Caramelized Onion Hummus with Pita Chips

Dear Megabus: Your wifi sucks.

Sorry all! The plan was totally to have a new post on Saturday, but due to Megabus being Megasuck, I didn’t really get the chance. Two 3 hour bus rides, 0 hours of wifi. I’m not a happy camper.

But despite the bus 'n stuff (which really wasn't all that bad; I got really good at Mahjong!), I had the best weekend ever! (I say that a lot, but I always mean it.)

Yummions.

I was down in DC Saturday and Sunday, visiting Becca (creator of this Fluffanutter Bread and dance party extraordinaire) and attending the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Expo. 

The expo was an all around pretty cool experience! I got to see my idol (Giada DeLaurentis, obvi) and her hot red pants conduct a cooking demo, then sampled lots of cheese and just under 50 million different dips, olive oils and spice mixes, etc. Needless to say by the end of the day I was pretty full and my sodium intake was up there.

The cooking demo wasn’t actually Giada cooking (she used audience volunteers), which was slightly disappointing (only disappointing because I wasn't up on stage). But there was a highly inappropriate and rambling audience Q&A session, which was pretty damn entertaining and that totally made up for it. Overall, the vendor part of the expo was just endless samplings of dips, spice mixes, hot sauces, and cheeses, which was really exciting at first, but I feel bad for the booths towards the back of the floor (dipping tiny pieces of bread or pretzels into things gets old..). I wished they focused a little more on actual cook/bake ware. And where were all the artisanal breads?

There are definitely a lot of people out there with some tasty and forward thinking products though! Some things that I loved: Nantucket Pasta Goddess (gluten-free pasta, that's actually really good), Bola Granola, Larry's Beans (Fair-Trad organic coffee), and Peanut Butter & Company (which actually I just discovered is for sale at Wegs!).

Take home lessons: cheese is good, don’t try to earn a living selling spice mixes/dips (it’s a flooded market, to say the least), people are curious about Giada’s weight, artisanal salts are really expensive and just taste like kosher salt, make sure there will actually be a book-signing before you go and drag your food processor to a cooking demo, and the DC Convention Center is really large.

Yummus!

Ooh! And! Saturday night, we grabbed some pizza at Mellow Mushroom, a circus themed pizza joint, which was honestly delicious. Pesto, tomatoes, mushrooms, jalapenos and spinach topped our perfectly soft and doughy wheat crust (which I didn’t even notice until I started pulling it apart at the end; I pick at my food, sorry if you don’t) pizza and it was glorious. SERIOUSLY PHILADELPHIA WHY DO YOU HAVE TO SUCK SO HARD AT MAKING PIZZA!? I’m moving to DC for the pizza, fo’ sho.

Meh, not creative enough to work the word "yum" into pita chips...
Soundtrack: We also checked out Metro Area at UHall, which was a good time. They were really fun and a dance party ensued (obvs, I can always trust Becca for that). Here’s to good times!

Caramelized Onion Hummus with Pita Chips

For the hummus:

1/4 c caramelized onions

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 clove garlic, split in half

1/4 c well-stirred tahini (sesame paste, available near the peanut butter in the natural foods aisle)

Juice of 1 lemon

EVOO

Pinch of salt

In a microwave-safe container, microwave chickpeas for 30 seconds (this step is not necessary, but it makes for a fluffier consistency). 

Combine onions, chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, salt and a light drizzle of EVOO in the bowl of a food processor. Process on low for 30 seconds. The dip will be dry and thick, so add a tbsp of water. Scrape down the sides, then process for another 30 seconds. Continue to alternate this for another minute, adding water as needed to moisten, until hummus has reached a consistency that is easy to work with, but not too watered down. Process for an additional 3-4 minutes to fully purree.

For the pita chips:

4-5 whole wheat pita loaves (Wegman’s bread are the absolute best I’ve tried)

1-2 tbsp EVOO

1 tbsp Zatar seasoning

¼ tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the pitas into wedges, pulling apart the triangles at all of the edge so they are 2 separate pieces. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Lay the pita triangles out on the sheet.

Using a basting brush, dab each chip with a bit of EVOO and sprinkle with a light dusting of Zatar seasoning. Sprinkle salt over all the chips evenly.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, or until crispy.

Serve with caramelized onion hummus.

I burnt my mouth like 4 times right about at this point

Mini food processor love!

Ch-ch-chips!

Potato, Broccoli & Apple Gratin

Grrrrrratin!

Feel free to roll your eyes at me putting more apples in my food. It's all good in the hood. 

Anyone else eating too much Halloween candy because they didn't get any trick-or-treaters this year? Anyone else buy candy for Halloween simply because they didn't get any trick-or-treaters last year either, and that's a great excuse to eat too much Halloween candy? High five!

My favorite Halloween candy is the candy corn (that's right the candy corn). And Elf loves it too. Speaking of Elf, OMG CHRISTMAS! Sorry, I won't do that again until after Thanksgiving. Promise. (Not!)

Just to change the subject, I'll tell you I just painted most of my nails grey (or Concrete Catwalk) and then one nail on each hand white (or Alpine Snow). It looks really awesome. Go me! I rule.

You know what else rules? PUTTING APPLES IN ALL YOUR FOOD!!  There, I said it. And I meant it.

Grrrrrratin!

Sountrack:

Tracks and Remixes by TheMagician

Potato, Broccoli & Apple Gratin

Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side

1 medium red onion, diced

1 clove garlic, diced

2 medium Russet potatoes, cubed

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp thyme

1 broccoli crown, stems removed and cut into bite sized pieces

5-6 sun dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 med cooking apple, cubed (I used a Macoun, they're my favorite to cook with)

1/4 c chicken broth (or veggie broth!)

3 oz Muenster cheese, grated

Salt, pepper, EVOO

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium heat and saute onions and garlic until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, oregano and thyme, then cook for another 5-6 minutes. Stir in broccoli, sun dried tomatoes, apple and chicken broth. Season with salt & pepper. Turn off heat.

Transfer to a greased casserole dish. Top with cheese. Baked, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes, or until cheese browns on top.

Taters!

Homefries!

Change uuuup!

Say Cheese!!!

Dried Apricot & Gingerbread Muffins

Happy Halloween! Jagger is feeling festive in his jailbird costume.

Dudes... it fucking snowed. Actually it didn't snow where I live (Illadelphia), but it snowed everywhere else that I was (which was Brooklyn and Newtown, PA and all in between). A tree almost fell on my car (Good news: it didn't. Bad news: it totally fell on someone else's car, which sucks, so much). That totally would have one upped my flat tired from last week, in terms of annoying things that can happen to your automobile (by a lot). So, thank you automobile karma gods.

But like, seriously. It snowed. Before Halloween. I love snow, but not when it takes over my Fall. We haven't even set the clocks back yet and I haven't even slept an extra hour. I wasn't ready for my winter coat. I was wearing loafers, for god's sake. And people deny Global Warming. Reality check people. Hi, hello, it's snowing. IN OCTOBER!

Look how festive!

So anyway, I got home from my quick stint to Brooklyn, slept for like 12 hours, and then made some gingerbread muffins. Because the way in which I decided to deal with this ridiculous turn in the weather was to buy some new teas and make gingerbread muffins. And I was avoiding laundry. And the oven being on helps me to not shiver.


But these muffins really hit the spot. They're fluffy, REALLY ginger-y (in a good way), and not too sweet. The apricot adds a great contrast to the spice of the muffin. I've been really into mini-muffins as of late; perfect portion control. I like to grab a mini muffin or two with a piece of fruit for breakfast. Just sayin'!

Many mini-muffins <3 Alliteration

Soundtrack:


SBTRKT ESSENTIAL MIX by sbtrkt   


Dried Apricot & Gingerbread Muffins
Adapted from Bon Appetit, Dec 2000

• 2 3/4 c ap flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp plus 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 c sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 c molasses
• 1 1/3 c cold water

1/3 c dried apricots, chopped finely

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until blended and mixture begins to look fluffy. Add molasses and beat on low until combined. Continue beating to mix in 1/2 of the dry ingredients, then beat in the rest. Mixture will be thick.

Add water slowly, continuing to beat the mixture on low, just until all water is incorporated into the batter, scraping down the sides with a spatula when necessary. Try not to over-beat. Add apricots and mix in using a spatula, in as few strokes as possible.

Pour batter into greased muffin cups.

For mini-muffins, bake for 12-13 minutes. For full sized muffins, bake about 25 minutes. For larger muffins, cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Pumpkin Pie with Walnuts & Dark Chocolate Ganache "Frosting"

So, I love pie. Who doesn't love pie? Show of hands? Great, I don't see any, so I'm going to assume that everyone loves pie. 

But here's the thing about pie that makes it less cool than cake. Frosting. Pie is all delicious and all, but cake will always one-upper it in my book because of the frosting. And honestly, I don't really even like cake itself all that much. No, actually I don't like cake at all. I just really, really like frosting.

But seriously, who says pie can't have frosting? Can't a pie get a little love around here?

We already learned that pumpkin and chocolate are abs-o-lutely amazing together. (Ok, well I learned it. If you haven't yet, start here.) So I think pairing pumpkin pie filling with ganache was the next logical step. It's so obvious. It's so amazing. I love pie. I love ganache. C'mon people, SAY IT WITH ME!

But here's the part about pie where I think you just have to lighten up a bit. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking about making a pie crust and you're shaking you're head no. Mine was pretty sub par this time around. I'll admit it. I can't make a flaky pie crust to save my life. It's about practice I guess. But this pie was still delicious. That's the thing about pumpkin pie. The crust isn't the main event. It's a good "experiment with me" pie. And how will you learn if you never try? (Or maybe you're really good at making pie crust. But if you are, damn man, what are you sitting there listening to me ramble on for? You should be the one blogging, not me!)

Either way I have some advice for you:

Do a little dance. 
Make a little crust. 
Eat pie tonight. Eat pie tonight.

Soundtrack: Neutral Milk Hotel

Neutral Milk Hotel by rags9000

Pumpkin Pie with Walnuts & Dark Chocolate Ganache "Frosting"


For Pumpkin Pie:


1-9" pie crust (use your favorite recipe, I can't even pretend like I know anything)
1 1/4 c solid pack pumpkin puree
3/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c evaporated 2% milk
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9" pie pan with your pie crust. Shape the edges and set aside.


In a small saucepan, heat pumpkin puree, sugar, salt, ginger, cardamom, & ground cinnamon. (You can skip this step if using fresh pumpkin, but supposedly this eliminates any metal can taste. It also just smells nice.)


Transfer to a medium bowl and mix in flour. Add eggs and mix well. Add evaporated milk, water and vanilla and mix well. 


Pour pie filling into the crust and sprinkle walnuts evenly throughout the batter. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and bake another 35, until cooked through in center.


Allow pie to cool and top with Dark Chocolate Ganache. Allow to cool 8 hours or overnight, to allow ganache to set.


For Dark Chocolate Ganache:


3/4 c heavy cream
8 oz dark chocolate chips


In a microwave safe bowl, microwave cream for 1 1/2-2 minutes, until just boiling. (Alternately, you can do this over the stove. But at this point, you're feeling lazy, like me!) Pour cream over dark chocolate chips and beat rapidly with a whisk until smooth, creamy and glossy. If your ganache breaks, check here for some tips.

Dis is how we roll!

Better than Yankee Candle

Add eggs...

Naked pie

Drop in walnuts

Ganache!

Drizzle in fun patterns.. FOR FUN!

Balsamic BBQ Chicken Baked with Apples and Carrots

Let's just start this with a picture:

You know what screams Fall? Putting things in the oven, with APPLES!

Could I be any more Autumn right now? Probably not. Actually maybe I could up my leaf crunching ante. Note to self: crunch more leaves.

Speaking of leaves, you know what thing that I really miss I miss about Autumn now that I'm living in a city? Those silly orange pumpkin garbage bags that everyone in the 'burbs rakes their leaves into. You know what I'm talking about. Who's idea was that? Who was this leaf-raking aficionado who sought a way to turn the unsightly fruits of his or her labor into a Halloween decoration? Pure genius. Well, probably the least environmentally friendly practice ever, but totally a nice thought otherwise.

If you follow my blog, at this point you already know I am obsessed with this bbq sauce. AND if you follow my blog I love you so much and you are AWESOME! If you don't follow my blog, well that sucks, you should. (Juuuuust kidding!)

This dish is basically the byproduct of my attempt to make everything in my life a little more Autumn. I border on obsessed, but hey, it makes me happy. Topping the chicken with apples really works with the balsamic tang and baking the dish creates an interesting and flavorful sauce in which to cook some carrots. It smells amazing in the oven and looks just as good. Oh yea, the taste ain't half bad either! Actually, it's pretty f'ing amazing as well.

Soundtrack: Washed Out (Myspace link)

Balsamic BBQ Chicken Baked with Apples and Carrots
Serves 4-5
Inspired by Giada DeLaurentiis, Chicken with Balsamic BBQ Sauce


1 1/2 c balsamic vinegar

• 1 1/4 c ketchup
• 1/2 c plus 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• salt & pepper
• 3 chicken breasts, bone-in
• 2 chicken thighs, bone-in
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into disks (I believe the term is "Rondelle")
• ~1/4 chicken broth
• 1 large apple (or 2 small, enough to cover the tops of the chicken in baking dish, should be a variety that is best to cook with)

First, prepare the bbq sauce by whisking together balsamic vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp of pepper in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes. You will see a huge reduction in the amount of liquid and sauce will begin to thicken. After sauce cooks down, reserve about 1/4 of the sauce and set aside to serve with chicken later.

While sauce cooks down, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In an 13x9 baking dish, place chicken breasts and thighs skin up. Season with salt & pepper. Add carrots, interspersing between pieces of chicken. Pour enough chicken broth into the dish so that all of the bottom surface is covered. Place in the oven and cook for 25 minutes.

Remove chicken from the oven and cover chicken with about 3/4's of the bbq sauce still in the saucepan (I realize this is confusing, so to be clear, we are not including the 1/4 we already set aside, ignore that). Stir carrots down into the sauce. Core and slice the apple into rings, then top the chicken with the apple rings. Using a basting brush, cover the apple rings in the remain bbq sauce in the sauce pan (still ignoring the portion set aside for serving). Place the dish back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your breasts (har har har). Check for done-ness and serve with reserved bbq sauce on the side.

Oooh action shot!

Wheesk, wheesk!

Similar to peach rings, yum!

Quinoa with Sauteed Asparagus, Walnuts & Apples in a Pumpkin-Goat Cheese Sauce

That's right. I did that. I titled this blog post with a list of pretty much EVERY ingredient in my dinner. Try and say that 5 times fast! I just couldn't pick my favorite parts. I can't play favorites. I love you all equally. (I'm talking to ingredients there, but those of you sitting on the other side of the computer, I love you too.)

Before we get run down to the meat of this (or lack thereof), let's talk quinoa for a moment.

Ok, ok, not the most photogenic thing I've ever made...
Haven't you ever heard the expression "You can't judge a quinoa by it's closeup?"

This is the first time I've ever made quinoa. It's the ultimate in trendy health superfoods. And yes, I claim to be a cook and a consumer that focuses my efforts on being healthy (what healthy means to me). I've eaten the stuff only twice. Ever. (I know you're all so very scandalized, but please, pick up those jaws.) So, what gives?

When quinoa stepped out on the scene a few years ago, I gotta say I wasn't so concerned about healthy cooking. Quinoa just seemed trendy and superfluous. To be honest, I didn't give a sheeeet! And so I just never used it. Couscous, yum! Bulgar wheat, why not?! Brown rice, sure! The more I didn't try quinoa, the less I cared about it to be honest. I get lots of protein from chicken and tofu and beans and red meat! I get my vitamins! I've lived this long without it!

And then there was this. And of course, the less dramatic source article here. And not to be all Debbie-downer, but DAMN MAN. To sum it up, the entrance of quinoa into the global market has made the plant inaccessible to some Bolivians who depend on it for their main source of food. Yet at the same time, sales of quinoa abroad have changed the lives of many Bolivians for the better and drastically improved the Bolivian economy. What a conundrum. Fortunately, the ill effects of quinoa's entrance to the global market are being combated by aid programs, but its just such a glaring example of how we can exploit things without a second thought or realization. I obviously don't think there is anything wrong with eating quinoa, but the butterfly effect here is wild. Sometimes it's just important to reflect on our impact on the world, I guess.

There is no denying the health benefits of quinoa and there's no denying the ease of preparation we get in the US from packaged quinoa. It can be used as a healthier alternative to pasta (as seen here) or rice. But I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here and I should just tell you about my dish! Creamy, tangy and lightly pumpkin-y , this sauce balances nicely with the sauteed asparagus, sweet apples and nutty walnuts. It's not the most attractive to look at, but it's so quick and easy and the flavors are all there!

Soundtrack: Saw these guys open for Little Dragon last night. Good things. Good things.


  Tycho by Tycho

Quinoa with Sauteed Asparagus, Walnuts & Apples in a Pumpkin-Goat Cheese Sauce
Serves 4


1 c quinoa, rinsed
1/2 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1/4 c 2% milk
1 1/2 tbsp goat cheese
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped
1 Macintosh apple, cored and chopped
1/4 c walnuts
Salt, pepper, EVOO


Prepare quinoa according to package instructions (or if you buy bulk, you can find the basic preparation online. I added a bit of EVOO and salt to mine.)


Meanwhile, melt butter and 1/2 tbsp EVOO together in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and sautee until toasted. Add pumpkin and milk, bring to a simmer and lower heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes and add goat cheese. Stir until melted. Season with salt & pepper. Set aside.


In a large saute pan, heat a drizzle of EVOO. Add asparagus, apple and walnuts. Salt & pepper. Sautee until vegetable is cooked through.


Toss quinoa with pumpkin sauce and sauteed asparagus, apple and walnuts. Serve!

Saute! Ole!