
Salt & pepper, to taste
4 slices cheese
4 hamburger buns, toasted
Mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, etc.

Cook onion rings according to package directions. While those are in the oven, cook your bacon to desired doneness and drain on paper towels.

For the burger patties, in a small bowl, stir ground beef, BBQ sauce, salt and pepper together until combined. Divide into two equal patties. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook patties on medium heat for approximately 7 minutes per side. Alternatively you can use a grill. In the last few minutes of cooking add the cheese and melt.

To assemble burgers, place cooked patty onto hamburger buns and top with more BBQ sauce, cooked bacon, onion rings and any other desired toppings. Serve immediately with any remaining onion rings and/or fries.

Recipe Swap - Fried Green Tomato BLTs

As much as I enjoy the Blogger's Choice recipe swaps, they are definitely more difficult than the themed swaps. Having to actually pick a recipe is tough. For this installment of Blogger's Choice I was given Kim's blog, Feed Me Seymour. I love the name and had a tough time picking a recipe. I had it narrowed down to four choices and ultimately gave SP final say. It wasn't a shock when he chose Fried Green Tomato BLTs. The man loves a good BLT.


The sandwiches sounded delicious but I was concerned about my ability to find green tomatoes in the supermarket. I've never noticed them before and, as suspected, they didn't have any. I chose a firmer red tomato and hoped for the best.

These were absolutely delicious, if messy. The tomatoes held together pretty well during the frying process but didn't get crispy or golden brown like I hoped they would. I wonder if Panko would be a better choice, if not exactly authentic. The sweet basil mayo was positively addicting and I was sad that there wasn't more of it (the recipe below makes just enough for two sandwiches). I hope I can find green tomatoes at some point so I can make these properly.

As an aside, I wish I could take better pictures of sandwiches. I haven't been able to figure out how to get a good inside shot while still showing the whole sandwich.

Fried Green Tomato BLTs
As seen on Feed Me Seymour
Makes 2 sandwiches

Fried Green Tomatoes
1 large green tomato (or firm red tomato)
1 cup flour
1 cup breadcrumbs (or Panko)
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Slice the tomato into thick slices.

Put the flour on one plate. Put your eggs, beaten, in a shallow bowl. Combine chili powder, salt and pepper and breadcrumbs on a third plate. One at a time, dip the tomato slices in the flour to coat. Tap off the excess flour. Put them next in the egg, coating them, then in the breadcrumb mix and fully coat.

Heat a sauce pan with about an inch of oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the tomato slices in the pan. Cook them on one side until golden brown, about a minute. Gently flip them to the other side and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Basil Mayo
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

In a food processor, combine basil, mayo, lemon juice and mustard. Pulse a few times until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sandwiches
4 slices thick sandwich bread, toasted
4 fried green tomatoes
Lettuce
8 to 12 slices crispy bacon
Sweet basil mayo

Slather one slice of bread with sweet basil mayo. Be generous. Layer on two fried green tomatoes. Next, add 4 slices bacon. Top with lettuce and the other slice of bread.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

I love a good chicken and pasta dish. This Chicken Florentine Pasta from Ali over at Sparks from the Kitchen sounded like a great weeknight meal.


After reading the ingredient list I decided to add a pint of roasted grape tomatoes since they needed to be used up and I knew the flavors would go well together. This was a delicious, creamy pasta with great bursts of flavor from the tomatoes.

Chicken Florentine Pasta
Slightly adapted from Sparks from the Kitchen

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
1 lb uncooked capellini
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
1 cup whole milk
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup) plus extra for sprinkling
1 bag baby spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes with oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, or until tomatoes start to burst. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then mash with a potato masher to make it easier to remove the skin (optional).

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until cooked through and browned. Set aside and wipe pan clean.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well; keep warm.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat add the oil; swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic; cook until garlic is browned (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly. Add milk and broth, stirring with a whisk; bring to a simmer, and cook 2 minutes or until thickened.

Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and spinach; stir until spinach wilts. Add pasta, tomatoes, and chicken; toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with remaining parmesan.

Philly Cheesesteaks for Jey's Virtual Baby Shower

Another one of my dear friends, Jey from The Jey of Cooking, is expecting a baby girl in October, right around Baby Girl's birthday, actually. You might remember her as one of my guest posters for my sixth blogiversary. We met on my cooking board and someday we'll actually meet in person on one of our family trips to Chicago.

In the meantime, a group of us got together to celebrate Jey's impending arrival with a baby shower. But not just any baby shower, an All-Star Virtual Baby Shower. The World Series is scheduled around the time Jey is due (October 17th) and since she and her family are such avid Cubs fan, a baseball theme was the perfect idea for her. Everyone was asked to make some sort of ballpark favorite like a jazzed up hot dog, home-run hamburger, peanut-packed dessert or anything inspired by common ballpark fare.


Being from the Philly area and growing up eating lots of cheesesteaks they seemed like a natural choice for me. I toyed with the idea of doing a chicken cheesesteak to be a bit healthier but in the end I settled for a good old beefy cheesesteak. While I love a good cheesesteak with lots of caramelized onions, these days I'm partial to the cheesesteak hoagie, which adds mayo, oil and vinegar with lots of spices, lettuce, tomato and sliced raw onion (which I didn't use since I wanted the caramelized onions in the beef) to the beef and cheese. I decided to tackle the cheesesteak hoagie for Jey's shower and I'm happy to report that they were sensational. A real home run.


I started with Katie's recipe for Cheesesteaks and then modified it, swapping the green pepper for caramelized onion and adding the necessary ingredients to make it into a hoagie. Aside from the steak being in larger pieces than we're used to (most cheesesteak meat around here in more thinly shredded, something I'm trying to figure out how to replicate at home) these were spot on. Absolutely delicious, just like the cheesesteak hoagie from my favorite local spot (shhh...I may or may not admit to getting a cheesesteak hoagie and fries for dinner every Friday before hitting the grocery store. At least I always bring half the sandwich home for lunch, right?)


If you're looking for a true taste of Philly, try this recipe. I can't wait to make these again the next time we have a craving.

Be sure to stop over to Jey's blog to wish her well, and check out Joelen's blog for a roundup of all the delicious dishes prepared for the virtual shower.

Cheesesteaks
Inspired by So Tasty So Yummy

4 hoagie rolls
1 pound NY Strip steak
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
12 slices provolone or American cheese

Slice the hoagie rolls in half. Wrap in foil and warm through in a 350-degree oven.

Place the steak in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove the steak and slice into 1/4” strips.

In a sauté pan, heat the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender. This should take about 30 minutes. Either cover the pan to trap some moisture or add a splash of water as needed to keep the onions cooking evenly. Once the onions are done to your liking, push them to one side. Add the steak slices and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste, then toss with the onions.

Place 3 slices of cheese in the center of each hoagie roll, overlapping slightly. Divide the steak into four equal portions and place on the rolls. The heat from the steak will melt the cheese.

To turn into a cheesesteak hoagie: Slice 1 Romaine heart into thin strips. Slice 1 tomato in half, then into slices. Mix 1/4 cup mayo with some red wine vinegar and a dash of dried Italian seasoning, to taste. Before adding the cheese to the bread, spread some of the mayo mixture on the bread. Add the cheese and meat as stated above. Stuff the lettuce and tomato into the sandwich on either side of the meat.

Bacon Corn Hash with Fried Eggs

I had some leftover corn on the cob and about half a 5-lb bag of Yukon gold potatoes from vacation that weren't getting any younger. Not wanting to waste food I was thinking about making some sort of hash with the potatoes when I remembered this post from Smitten Kitchen for Bacon Corn Hash with Fried Eggs. Sold!

I made a few changes to her recipe, the main one being adding some onion in addition to the scallions. I love onions and potatoes together and knew this would be a great addition. I also used the Yukon golds since that's what I needed to use up. This was delicious, especially with the fried eggs on top. The bacon and eggs made it hearty enough to enjoy for dinner. I had the leftovers for brunch the next day and added some salsa and a dollop of sour cream, which made this even better, so much better that I'm modifying the directions below to include them as optional (but I highly recommend it).

Bacon Corn Hash
Modified from Smitten Kitchen

1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice
1 pound potatoes, peeled, scrubbed and diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
4 medium-large ears corn, kernels cut from the cob (2 1/2 to 3 cups)
1 bundle scallions, thinly sliced
4 eggs
Sour cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)

Add bacon to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until they brown evenly, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan, and transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.

Heat the pan to medium/medium-high, making sure the bacon fat is sizzling, then add the potatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Let them cook for a few minutes in one place and get a bit golden underneath before turning them over and moving them around. Cook, stirring every so often, until the potatoes are browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the corn to the skillet. Saute the potatoes and corn together until the corn gets a bit brown but stays fairly crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the drained bacon, and stir the mixture together until it’s evenly warm, about 1 more minute. Remove the skillet from the burner and sprinkle the scallions (reserving a couple spoonfuls if you’d like to use them as fried egg garnish) over the hash. Season with more salt or pepper to taste, if needed.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and melt about 1 tablespoon butter. Crack the eggs into the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper, serve on top of a pile of bacon corn hash. Add a dollop of sour cream and a spoonful of salsa to the plate for dipping.