Morocccan Chickpea Chili

Made this the other night for Justin. A little out of the box but we really liked it.

Moroccan Chickpea Chili  

4 TEASPOONS OLIVE OIL

2 CUP PRECHOPPED ONION

1 ½ CUP CHOPPED CELERY

1 CUP CHOPPED CARROTS 

2 TEASPOON MINCED GARLIC 

4 TEASPOONS CUMIN

4 TEASPOONS PAPRIKA

2 TEASPOON GROUND GINGER

1 TEASPOON TURMERIC

½ TSP BLACK PEPPER

½ SP SALT

¼ TSP CINNAMON

¼ TSP RED PEPPER SPICE

4 TBSP TOMATO PASTE

4 CANS CHICKPEAS, RINSED AND DRAINED

2 CANS DICED TOMATOES, UNDRAINED

4 TBSP CILANTRO

2 TBSP LEMON JUICE

3 CUPS WATER

HEAT OIL IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN.  ADD ONION, CELERY, CARROT, AND GARLIC TO PAN. SAUTE 5 MINUTES.  STIR IN CUMIN AND NEXT 7 INGREDIENTS; COOK 1 MINUTE, STIRRING CONSTANTLY.  ADD WATER, TOMATO PASTE, DICED TOMATOES, AND CHICKPEAS. BRING TO A BOIL.  COVER AND REDUCE HEAT AND SIMMER 20-25 MINUTES.  STIR IN CILANTRO AND LEMON JUICE

Creamy Spring Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 ounces French bread baguette, torn into pieces 
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 1 1/2 cups (2-inch) diagonally cut asparagus 
• 1 cup frozen green peas 
• 6 ounces uncooked fettuccine 
• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk 
• 3 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup packed)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Preparation

1. 1. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven.
2. 2. Place torn bread in a food processor; process until coarse crumbs form. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 garlic clove to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add breadcrumbs; sauté 3 minutes or until golden brown and toasted. Remove breadcrumb mixture from pan; wipe pan clean with paper towels.
3. 3. Add asparagus and peas to boiling water; cook for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Rinse under cold water; drain.
4. 4. Add pasta to boiling water; cook 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and keep warm.
5. 5. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and the remaining 2 garlic cloves; cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Place flour in a small bowl; gradually whisk in chicken broth. Add broth mixture and milk to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; add cheeses, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheeses melt. Add pasta, asparagus, and peas; toss well. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and tarragon.

From Cooking Light

Mary's changes: Because making the breadcrumbs from the baguette can be time consuming, I just use normal bread crumbs. I also add 2 grilled chicken breasts to the recipe. Also if the sauce doesn't thicken use a little cornstarch. Lastly I put in a little more cream cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese than it suggests. Enjoy!

Spicy Fish Taco Bowls

So I made this recipe last week and it turned out great. If you're not a fish lover feel free to just use chicken even though I think tilapia would be better. Enjoy!


Spicy Fish Taco BowlsPrep time:  15 mins
Cook time:  15 mins
Total time:  30 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 3-4 tilapia filets (or other fish filet of your choice)

• 1-2 cloves minced garlic

• 1 cup fresh sweet corn kernels (sliced off the cob is the best)

• 1 red onion, diced

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1 can black beans

• cooked brown rice (I used about 2 cups)

• fresh cilantro, avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, or pico de gallo for topping

Instructions

1. Mix the spices together in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over both sides of the fish filets. (I like to season my fish a LOT, but just sprinkle on however much looks good to you.) Add salt and pepper to taste.

1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat, heat a drizzle of olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the fish filets to the pan. Grill the fish on each side for several minutes, checking the middle for doneness (fish should be completely white and flake apart easily). Remove fish filets and set aside.

1. Add corn, red peppers, and onions to the pan with no additional oil. Heat over high heat for several minutes WITHOUT stirring to get a brown/black roasted look on the outside. Repeat for several minutes (stir, wait, stir, wait) until the peppers and onions are tender-crisp. Add the black beans and heat through.

1. Layer rice, corn/peppper mixture, and fish in a bowl – or mix everything together in the skillet. Top with any of the toppings listed above!

Notes
My favorite toppings were the cilantro, avocado, and pico de gallo (or just salsa).