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Pasta e ceci (pasta & chickpea soup)

We got back from our trip to the beach in Ocean City, Maryland today and wanted something quick and healthy for dinner.  I remembered this super simple soup from Rome.  Last year I was teaching  topical cooking classes at my school.  When we studied Rome, I taught the kids to make some modern dishes from that region of Italy.  The kids loved this soup!  The children apparently went home and raved about the soup because I had a couple of moms come ask me for the recipe.  It is quite good...simple and inexpensive. ..the Roman way!  Tonight, this soup paired with a tossed salad made the perfect homecoming meal.

Pasta e ceci (pasta and chickpea soup)

4 cups vegetable broth
1 16 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzos), drained
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (with juices)
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt, to taste
4 oz. short pasta (or break spaghetti into fourths)

Combine all the ingredients in a heavy soup pot and
bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until
the pasta is tender.

posted by: artichoke72 at 23:01 | link | comments (1) |
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Lime Sugar Cookies

I made these lime sugar cookies tonight.  They are very good.  These cookies are slightly thin, perfectly crunchy, and not too sweet.  The lime flavor is not overpowering.  I bet these would be good made with other citrus fruits (lemon, orange, tangerine, etc...). 

Lime Sugar Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest (from about 3 lime)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 large egg
powdered sugar for dusting cookies

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and lime zest with an electric beat until light and fluffy.  Beat in lime juice and egg until well combined.  Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

With lightly floured hands, roll tablespoons of dough into balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Dip a fork into flour and then slightly flatten the balls with the back of the fork.

Bake cookies for 12 minutes.  With a spatula, immediately transfer cookies to a rack to cool.  Dust the cookies lightly with powdered sugar.

posted by: artichoke72 at 02:37 | link | comments (1) |
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Bulgur and Garbanzo Salad

On Saturday I made this salad to take to a party (that we ended up missing because of the horrible traffic on I-95).  It's a great no-cook summer salad.  The bulgur wheat and garbanzos make a complete protein and are complemented with other traditional Mediterranean ingredients.  Parsley can be used instead of cilantro.

Bulgur and Garbanzo Salad

1 cups raw bulgur
3/4 cup boiling water
Juice of 2 lemons
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 (15.5 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cucumber, seeded, peeled, and diced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
4 oz. feta cheese, diced

In a bowl, pour boiling water over the raw bulgur. Let sit for 1 hour.

In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice, garlic, ground mustard, cumin, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil and pour dressing over the bulgur.

Mix the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumber, and cilantro into the bulgur. Add the feta and chill for at least 1 hour to let flavors meld.

posted by: artichoke72 at 16:10 | link | comments (1) |
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Homemade Snow Cone Syrup

We have an el cheapo snow cone maker and it's actually the most used appliance in the house.  :)  My hubby and son are addicted to snow cones.  I have been buying snow cone syrups from the store, but they contain high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors and colors.  I wanted to make syrup from real fruit and came up with this recipe.  We made blackberry snow cone syrup today using frozen blackberries.  Next time we will try making strawberry snow cone syrup.   I actually thought the syrup was a little too sweet, but still yummy.  I added a tablespoon of the syrup to my glass of iced green tea and it was great.

Homemade Snow Cone Syrup

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fruit (frozen is fine)

Combine ingredients in a pan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, mash fruit (I used a potato masher) to release more flavor.  Once the mixture has come to a boil, let boil for 3 minutes.  Turn off heat and remove fruit solids with a slotted spoon.  The fruit solids can be saved to put over ice cream.  Strain remaining liquid through a fine mesh strainer.  Let the strained syrup cool completely.  Drizzle cooled syrup over shaved or crushed ice.

posted by: artichoke72 at 22:38 | link | comments |
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King Ranch Chicken

King Ranch Chicken is a casserole named after the King Ranch in South Texas.  I don't think the recipe originated at that famous cattle ranch, though.  It's one of those regional recipes that has numerous variations.  Most  versions are made with canned cream-of-whatever soup.  I have never actually eaten (or made) King Ranch Chicken before, but I was curious as to why this dish endures in popularity (in Texas, at least).  What I have found out since making this King Chicken Ranch recipe I got from www.texascooking.com is that it is much like an enchilada casserole.  It's familiar and comforting, but not too spicy.  This recipe is good. I followed it as written except  that I microwaved the tortillas to soften them instead of briefly frying them in oil and I added 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin to the sauce.   There are a few additional changes I would make if I make this casserole again.  First, I would use milk instead of buttermilk.  I didn't enjoy the twang so much.  I would also use black olives instead of green or use less of the green.  I love green olives, but the flavor in this recipe was a little overpowering even for my tastes.  This casserole supposedly freezes well.

King Ranch Chicken

3 tablespoons butter
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chicken stock or broth
3/4 cup buttermilk
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium poblano, chopped
1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded & chopped (or 1/2 cup canned tomatoes, drained)
2 tablespoons chopped pimientos

8 corn tortillas
3 to 4 cups cooked, diced chicken 
1/3 cup sliced green olives
1/3 cup green onions, including tops, chopped
2 cup grated Longhorn or mild cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or 3-quart casserole.

Make the Sauce:
Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and chili powder, and sauté for a minute or two. Raise the heat to medium. Quickly sprinkle in the flour and stir to mix. Pour in a small amount of the chicken broth, stirring constantly to remove lumps and allowing the flour to "cook" briefly.

Gradually add the remaining chicken broth and the buttermilk and continue stirring until sauce has thickened, 3 or 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Sauce may be prepared in advance and refrigerated.

Make the Filling:
Warm a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the butter or olive oil, and sauté the chopped onion, green pepper, poblano, mushrooms, tomatoes and pimientos until onion is transparent, about 4 or 5 minutes. Fold into the mixture the diced chicken, olives and green onions, combining well. Remove from heat.

Assembling the Dish:
In a small skillet, heat about about half an inch of canola oil. Using tongs, dip the tortillas in the hot oil one at a time, for just a few seconds, so that they are softened. Cover the bottom of your baking
dish with 4 of the softened tortillas. Layer the remaining ingredients in the following order:
Half of the chicken/vegetable mixture
Half of the grated cheese
Half of the sauce
The remaining 4 softened tortillas
The remaining chicken/vegetable mixture
The remaining grated cheese
The remaining sauce

Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F until casserole is heated
through and bubbly. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: Possible substitutions: A small can of Ro-Tel© tomatoes and chiles for the tomatoes and poblano, OR a small can of green chiles for just the poblano.

posted by: artichoke72 at 00:11 | link | comments |
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Red Bean Serrano Burgers

I've been in the mood for a new vegetarian burger lately.  Bean burgers are pretty easy to make and can be varied by type of bean and veggies added to the mixture.  This burger can be made with any canned bean (pintos or black beans would be excellent too).  Wheat germ or oat bran can be subbed for part of (I would not replace all , though) the bread crumbs in this recipe.  These patties hold together very well and can also be grilled.  This recipe makes 6 bun-sized patties.  Cook them all and freeze any leftovers.  They can be be reheated in the microwave for a quick meal.  I served the red bean serrano burgers with crispy oven fries.

Red Bean Serrano Burgers

1 (15.5oz) can kidney beans, drained
3 T. freshly minced onion
1 serrano chile pepper, seeded and minced (jalapeno may be used instead)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
2 T. barbecue sauce
1 egg
1/3 to 2/3 cup bread crumbs (a little more if needed)

In a bowl, mash beans with a fork. Add minced onion, serrano, garlic, seasoning, barbecue sauce, and egg.  Mix well.  Add bread crumbs, enough so the mixture can be formed into patties that hold together.  Take about a palm-ful amount of mixture and shape into a pattty (roll mixture into a ball and then press down gently with fingers, turning to ensure evenness, to flatten).  Repeat with remaining mixture.

Fry patties in a small amount of oil or butter in a (cast-iron or other nonstick) skillet over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes on each side.  Sliced cheese may be melted over the top.

Serve burgers on toasted whole grain buns with desired condiments.  I like mine with brown mustard, lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles, and pepper jack cheese.

posted by: artichoke72 at 16:14 | link | comments |
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Ristorante Rentato's, Fredericksburg, Virginia

I have not done a restaurant review in a long time.  Admittedly, I'm over critical when I dine out.  As a foodie, I have high expectations.  Fredericksburg area restaurants have been a total let-down for me.  I have yet to find a favorite place and a totally amazing meal to rave about.  Mediocrity is the norm here .

Anyway, I visited Ristorante Renato's for the first time tonight.  I have heard good things about this restaurant.  It's a Fredericksburg institution.  I ordered the Pollo alla Ivana, described as a chicken breast with asparagus, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, with a white wine sauce.  The chicken breast was more like chicken "scallopini" and it wasn't a high quality meat.  It was kind of like the questionable  chicken you get at cheap Chinese restaurants.  The texture is unexplainable.  Not good.  There were only two spears of asparagus (overcooked) and two small (canned) artichoke hearts covered in a "sauce" that tasted like canned chicken gravy.  The cheese in the dish did not seem like real mozzarella.  The dish was overpriced at $18.  It came with an over-dressed house salad made of iceburg lettuce (the polyester of lettuce) and some bread.  The bread was fine and served with real butter.  The restaurant was outdated with wood paneling and mustard yellow walls.  It was dirty and dingy with cobwebs in the corners.  The staff was not friendly and our waiter was slovenly.  I won't be going back to Ristorante Renato's....ever.

posted by: artichoke72 at 01:40 | link | comments (2) |
restaurant reviews