Published by mel on August 22, 2008 in entree and recipe.
I should just rename this site The Chorizo Blog. I know I should stop, but I cannot help myself. Chorizo keeps well and is always there when I’ve run out of groceries, am too lazy to get more, but still want something delicious for dinner. Besides, Tom is obsessed with it and showers me with endless praise whenever I make anything with chorizo in it. Who doesn’t want that?
This week, I simmered a few links of it in some dry, sparkling cider. As the chorizo cooks, it absorbs the liquid and plumps up, losing all of its firm texture and becoming a lot more like the fresh sausage it started its life as. (Ending in a preposition. I know, I know. It’s Friday, so I’m allowed.) The chorizo also absorbs the cider’s sugar, making it savory, sweet and so deliciously addictive.
I added cider-spiked chorizo to some sauteed onions and chickpeas, then tossed everything with some pieces of crusty bread. In keeping with the sweet/salty theme (and because it’s all I had, really) I used a cranberry walnut bread. Everything is bathed in an egg mixture, topped with Gruyere and baked until crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.
This casserole feels homey and indulgent and comes together relatively quickly. The hardest part is waiting for it to come out of the oven.
Continue reading ‘chickpea & chorizo casseroles’
Published by mel on June 20, 2008 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
You know those days when you open your fridge and find that there isn’t much in there. Or, there’s plenty of food, but you’re not in the mood for any of it. Steak? Nah. Sausages? Nope. Pasta? Not again…
So you turn to your pantry and start poking around for something, anything, that seems appetizing. Last night, that happened to be a can of chickpeas, some bulgur and a bag of greens. Ah, a perfect summer salad. But I didn’t want a simple salad - that wouldn’t do. I wanted a salad that felt like a meal. Something hearty, but also refreshing.
The result was a chickpea and bulgur salad topped with a soft boiled egg and fresh, homemade breadcrumbs. I mashed half the can of chickpeas so that they’d hold together with the bulgur. Otherwise, those little suckers are impossible to get on your fork unless you chase them around your plate. Too much effort for a weeknight, really.
The breadcrumbs were a sort of ode to croutons. For some reason, whenever I try to make homemade croutons, I cut enormous chunks of bread and the salad ends up more like a panzanella. These breadcrumbs added a much more subtle crunch. And the soft boiled egg was perfect, coating everything with a glossy yellow richness that made the salad feel substantial and just a bit indulgent.
Cilantro and a lemony shallot vinaigrette brightened it all up for a delicious summer dinner.
Continue reading ‘chickpea & bulgur salad w/soft boiled egg & breadcrumbs’
Published by mel on February 29, 2008 in entree and recipe.
I finally got to cook last night. Not just throw a quick soup or salad together, but really cook. It felt great to make something I was excited about, something I’ve never made before, something pretty darn tasty.
I seem to have a stock-pile of hot, Spanish chorizo in my fridge and it’s been finding its way into so many of my meals recently. I love how it infuses a dish with color and flavor. For this recipe, I sauteed it with chickpeas and added chicken stock and the thin Spanish noodles known as fideos. Something really interesting happened that I hadn’t intended — the broth became super thick and almost creamy and I couldn’t figure out how it had gotten that way without flour or cream. After thinking about it, I concluded that the little bit of water from the chickpeas thickened up as I sauteed them and the fideos released a good amount of starch as they simmered in the stock. The result was a thick orange sauce that I used to poach my shrimp.
I think I’ve found my new favorite meal in this dish. It has a really short prep and cook time and is impressive enough for guests. Oh yeah, and it’s a one-pot meal so the hub likes it too.
Continue reading ‘fideos with shrimp & chickpeas’
Published by mel on April 12, 2007 in entree, recipe and sides & bites.
Among many other delicious things, one of the gifts I received at the bridal shower was a jar of fancy couscous. Couscous is an odd grain—dry and flavorless and bland on its own. But once you add fresh veggies, some lemon or lime, and some spice, couscous proves to be a willing sponge for the vibrant flavors.
Last week I made this salad with halved grape tomatoes, a bunch of fresh scallions, a jar of fire roasted red and yellow peppers and some chickpeas. For the dressing, I combined some olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, Chile de Arbol powder (similar to cayenne pepper, but more earthy), salt and pepper.
I also toasted some whole wheat pita halves and served them with Sabra brand Lemon Hummus. (As an aside, Sabra brand is truly delicious for store-bought hummus. Very creamy and lemon-y and spicy.) For the heck of it, i also threw some sliced fancy salami and ham on the plate. A deliciously light dinner, perfect for the warm Miami nights.
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