Love the ingredients, not the food.

Roasted Maple Cinnamon Chickpeas And Squash

Written on November 10, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

When it comes to food, there are two things I care about: Most importantly how it tastes, but also how it smells. A lot of people will tell you we eat with our eyes, but given how close are taste receptors and smell receptors are, it’s no question that there’s a link between taste and smell. Good food must smell good. And this smells terrific.

When I opened up my oven after this had finished cooking, the entire kitchen smelled like Christmas. You know that warm, earthy familiar smell that’s a bit nutty and complex. I got distracted for a moment and forgot that this was food to eat. The taste is just as good; the soft, sweet squash contrasts the crunchy, spicy chickpeas, and the maple syrup forms a glaze over the whole thing bringing it together. I can’t recommend this recipe enough to get a taste of the season.

Roasted Maple Cinnamon Chickpeas And Squash

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 70 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
2 cups cubed butternut squash
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all of the ingredients together in a big bowl and mix them until the wet ingredients and spices cover the squash and chickpeas.
Lay the squash and chickpeas out on a baking tray and spread them out keeping it as close to one layer as possible.
Roast for 70 minutes until the squash is fork-tender and the chickpeas slightly nutty.
Serve hot or cold. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Now if only someone would invent smell-o-vision, maybe I could better convince you.

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Green Vegetable Quinoa

Written on November 9, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

My diet has definitely been changing with the season. As far as vegetables go, I want very little to do with them. That’s strange for me since over the Summer I can never get enough produce. But now it’s carbs, carbs, carbs and the only vegetables I do want are potatoes and squash—not much of a variety.

This dish is an exception. And it has about every green vegetable in my refrigerator in it, so it must be healthy, right? The kale is a good source of vitamins, the peas high in plant-based protein, and the avocado a source of healthy fat. More importantly it’s the only green thing that appeals to me anymore(although a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream wouldn’t be bad either).

Green Vegetable Quinoa

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(For 2 servings):

1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
1 medium ripe avocado
1/2 cup cooked peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup chopped kale, steamed
Salt to taste

Method:

Remove the skin and the pit from the avocado and mash it into a smooth puree.
Combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and fold until completely mixed. The avocado should act as a binder and as it mixes it will hold together more.
Serve at room temperature. Store in a refrigerator for no more than a day as the avocado will brown over time.

I make this with frozen and thawed kale and frozen peas. Not only is it cheaper than buying the fresh ingredients, their nutrients are locked in and they’re available all through Winter, so you can bet I’ll be having this again.

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Fried Rice With Mushrooms

Written on November 8, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Or really fried quinoa. But what’s the difference?

I love mushrooms but don’t buy them much since they’re not much to eat on their own. I had some leftover this week and thought I’d add them to a stir fry to lend a “meatiness” to it. I don’t think mushrooms remind me all that much of meat; I think they remind me a whole lot of mushrooms. But that’s OK because I like mushrooms.

Mushrooms are prized in Asian dishes because they’re high in umami, or what I’d probably butcher by calling savoriness. Sautéing the mushrooms in oil helps to bring out this flavor and spread it through the whole dish which elevates the flavor. I like mine best with some red chili flakes to add a level of spiciness.

Fried Rice With Mushrooms

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(For 2 people):

2 large portabella mushroom caps, sliced
1 Pepper, diced
2 Tablespoons sesame oil, divided
3 Tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 cup cooked rice(or quinoa)
2/3 cup bean sprouts
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 eggs(optional)

Method:

Heat up 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 1/2 Tablespoons of soy sauce in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, toss in the mushroom slices and diced pepper and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes.
Add in the rice, bean sprouts, vinegar, sugar, and the rest of the sesame oil and soy sauce and mix all of the ingredients together.
Continue cooking until most of the liquid has been absorbed or evaporated away, also about 5 minutes.
Crack in the eggs if using and mix them in with the rice. Cook until the egg has cooked through.
Plate and serve hot.

I served this with some steamed kale to bring color to the dish. You can leave the eggs out and make this vegan, adding in tempeh for extra protein or not. I like adding eggs because it’s a cheap way to add bulk to a meal.

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Quinoa Pecan Stuffing With Butternut Squash

Written on November 7, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

Over the weekend I saw two recipes for quinoa pecan stuffing that caught my eye. I loved the presentation and photos from this recipe on For The Love Of Food(just try looking at it and not getting hungry). And I loved the addition of butternut squash and pecans in this recipe from The Cooking Channel, but I didn’t love the choice of seasoning. Instead I worked from both recipes, picking what I think is the best of both and making a different quinoa stuffing.

Is it the best I ever had? Not really. But it’s the best I ever had that cooks up in 20 minutes in one pot. If I made this again I’d sauté some onions and celery and perhaps mushrooms like one of the original recipe has to develop the flavor a little more.

Quinoa Pecan Stuffing With Butternut Squash

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

1 cup quinoa, washed and drained
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth*
1 cup cooked and diced butternut squash
3/4 teaspoon savory herbs like thyme and rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed pecans plus more for garnish

*Since there’s very few seasonings in this recipe, using broth and not water is important to add deep flavor.

Method:

Bring the quinoa and broth to a boil over the stove. Cover the pot and turn off the heat, letting the quinoa absorb the liquid for 15 minutes until it’s fully cooked.
Add in the diced squash, herbs, salt, and pecans and mix those in while fluffing the quinoa.
Serve hot and garnish with extra pecans if desired.

I was worried using so few ingredients the recipe wouldn’t hold up to either of the originals, but the broth adds a ton of flavor(I used Rapunzel’s vegan bullion cubes in case you’re wondering). A fun variation on this would be substituting cubed sweet potatoes in for the butternut squash.

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Double Take: Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Written on November 4, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert, Photography

One of my most popular recipes on this site is the almond flour chocolate chip cookies. I never understood why it was so popular; sure, it’s a good recipe. But it didn’t get too much attention when I posted it and the pictures weren’t that great. It all made sense one day when I realized it was the #1 google search result for “almond flour cookies” and “almond flour chocolate chip cookies”. Well I felt humbled.

Ever since I found that out, I’ve been wanting to make these again and take better photos. I mean, if people I don’t know are visiting this website, it’s good to make the best first impression you can, right?

It also so happens that this week was one of my good friend’s birthday, and homemade baked goods sounded like a great gift from someone whose home is 2000 miles away from campus. So cookies it was, with about twice as many chocolate chips as the recipe calls for because who wouldn’t love that for their birthday?

A funny thing happened when I made these this time around: They didn’t spread out nearly as much as I expected, making more of a doughball than a cookie. The taste and texture was nearly the same cooked either way: Crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. As long as they taste good, I don’t mind so much how they came out.

And then I held on to them just long enough to get these photographs + more before I gift wrapped them and handed them off to the birthday girl. If you want to see more photographs and the recipe, click over to the original recipe page. These make great birthday cookies or just anytime cookies. Of course they’re gluten-free, and also fairly low in sugar for a cookie(since almond flour is naturally sweet) and grain-free, too.

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Savory Pumpkin Quinoa

Written on November 3, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

It really shouldn’t surprise you that I’m posting a pumpkin recipe this week, with 3 1/2 pounds of homemade pumpkin puree in my refrigerator. ‘Tis the season, I suppose.

Actually, this pumpkin quinoa is one of my favorite savory dishes. I made it a lot last year and was waiting for the weather to get cool to start making it again. The earthiness from the pumpkin combined with herbs makes for an irresistibly savory and comforting dish that’s perfect served hot on a cold night.

If you don’t have herbes de Provence on hand, you can use a mixture of savory herbs that you do have such as equal parts thyme, rosemary, and sage.

Savory Pumpkin Quinoa

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 1/4 cups water
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 Tablespoons oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence

Method:

Wash and drain the quinoa. Combine it with 2 1/4 cups of fresh water in a pot and bring it to a boil.
Cover the quinoa with a lid and turn off the heat. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes to absorb the water and cook.
While the quinoa is cooking, bring the oil up to heat in a large pan over a burner set to medium-high.
Once the oil is hot, add in the pepper and onion and sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the pepper slightly charred.
Once the quinoa is done cooking, add in the pumpkin puree, onion, pepper, salt, and herbs. Mix thoroughly and heat it back up if the quinoa has cooled at all. Serve hot.

Comfort food is usually something you grew up with; I never grew up eating quinoa, but this is definitely comfort food. It reminds me of a thick risotto. If you want you can add nutritional yeast, parmesan, or shredded cheddar to give it a sharp, cheesy flavor and make something reminiscent of mac n’ cheese.

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Healthy Breakfast Tortillas

Written on November 2, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast, Entree

Some things are almost so easy that they don’t really require a recipe. But I love these so you’re getting one.

My new favorite find at the grocery store is corn tortillas. Everyone and their mother has probably bought these before but I really never had noticed them until last weekend. They’re cheap(perfect for a college student), whole-grain, naturally gluten-free and vegan. That’s an all around win in my book.

So now I have these tortillas; but what to do with them? Well, I went the obvious route and stuffed them with piping hot scrambled eggs, a slightly spicy salsa, and cool, ripe avocado. Difficult? No. Delicious? Yes.

Make sure your avocado is ripe for this recipe. A ripe avocado makes all the difference. The skin should be a reddish brown and the flesh should give easily to pressure.

Healthy Breakfast Tortillas

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(Enough for 2 people):

4 whole-grain corn tortillas(or whole-wheat if gluten isn’t an issue)
8 medium eggs
1/4 cup salsa
1 large ripe avocado, sliced into thin wedges

Method:

Heat up a frying pan over a burner set to medium-high heat.
Crack and beat the eggs into a large bowl.
Pour the scrambled eggs into a hot pan. Cook for about a minute scraping occasionally until most of the egg is cooked(leave it a little liquidy as the egg will continue to cook once it’s off the heat).
Heat up the tortillas and stuff them each with a quarter of the scrambled eggs.
Top with salsa and sliced avocado. Serve hot.

healthy-breakfast-tortillas-salsa

I found this salsa at Trader Joe’s also over the weekend. I was a little worried I wouldn’t like it since I usually go for really spicy salsas and this one advertises itself as having a medium heat. What it lacks for in spiciness it makes up for in tomato and chili flavor; it’s really good and the bottle is almost half gone. I can’t keep my tortillas out of it.

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How To Make Pumpkin Puree

Written on November 1, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in How To

Now that it’s officially November, chances are there are a lot of pies in our future. Pumpkin pie is iconic for American Thanksgiving. I wrote a post on making your own pumpkin puree last year but figured I should rewrite it again since it’s definitely a skill that comes in handy for you and me to know.

Some people will argue that the type of pumpkin you roast makes all the difference. I’m not going to say one way or the other since I haven’t tried many varieties out; I simply go down to the store and pick up what’s usually called a “Sugar pumpkin” or “Pumpkin pie pumpkin” because the sign tells me that’s what to buy for roasting your own pumpkin.

To roast it, start by cutting the pumpkins in half and remove the seeds and stringy filling. You can save the seeds to clean them and roast them.

After that, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lay the pumpkins out face down on a roasting tray and bake for 70-90 minutes. When they’re done the skin should have the appearance and texture of a deflated football.

Remove the skin(it should peel off fairly easily) and scoop out the insides into a food processor. Blend and pulse until it’s completely smooth. Move the puree into air-tight containers for storing in the refrigerator or freezer.

From 2 small-medium sugar pumpkins that cost $1.50 each I got just over 3 1/2 pounds of pumpkin puree, which would cost around $5-6 for canned pumpkin puree. You’re not going to be able to retire off of making your own pumpkin puree but it’s undoubtedly cheaper, not a lot of work, and an impressive boast to say you made something completely from scratch. It should keep around 5 days in the refrigerator and much longer if frozen.

Of course you don’t have to make a pumpkin pie with this puree; I sure as hell haven’t yet this year. There are plenty of other uses for pumpkin puree such as pumpkin breakfast quinoa, Keep in mind, too, that pumpkin’s a squash just like butternut or acorn and you can substitute it for other squash purees in soup or mashes with very little change in taste or texture.

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The Best Red Potatoes

Written on October 31, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Happy Halloween! I love Halloween; it’s hard not to love a holiday that encourages dressing up and accepting candy from strangers. But since you can’t really make a meal out of candy corn and Reese’s(well, you can, and that would be my idea of heaven, but I won’t) I was cooking a lot through the relaxing weekend including these potatoes I had to use up.

I picked up red potatoes from my farmers’ market. After having them baked plain one night, I remembered I really wasn’t a fan of red potatoes. They don’t seem as starchy as other varieties, and if I’m having a potato I’m looking for that warm, starchy comfort food.

Since I had almost a pound to use up, I knew I’d need to find a way to make them taste irresistible. This method of soaking + roasting with garlic makes the potatoes soft, crispy, and full of flavor. Red potatoes still aren’t my favorite, but this recipe makes me like them a whole lot more.

The Best Red Potatoes

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1lb red potatoes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
3/4 teaspoon salt
Diced chives(optional)

Method:

Wash the red potatoes thoroughly but keep the skin on.
Cut the potatoes into halves or quarters depending how big they are into bite-sized wedges.
Soak the wedges in hot water for 20-30 minutes
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Drain the potatoes from the water but don’t dry them. Toss with the olive oil, garlic, and salt until evenly covered.
Lay the potatoes out on a roasting tray and roast for 45 minutes or until the potatoes have started to brown and wrinkle.
Remove from the oven and serve hot. Garnish with chives if desired.

Most of the garlic burns by the time the potatoes are ready. You can pick them out and discard them; by now the garlic flavor has totally soaked in. I’ll admit: It’s a lot of garlic. If you have plans to be in public later or dress up like a vampire, you may want to save this for another time.

Luckily I wasn’t a vampire. Who was I? Ron Swanson.

This may be hard to believe, but that’s not my actual facial hair(I know—absorb the shock). And now I have 10 extra fake mustaches to wear whenever I feel like it. Cool beans. I also like to think Ron Swanson would enjoy these potatoes, even if he wouldn’t care at all how they’re made and insist on eating them with all the bacon and eggs he has.

What were you/will you be for Halloween?

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Chili Lime Butternut Squash

Written on October 28, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

It’s gotten to the time of year when I’m in denial that Summer’s gone. I’ve had a week full of midterm exams and now there’s talk of snow. SNOW. I’ve still got a marathon to run next month; I can’t begin to think about running across slippery pavement again. So I’m doing the totally normal thing about it all and going into denial.

When the seasons change I find so do our taste buds usually. I’ve started to like earthier tasting foods like cinnamon in banana quinoa bakes, nutmeg in mashed squash, and candy corn in just about everything else. This week though I’ve looked back to Summer for more spicy and bright flavors like the chili and lime on this squash. Maybe it’s a little “off” to put lime on squash but there isn’t exactly anything right about snow on Halloween and the butternut here has just a mellow enough flavor to highlight the seasonings.

Chili Lime Butternut Squash

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Trunk(i.e. the part without seeds in the center) from a medium butternut squash
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon lime juice, plus more for finishing
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking tray.
Cut the squash down the middle into two semi-circle halves. Slice each half across into 1/2-inch wedges.
Toss the wedges with olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, and salt until covered.
Lay the wedges out in a single layer on the baking tray and roast for 40 minutes until a fork easily passes through.
Finish with an extra touch of lime juice.

As if I couldn’t be more confused, I’m listening to Bing Crosby Christmas music as I write this. What can I say? It’s been a long week and I’m starting to think Summer ain’t coming back.

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