Coconut Curry Chickpeas With Pumpkin and Lime

I am continually looking for high protein recipes, especially if they use vegetarian protein sources like chickpeas. This hit the spot and was absolutely delicious. I made some substitutions to fit what I typically have at home, and to bump up the spicing a bit. Loved it, would eat over and over again.

Coconut Curry Chickpeas With Pumpkin and Lime

Adapted from the NYTimes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 Thai red chilies, seeded or not, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 knob ginger (about 1 inch), minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1.5 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 lb dried chickpeas, cooked (approx 8 cups)
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (do not use light coconut milk)
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can pumpkin purée
• 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed 
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder for even more flavor (optional)
• ¾ cup chopped cilantro, more for serving
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
• Cooked rice or couscous or quinoa, for serving (optional)

Method

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onion, chilies and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden on the edges, about 8 minutes.
2. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, cumin and turmeric; cook for an additional 30 seconds.
3. Stir in chickpeas, coconut milk, pumpkin, 1 cup water and 1½ teaspoons salt. Add chicken bouillon powder if using. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let the flavors meld. (Add more water if it starts to look too thick.) Stir in cilantro and lime juice to taste. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
4. Serve over rice or couscous or quinoa if you like, and top with more cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

Five spice crackle cookies

I have had a jar of Chinese five spice around for a while. Usually I use it on duck, but that isn't on regular rotation at home. When I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit I saved it immediately. It's a hit!

Five Spice Crackle Cookies

From Bon Appetit

Makes 16–18

Ingredients

• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter
• ⅔ cup (packed; 133 g) dark brown sugar
• ½ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
• 2 Tbsp. Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (83 g) powdered sugar, sifted

Method

1. Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 375°. Cook ¾ cup (1½ sticks) salted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it foams, then browns, about 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to a large heatproof bowl, scraping in any brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Add ⅔ cup (packed; 133 g) dark brown sugar, ½ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses, and 2 Tbsp. Chinese five-spice powder and whisk vigorously until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes. (It will look oily at first, but keep whisking.)
2. Add 1 large egg yolk and 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract; whisk vigorously until combined and slightly lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Add 2¾ cups (344 g) all-purpose flour, ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. baking soda and mix with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms and no pockets of dry flour remain.
3. Place ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using a #20 cookie scoop (about 3 Tbsp.) and working one at a time, scoop out portions of dough and roll into smooth balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar to thoroughly and generously coat, then divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing at least 2" apart (about 9 per sheet). Roll dough balls in granulated sugar again to create an even, thicker layer and return to baking sheets. Freeze, uncovered, 15 minutes.
4. Place ¾ cup (83 g) powdered sugar, sifted, in a small bowl. Working quickly and one at a time, coat balls in powdered sugar, rolling and pressing in slightly between your hands to create an even, generous layer that covers the entire exterior (like you are making a snowball); place back on baking sheets, spacing at least 2" apart.
5. Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until puffed slightly and cracks have formed, 12–14 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets. (They will deflate a bit as they sit.

Cacio e Pepe Soup With Chickpeas and Kale

Boy is this soup delicious. Such simple ingredients, but it really lets each ingredient shine. A is not the hugest fan of kale but I sneak it in to our food in different ways and this is one way that he does not object to. I usually make soup, then ladle it into clean jars and seal them while hot - this tends to activate the vacuum seal and so I have long-lasting soups in the fridge for quick, tasty, warming lunches.

Cacio e Pepe Soup with Chickpeas and Kale

Adapted from “Comfort & Joy” by Ravinder Bhogal (Bloomsbury, 2023).

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or lime zest
• 6 cups broth (I used Knorr's chicken bouillon powder to make chicken broth, but veggie broth would be great here too)
• 16 ounces curly kale, stemmed and chopped
• Two (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces orechiette (or other small pasta shape)
• 4 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated, plus more for serving
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving

Method

1. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and lemon/lime zest and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Pour in the stock, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add the kale, chickpeas and pasta. Reduce the heat to medium, so the liquid is simmering, and cook until the pasta is tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Add the cheese and butter and stir vigorously (without splashing) until the butter is melted, then stir in the pepper and salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent too much cheese from sticking; some is inevitable. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper as needed.

4. Divide among serving bowls, add a little more cheese and pepper to each bowl and serve hot.

Pressure Cooker Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

If only the weather would get a bit cooler, this would be the perfect cozy soup. Made it anyway, and now I'm uncomfortably warm, but this recipe is delicious so I'm posting it to remember for an actual cold day.

Pressure Cooker Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

Adapted from the New York Times

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter 

1 yellow onion, minced

2 pounds mixed mushrooms (I just buy sliced white and baby bella mushrooms)

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

6 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped (or use the pre-minced stuff like me)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ cup all-purpose flour

5 cups chicken stock (I cheat and just add 5 teaspoons of Knorr's chicken bouillon to 5 cups water) OR vegetarian stock if you'd like to keep this soup vegetarian friendly

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 cup wild rice

1 cup sour cream

Chopped scallions or chives and fresh dill, for topping (optional)

Method

1. Turn on the sauté setting on a 6- to 8-quart electric pressure cooker. Melt the butter, then add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. 
2. Add the mushrooms and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and shrunk a bit, about 8 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, chopped garlic, thyme, garlic powder and several generous grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine. Add the flour and stir until the vegetables are evenly coated and no white spots remain.
3. Pour in the stock and lemon juice, and turn off the heat. Scrape the bottom of the pot very well to incorporate flour and any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom. (This will add flavor and also prevent a burn warning later.) Stir in the wild rice.
4. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually.
5. Put the sour cream in a small bowl and slowly whisk in a few spoonfuls of warm soup until smooth, then stir the mixture into the soup. (This prevents the sour cream from separating.) Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. I did not need to add more salt.
6. Serve the soup in bowls topped with chopped scallions or chives and dill. Reheat any leftovers on low until warm. (Boiling can cause the sour cream to break.)

Pumpkin Bread

In a clearout of the pantry, 3 cans of pumpkin were uncovered. Why do we have so many? No idea. Thankfully, pumpkin bread is delicious. As usual, I've cut sugar, used the whole can of pumpkin and cut back on oil to balance the increased pumpkin. And a few spices were modified due to what I had on hand (pumpkin pie spice instead of a variety of warm spices in the original recipe). Delicious!

Pumpkin Bread

Adapted from Sally's Baking Recipes

Ingredients

• 170g all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

• 3/4 teaspoon salt 

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature 

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 50g whole wheat flour

• 100g granulated sugar

• 100g packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 60g semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Method

1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much, too soon. Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin, oil, and orange juice. Pour these wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix together using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. There will be a few lumps. Do not over-mix. Gently fold in the chocolate chips, if including.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 60–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. This may be before or after 60–65 minutes depending on your oven, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 55-minute mark.
4. Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing.
5. Cover and store leftover pumpkin bread at room temperature for up to 3–4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Pad Kra Pow (vegetarian)

This is a favorite around here - and now that we're really trying to limit our meat consumption, we've gone almost entirely vegetarian at home. This means lots of tofu and various meat substitutes, and when they're used in super flavorful dishes like pad kra pow, it's hard to even notice the difference. You could use ground pork or chicken instead if you prefer the meat version, but I get zero complaints about the veggie version!

Pad Kra Pow (vegetarian)

Adapted from The Woks of Life

 

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 tablespoons oil
• 5-6 Thai bird chilies (I buy these in bulk in the frozen section of 99 Ranch)
• 1 onion (thinly sliced) or 3 shallots (I never have shallots on hand...)
• 5 cloves garlic (sliced)
• 1 pound veggie ground meat substitute (I use Impossible ground meat, Beyond breakfast sausage, or Gardein crumbles - basically whatever is in the freezer)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 bunch holy or Thai basil leaves
• Green beans, chopped into small 1/2 inch pieces (optional)

Method

1. In a non-stick pot over high heat, add the oil, chilies, onion and garlic, and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the veggie ground meat and stir-fry for 2 minutes, breaking it up into small bits. If you are using green beans, add now and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
2. Add the sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Stir-fry for another minute and deglaze the pan with the water. Because your pan is over high heat, the liquid should cook off very quickly.
3. Add the basil, and stir-fry until wilted. Serve over rice.

Andy's Granola

There's a granola maker in our house! This is A's recipe that he has evolved over several batches to minimize sugar (while still tasting good). Everything is in weights since that means it can all be done in one bowl without dirtying a bunch of measuring cups.

Ingredients

• 320g rolled oats
• 50g chopped pecans
• 50g sliced almonds
• 70g coconut flakes
• 50g raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300 F. 
2. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread granola. Bake for 35 minutes.
4. Let cool for an hour.