Being a regular reader, you know that I don’t usually post recipes that match up with “current” events.  Well, that may change, if I can get my cooking act together!  HA!

It has been one of those days.  I have been wasting the afternoon, looking through food blogs, peeking at Tastespotting, and what have I found?  Great Super Bowl ideas.  So, I thought I should share some of our favorites, as well as some favorites I have just discovered.

We, okay, Lenny made this hearty chili last week.  It is so good, that I wish I had a bowl of it now, instead of the diced up pears I am eating.  This chili recipe is full of meat;  two kinds to be exact, as well as three kinds of beans.  All that is left to make this recipe complete is your favorite chili toppings, icy cold beers and some killer margaritas.  Guarantee if you make this for your Super Bowl party this weekend, you will be the star chili maker.  It is really rock’n (did I just say that).

Recipe:  Lenny’s Nuevo Meaty Chili

Other recipes that would be great to serve during the Superbowl

Chicken Spring Rolls - I am so making these

Crunchy Chicken Wings

Asian Inspired Chicken Wings

Spicy Tomato Sauce Chicken Wings

Baked Chicken Wings with Octo Vinaigrette

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Wings

Spicy Peanut Butter and Pepper Jelly Chicken Wings

Queso Dip - lived on Queso when I was recently in Austin;  LOVE

Crocker Pot Chicken Santa Fe – if I had a slow cooker, I’d be making this too

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Super Bowl Sandwiches

Edamame Meyer Lemon Dip

Baked Kale Chips

Avocado Fries - they have to be heathy;  right?

© Denise for Chez Us, 2012. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Black Beans, Chickpea, Chilies, Hearty, Homemade, Johnsonville Sausage, Kidney Beans, Meaty, Recipe, Spicy

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I have been on a pretty big roasted garlic kick the past month and have to admit it has been really nice to become reacquainted with an old favorite.  There is something about slow roasting a head of garlic until it is sticky and rich in flavor.  I love the pungent smell that over takes the kitchen and eventually rest of the house.  It is musky and sultry.  As well as warm and comforting.

Roasting garlic actually mellows the bitter bite that fresh garlic tends to add to a recipe, such as hummus.  In this hummus recipe the garlic is very subtle and caramelized;  perfect with lemon, tahini and chickpeas.  I like to serve lavash with it, as a light lunch or simple snack.

Recipe:  Roasted Garlic

• 1 head of garlic
• olive oil
• maldon salt

Recipe:  Roasted Garlic Hummus

• 2 cups chick peas
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 head of roasted garlic, cooled
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup good quality olive oil
• salt to taste

© Denise for Chez Us, 2011. | Permalink | 22 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Appetizer, Chickpea, Garlic, Hummus, Lemon, Lunch, Olive Oil, roasted, Snack, tahini

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We eat a lot of garbanzos at our house, in the form of a meal or hummus.  It was great to find a new way to eat them as a snack.  This particular time I seasoned them with some powdered curry which is always a great pairing with garbanzos – they were gone in less than 30 minutes!  They are also good seasoned with a spicy pepper such as Espelette pepper.

Put out bowls of these at your next party and they will be gone before you know it!

Recipe:  Roasted Garbanzos

2 cans of garbanzos, drained and patted dry (this is very important) – I use a paper towel and lightly pat them dry, don’t mush them

1 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons curry powder, or other seasoning of your liking

sea salt to taste

Heat oven to 400.  Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.  Spread out onto a cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, then stir.  Bake for another 10 – 15 minutes or until crunchy, but not burned.  Serve.  Eat.

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Appetizer, Chickpea, Espelette pepper, Garbanzos, Healthy, Healthy Super Bowl Food, Recipe, Roasted Chickpeas, Roasted Garbanzos, Snacks

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With the Superbowl only 23 days away, we decided we needed to start thinking about what we would be eating that day.  We are tossing around the idea of doing something and now is the best time to try out that list of appetizers, we have been meaning to make.  So, over the course of the next couple of weeks we will be sharing with you some of our old and new favorite appetizers, that would be a great addition to any Superbowl party. As well we will be keeping within our  Ten in 10 Healthy Challenge, by making these dishes as healthy as possible.

The first appetizer we have for our Superbowl Healthy Eats Series is this fantastically delicious Meyer Lemon and Sumac Hummus.  Hummus is such an easy appetizer and/or snack to make, that it really surprises us that anyone would buy a pre-made one.  I took our basic hummus recipe and decided to add a lot of fresh Meyer Lemon juice/zest and Sumac to give it a Middle Eastern flair.  It has such a great clean and fresh taste.  It was really good the day I made it and it was even better the next day, so feel free to make it at least a day before your event.  To keep this recipe healthier, serve it with lots of fresh vegetables or you can make your own pita chips to serve along side.

Recipe:  Meyer Lemon & Sumac Hummus

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 small garlic cloves, peeled

2 small meyer lemons, zest and juiced

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons tahini

2 teaspoons sumac

1/2 cup olive oil

maldon salt, to taste

Add chickpeas to your food processor.  Give a whirl to mash.  Add the garlic, lemon zest, juice and water.  Whirl until mixed together.  Add the tahini and sumac, give another whirl.  With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, mix well.  Season with salt, to your personal taste.  Serve.  Eat.

Homemade Pita Chips

© Denise for Chez Us, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Appetizer, Chickpea, Hummas, Hummus, Meyer Lemon, middle eastern, Organic Food, Recipe, Sumac, Superbowl, Superbowl Health Eats, Superbowl Party Food, Vegetables

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Camping does not mean you have to have food that you need to hydrate, nor food that comes from a can and you heat  up.  One can eat well while camping by being a little prepared and ingenious!

The beginning of Sunset while we cooked & sipped on wine.

We had such a great time camping in the Sierras a couple weeks ago, that we have decided to head up for a couple nights.  We have some fun things planned like, sunning, reading, biking and of course eating – wait until you see this!  In the mean time we wanted to share some highlights from the last trip and when we get back this weekend we will let you know how you can eat well, while getting away from it all!

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© laudalino for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BBQ, Camping, Chickpea, Chorizo, Grilling, Padrons, Sonora Pass, Steak, Traveling

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I had originally wanted to have cod for the dish I had in mind, but when I got to the market Sunday, they were out of cod.  Tilapia was on sale.  Now it is not organic, I have a hard time believing my fish can be organic, but they were farm raised.  Tilapia is a rather mild, slightly firm but delicate  fish.  I usually steam it with some white wine and some sort of citrus zest.  Tonight was a little different and I was looking for a bolder flavor.

I sauteed some thinly sliced white onion with garlic and then added some sliced carrots for color.  After all the seasonings were soft I added a can of chickpeas – we love chickpeas!  It really is a versatile legume and is very good for you.  While the dish simmered I seasoned the Tilapia with paprika, salt and a little pepper.  I think used the grill pan and cooked the fish until it was golden.  To serve I ladled the chickpeas into a wide soup bowl and gently laid the fish on top and gave a dusting of sea salt.  I served a simple red leafed butter lettuce salad drizzled with the leftover dressing from the celery root salad.

The dish was light, flavorful with a bit of smokiness.  For dessert we had a slice of the TWD Gingerbread – YUM!

$ 9.92 for 4 servings.   Dinner and lunch for the next day.

We have news as well – we made the Alltop list!  Guy Kawasaki is one of the brains behind Alltop.  It is an online magazine rack with a wealth of information.  You can really find everything there;  be careful you may become addicted!  Thanks to the Alltop for listing us!

Farmer’s market or grocery store?

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alltop, Budget Meals, Chickpea, Depression, Fish and Seafood, Guy Kawasaki, Recession, Tilapia

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We had all intentions of starting out this week with a New Year clean slate/healthy attitude.  Then I was slammed with a cold Monday night and all those healthy intentions went out the door.  Therefore, it has become “eat what you have on hand week”, which is not a bad thing either, as it forces me to become creative with what we have – waste not.

For instance, tonight, all I could find in our bare pantry and freezer, was a couple cans of chickpeas, small amounts of various grains and pastas,  some frozen steaks, some eggs, a small amount of frozen chicken stock and a bit of frozen leftover roasted pumpkin.  I vaguely remembered a pumpkin soup in one of the magazines I have but did not feel like scouring them, so I threw together this little soup and served it with a warmed up baguette (also from the freezer).

I toasted some cumin seeds with a small amount of olive oil and then added the pumpkin, chicken stock and a can of chickpeas.  Gently heated through for about 30 minutes, just to blend the flavors, then seasoned with salt and pepper.  Voila dinner!   I had expected to sit down, taste it and hear Lenny say this was one of the worse things we have had in a long time;  but, it was actually pretty good!  Could have added some shallots or onions, but otherwise, it was easy, flavorful and good.

See what you can come up with with limited resourses!

© Denise for Chez Us, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chickpea, Pumpkin, Soup, Superfood

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We have company coming on Thursday and he will be staying for a month;  yes, in our tiny apartment with the tiny 20 sq. ft. kitchen.  In order to get ready for our guest, I have decided to clean out the pantry, freezer and fridge, which I like to do every couple of month regardless of company or night. The next few nights will be culinary creations created with the bare minimum.

Tonight I took some Rancho Gordo Chickpeas added them to a stock pot of veggie goodness and simmered slowly for a couple hours.  Then, I blended everything into a very creamy soup which I finished off by stirring in baby kale and more chickpeas to give it some some color and texture.  I love the flavor of the Ranch Gordo Heirloom Chickpeas, they are a bit firmer than canned ones or even the dried ones I buy in the bulk section, and the flavor is just nuttier and more fresh tasting.  The end result was very flavorful and very filling while being light on ingredients, perfect for a chilly and rainy evening.

Recipe

© Denise for Chez Us, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chickpea, Kale, Recipe, Soup

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I love to make a “nice” dinner on Sunday night.  Ending one week and moving into another on a good note so to say.  I stumbled upon this recipe for Merguez Spiced Lamb Shanks with Chickpeas in the November issue of Food and Wine and just knew we had to make it for the following reasons:  I love lamb, Lenny loves chickpeas and we both love spice.    The dish said to slow cook in the oven for an hour and a half, I kept it in there for 2 and a half hour, which was perfect as it came out very moist.  The scent of the dish was really intoxicating, the way a Moroccan market must smell, with the addition of cumin, fennel, coriander, paprika, allspice, cayenne and a bit of sweetness.   The lamb came out very moist and the pieces of meat fell off the bones with a mildly intense flavor.  We served it with a whole wheat couscous, some roasted squash and a very nice bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

(...)
Read the rest of Merquez Spiced Lamb Shanks with Chickpeas (217 words)

© Denise for Chez Us, 2008. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chickpea, Creme Brulee, Dessert, Dinner, Food Blogging Event, Lamb, Moroccan, Organic Food, Pumpkin, Recipe, Shanks

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As I mentioned earlier in the week we are using up everything in the house – sort of a pre-spring cleaning. So, we are limited as to what we have on hand. I have been dying to make this lovely soup, recipe from one of Jamie Oliver’s books, and lucky for us we have everything in the house. As well, it is pure comfort on a cold and rainy night!

Pasta e Ceci is like a peasant dish – simple, hardy, very easy and full of flavor – onions, garlic, a small amount of celery, chickpeas and a little pasta. If you like chickpeas this soup is for you. We added a loaf of our favorite crusty french bread and opened up a bottle of Italian wine to compliment it (ever since we had a FANTASTIC bottle of Italian wine at Delfina, we have been lushing after them). Was a very nice and cozy evening.

© dwoodward20 for Chez Us, 2008. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chickpea, Food Blogging Event, Italian, Monthly Mingle, Pasta e Ceci, Soup

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© dwoodward20 for Chez Us, 2007. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chickpea, Pasta and Noodles, Pepper, Roasted Pepper, Wine

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© dwoodward20 for Chez Us, 2007. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Chickpea, Green Bean, Kidney Bean, Meyer Lemon, Shallot, Vegetables

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