Mediterranean Chickpea Soup #Recipe Peg Cochran/Margaret Loudon

 

This recipe is from "The Kitchen" but of course I had to modify it.  The recipe called for boneless thighs and I only had bone-in.  I removed the skin and added them to the pot whole.  Smoked paprika can be a bit spicy and hubby is spice-averse so I reduced the amount to half a teaspoon.  The soup still had that wonderfully smokey flavor that the paprika adds.  I imagine you could use sweet paprika for a slightly different taste.  I didn't have tomato paste (I never seem to have it when I need it and I keep forgetting to buy it) and the soup didn't lack for it.  The recipe didn't call for a carrot but I like the sweetness it brings so I added one large one. Finally, I didn't add the spinach since I didn't have any.

According to the recipe, frozen spinach is fine.  No need to defrost it--just add it to the pot and cook until heated.  Corn was also suggested as an addition.  We added some grated Parmesan cheese on top.  I think a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt would be a good addition as well.  The soup was delicious as is and I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch!

1 large yellow onion

1 large yellow, red or orange bell pepper

4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or to taste)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 large, sliced carrot (optional) 

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 32-ounce box low-sodium chicken broth

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

5 cups baby spinach  

 

Combine onion, bell pepper and minced garlic in a bowl.  Set aside.

 

Combine spices—smoked paprika, cumin and salt in a bowl.

 

Pat boneless, skinless chicken thighs dry (or remove skin from bone-in thighs if using)

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic, and cook until softened. 

 

Add the chicken, 1 box chicken broth, the chickpeas and optional carrot. Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the chicken, carrot and chickpeas are tender, approximately 25 minutes. (If using whole thighs, it might take a bit longer.)

 

 

Add diced tomatoes and their juices and 2 tablespoons tomato paste and stir to combine.

 

Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and shred meat using two forks.  Return to pan. Simmer for five minutes.

Turn off heat and add spinach. Stir until the spinach is wilted.

 

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!

 

COMING NOVEMBER 11 

 

It's Chrismas in Cranberry Cove! Monica holds a fundraiser for the Cranberry Cove Animal Shelter--Have Your Pet's Picture Taken With Santa--at Sassamanash Farm.  All goes well until murder threatens to dampen the holiday spirit!

 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

 

 

 

Flourless Chocolate Whisky Cake from Molly MacRae

 

A cake made with chickpeas? Yes, and it’s amazingly good.

Several years ago, a nice relative gave me a cute small-format cookbook called Chickpeas. It’s volume 17 from Short Stack Editions. A note on the back says that each volume is one author’s love letter to a favorite ingredient. The recipes in Chickpeas range from the expected (hummus, salads, curries, soups) to the awesomely eye-opening (gingerbread milkshake, Persian orange-cardamom shortbreads, chickpea coffee).

I recently made this flourless chocolate whisky cake, another of the eye-opening recipes, and will be happy to make it again. The cake is easy and fun to make because to mix the ingredients you just tossed them all in the blender. The result is a rich, dense, chocolaty, beautiful cake. An added bonus is that it’s gluten-free, if that's an issue. I made the cake with the cayenne pepper and the whisky, but I think either or both could be left out and no one would complain.

According to the cookbook you should always use warm chickpeas in the cake. Why? Because, apparently, chickpea skins are only soft when they’re warm and using chickpeas that aren’t warm will result in a grainy cake.  

Note: if you’re using canned chickpeas you’ll want to “revive” them. Here's' how: drain and rinse them, put them in a saucepan and cover with cold water with a pinch of baking soda, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse again and use warm.

 

Flourless Chocolate Whisky Cake (adapted from Chickpeas by Victoria Granof)

Makes a single layer 9-inch cake

 

Ingredients for the cake

2 cups warm cooked chickpeas (if using canned chickpeas, see note above)

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

½ teaspoon baking powder

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao Baking Chips)

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

2 tablespoons Scotch whisky (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 eggs

 

Ingredients for the glaze

⅓ cup caramel sauce (I used Ghirardelli Sea Salt Caramel)

½ cup heavy cream

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (again, I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao Baking Chips)

1 tablespoon whisky (optional)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend at medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until completely combined and smooth, stopping to scrape down the inside of the blender halfway through. (I got so excited by tossing everything in the blender and whirling it up that I forgot to take a picture.)

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let the cake cool for at least an hour before removing it from the pan.

Make the glaze while the cake cools. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, stir together the caramel and cream and bring just to a boil, stirring until smooth. Remove pan from heat, add the chopped chocolate all at once and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until glaze is smooth and chocolate has melted.

Remove cake from pan. Spread glaze over top and sides of cake. Store leftover cake in refrigerator. 

 

Look for Molly’s new series—the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries—coming in July 2024!

Book 1: Come Shell or High Water

And in the meantime, you can enjoy her other books.

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Twitter  or Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eggs with Spinach and Chickpeas from @MysteryMacRae

 

This is a quick, delicious supper dish that won’t heat up your kitchen on a hot summer day. It’s versatile, too, so go ahead and adjust the seasonings as you like. And although I haven’t done this, I bet wrapping each serving in a warm flour tortilla, pita bread, or naan would be terrific.

Eggs with Spinach and Chickpeas

(adapted from Milk Street Tuesday Nights)

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced 

15 ½-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry (patting dry is an important step to keep the chickpeas from spattering)

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and black pepper

10 ounces fresh baby spinach

4 large eggs (if anyone wants more than 1 egg, increase number as needed)

Optional for serving – plain yogurt, more olive oil, crusty bread or toast

 

Directions

If you're good at working between two pans at once, go ahead and juggle steps 1 and 2 simultaneously. Doing 1 first and then 2 is perfectly fine, too.  

1. Heat olive oil, until shimmering, in a large pot or kettle over medium-high heat (the large pot comes in handy when adding all that spinach). Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chickpeas, red pepper flakes, cumin, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add spinach and cook, turning and tossing with tongs, until leaves are fully wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and black pepper. 

2. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Break your eggs into the skillet and fry them as you like (some people like a runny yolk with this dish, some don’t).  

To serve: portion the spinach mixture onto plates. Top each portion with one or two eggs. Sprinkle eggs with more red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to suit your taste. Serve with a dollop of plain yogurt if you like, a drizzle of olive oil, and crusty bread or toast.

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Twitter  or Instagram.

 

Tuna and Chickpea Salad

 

This recipe is from Skinnytaste.com.  It's full of flavor.  Perfect for lunch or a light dinner.  It's a new take on the same old, same old tuna salad and can be whipped up in a jiffy with ingredients you most likely have on hand.  Even hubby liked it and he's a devoted tuna + mayo fan.  I added some chopped roasted red peppers but they're optional

Ingredients:

1 (6 ounce) can tuna in water, drained
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained
2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons capers plus two tablespoons of the brine
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Roasted red peppers, chopped - optional

Drain and rinse chickpeas and add to bowl.

 

Drain tuna and add to chickpeas

 

Add in capers and their brine. 

 Add in chopped red onion.

Add in red peppers if using and vinegar.  Mix well.

Serve on a bed of lettuce if desired.

Coming July 6!  Book #2 in the Open Book Series

Writer-in-residence Penelope Parish will need to use every trick in her quaint British bookshop to unravel a murderous plot that threatens to ruin a ducal wedding.

The wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Upper Chumley-on Stoke has all the makings of a fairy tale, complete with a glowing bride and horse-drawn carriage. But it wouldn't be much of a story without a villain, and as American Gothic novelist Penelope Parish is coming to learn, happy-ever-afters are as fraught in this charming British town as they are in her books.

When the Duke's former girlfriend is found murdered at the reception it's up to Penelope and her newfound family at the Open Book bookshop to catch the killer before they strike again.

AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE

Murder in the Margins has everything: England * Charming town * Book shop * Writer-in-residence * Royalty * Cute detective * Murder!

 

The plot thickens for American gothic writer Penelope Parish when a murder near her quaint British bookshop reveals a novel's worth of killer characters.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble 

 

#Thanksgiving week -- Crunchy Kale and Chickpea Salad

LESLIE BUDEWITZ: My constitutional law professor liked to joke that there are two kinds of people: those who constantly divide the world into two kinds of people, and those who don’t.

Let me suggest another way to divide the world: people who insist on eating the same dishes for a particular holiday, year after year, and those who like to mix things up.

Count Mr. Right and me in that latter group. It may be because we are both cabooses, much younger children in our families, and have never actually been allowed to become the hosts of annual family gatherings! Or for me, it may be memories of less-than-stellar holiday cooking. (My mother was an indifferent cook, but a FABULOUS pie and Christmas cookie baker!) Or perhaps, we just enjoy experimenting with the amazing variety of foods available this time of year, which was not the case in our childhoods. (And as proof of the amazing differences between children in the same family, my husband would make tacos for Thanksgiving, while his sister puts her serving dishes away after each holiday meal with a note in them about what dish they hold!)

So if you enjoy rearranging your menu from time to time, this dish is perfect. Plus it counts as both the salad course and a vegetable dish, leaving more room for mashed potatoes and pie. (Maybe not on the same plate, especially if you’re a gravy fan—another way we could divide the world!)

Patting the chickpeas slightly dry allows them to roast rather than steam. The chickpeas and dressing can be prepared ahead of time, with the kale sauteed and the dish assembled just before serving.

Crunchy Chickpea Kale Caesar

2 - 15 ounce cans chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
scant 1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large bunch kale
olive oil, for sauteeing
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
additional Parmesan for serving, if desired

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Pat the chickpeas dry and toss them, on a rimmed baking sheet, with the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, shaking and turning the baking sheet occasionally to cook evenly. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Parmesan, mustard, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Trim the kale, discarding any tough stems, and roughly chop it. Heat oil in a large pan and saute briefly, 2-3 minutes; greens should remain well-colored and tender-crisp. Place in a large flat serving bowl.

Add the bell pepper and jalapeno and stir to mix. Add the dressing and toss to coat. Top with chickpeas and additional Parmesan.

Serves 6-8.

Wishing you all a lovely Thanksgiving – thank you for being part of the Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen community!

Are you a traditionalist, or a daring holiday cook? 

From the cover of KILLING THYME (October 2016, in paperback, e-book, and audio---large print coming soon!): 

At Seattle Spice in the Pike Place Market, owner Pepper Reece is savoring her business success, but soon finds her plans disrupted by a killer…

Pepper Reece’s to-do list is longer than the shopping list for a five-course dinner, as she conjures up spice blends bursting with seasonal flavor, soothes nervous brides fretting over the gift registry, and crosses her fingers for a rave review from a sharp-tongued food critic. Add to the mix a welcome visit from her mother, Lena, and she’s got the perfect recipe for a busy summer garnished with a dash of fun. 

While browsing in the artists’ stalls, Pepper and Lena drool over stunning pottery made by a Market newcomer. But when Lena recognizes the potter, Bonnie Clay, as an old friend who disappeared years ago, the afternoon turns sour. To Pepper’s surprise, Bonnie seems intimately connected to her family’s past. after Bonnie is murdered only days later, Pepper is determined to uncover the truth. 

But as Pepper roots out long-buried secrets, will she be digging her own grave?

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. The 2015-16 president of Sisters in Crime, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat Ruff, a cover model and avid bird-watcher.

Swing by my website  and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebook, where I often share news of new books and giveaways from my cozy writer friends.