Moroccan Zucchini, Yellow Pepper and Chickpeas with Crusty French Bread

The Family Reunion is winding down and this is a very good thing because A-I'm bone-tired, and B- I leave for New Orleans this morning. I'll be the lady snoring on the airplane. I'll need to have energy this week! I'm attending the National Charter School Conference and as a bonus will visit some elementary schools that have been established by Danny Glover's foundation since Hurricane Katrina. (I've been a Board Member and founding member for George Washington Academy for the last three years.)

I've had my two vegetarian sisters here this week, and when they come I love to cook hearty and healthy protein rich, meatless dinners. (I spent two years as a vegetarian myself, after my daily jaunts into Israel's fridge-less Old City meat markets. Don't ask-you don't want to know.)

I've been hooked on the flavors of North Africa lately, so I whipped up a skillet of exotically spiced vegetables and we sopped it all up with crusty french bread. Pita or flat bread would have been great here-or even a steaming bowl of rice or couscous. You'll need something to soak up every last drop of those savory juices!
Moroccan Zucchini, Yellow Pepper and Chickpeas with Crusty French Bread
Estimated Cost: $6.00 for four servings
Notes: For some reason, the regular canned chickpeas turned out to be miniaturized babies, almost the size of peas. They were adorable and I wish I could find some like that again!
1-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced or 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1 hot pepper, minced or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 teaspoons paprika. smoked or regular
1 teaspoon cumin
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, undrained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
warm crusty bread, for serving
feta cheese, for serving
chopped mint, cilantro, or basil
In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, bell pepper, hot pepper, and both peppers, and cook stirring often for five minutes. Add zucchini and paprika and cumin and cook for one minute. Add tomatoes and chick peas. Boil until juices are thickened and syrupy, about five minutes. Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with warm crusty french bread, a sprinkling of feta and chopped fresh herbs.
Coming Tomorrow:
Food and Furthermore and my Dad's famous super-cinchy chip dip....

Leftover Remodel: North African Whole Wheat Chicken Wraps

Maybe I'm lazy. Whenever I cook, I'm always trying to think ahead so I can get out of work. I like to think of meat, or grains, or grilled veggies as "anchor"dishes; by cooking a little extra I can navigate another meal with very little work. Sometimes I'm overprotective with leftovers because I've got a plan, and other times I haphazardly throw together a pinch of this and bit of that from the fridge. Either way, a wrap is an ideal way to cleverly remake your fridge odds and ends and save yourself some kitchen work. Scroll down and you'll find a delicious 2o minute North African chicken dinner and some 5 minute cumin scented hummus that we've been enjoying. Today, we're going to rework all of these leftovers into a whole wheat tortilla wrap. A little bit of meat and a handful of veggies can stretch a long way to feed a family "wrap" style. Simply lay out your tortilla, spread it with hummus and yogurt feta sauce and pile it high with whatever you've still got. I made my wrap meatless with a double thick layer of hummus. But you do it your way-if you've got some extra grilled veggies, or leftover sauces or meats or grains-toss them in! If you don't have North African spiced chicken, consider tossing some paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and a pinch of cinnamon with any meat.
North African Chicken Wraps

Estimated Cost: $4.00-even less if it's all leftovers...

Hummus

Leftover Yogurt Feta Sauce

Leftover North African Chicken

spinach or arugula leaves

Whole wheat tortillas

Spread and layer all ingredients over a whole wheat tortilla. Roll up burrito style and serve.

Another Leftover Bonus:

My mother serves her leftover North African Spiced chicken with buttered bow tie pasta, feta cheese, and basil.

Coming Tomorrow:

Moroccan Zucchini, Yellow Pepper and Chickpeas with Crusty Bread

Cumin Toasted Tortilla Chips with Pantry Hummus

If you think of hummus as only an appetizer, your missing out on a really great lunch. It's quick and easy to make, and it's delicious and healthful and cheap. Are any other adjectives necessary? There's no reason to buy those pricey little hummus tubs at the market.
Make a little extra for my leftover bonus tomorrow. I had to make a double batch and then hoard a little for the leftovers. The cumin toasted chips are crisp and smoky, but you could swap them out for pitas or use fresh vegetables as your dip. You can brush your chips with olive oil, but they also crisp up nicely with just a little misting of water.
Cumin Toasted Tortilla Chips with Pantry Hummus
Estimated Cost: $3.00
Notes: You may have to make the chips in batches. You can omit the olive oil if you're trying to save calories. Just add extra liquid from the canned beans.
12 corn tortillas, cut into triangles
spray bottle of water
1/2 teaspoon each cumin and salt
1 (14 ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
pinch of cumin
pinch of paprika
juice of 1 lemon
Chopped flat leaf parsley, cilantro, or mint

Preheat broiler. Place tortillas on foil lined cookie sheet. Spray with water and sprinkle with cumin and salt. Broil, watching closely until crisp and browned in places. Flip, spray with water and sprinkle with more cumin and salt if desired.
Drain the garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid and a few whole beans for garnish. Add beans, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, cumin, paprika, and lemon to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Process until almost smooth, adding reserved liquid from can if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with herbs, reserved whole beans, and additional cumin and paprika if desired. Dig in!
Coming Tomorrow:
Leftover Bonus-North African Whole Wheat Chicken Wraps

20 Minute North African Chicken with Couscous and Feta Yogurt Sauce

The following recipe is my contribution to the Culinarty original recipe event. Drop by and share one of your original recipes! Fast Flavors of North Africa.....
Since I'm in the middle of a family reunion, I'm getting a ton of honest Pennywise feedback from my relatives. Four of my grown-up nieces requested more recipes for lightening-fast suppers. They're all in the throes of raising small children, and unanimously bemoaned the 6 o'clock crunch. This recipe is for them, and for anyone else that is forced to get dinner on the table without a lot of pomp or ceremony.
I can make this recipe easily in less than 20 minutes, but it might take you a couple extra minutes your first time out. Once you've made it a couple of times, you'll be able to eyeball what you need. Fast is not its only virtue; it's healthful, beautiful, and exotically delicious. And as always, I've got your back for leftovers. Make some extra chicken and yogurt sauce and in a couple of days, we'll make some incredible Moroccan wraps.
20 minute North African Chicken with Couscous and Feta Yogurt Sauce

Estimated Cost: $8.00 for four servings

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup salsa or tomato sauce(It's excellent with Fire Roasted Tomato Salsa)

1 teaspoon each paprika, cumin, and garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

1/8 teaspoon each cinnamon and cloves

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup couscous

1/2 cup raisins, apricots, dried cranberries, or dates

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint, basil, or cilantro-or a combination

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat the broiler. Line a cookie sheet with foil. Dip chicken in salsa and sprinkle with spices on both sides. Pour any of the extra salsa over the chicken. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Broil for about 5 minutes on each side, 10 minutes total. Let rest for a few minutes, and thinly slice. Meanwhile, in a medium microwaveable bowl, bring chicken broth to a boil. Add couscous and raisins. Cover and let stand for five minutes; stir in almonds and tomatoes. In a separate small bowl, combine remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, yogurt, feta, mint and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, divide couscous between four bowls. Add chicken slices, a dollop of yogurt sauce and a sprig of herbs.

Coming Tomorrow:
Cumin Toasted Tortilla Chips and Pantry Hummus

Tuesdays with Dorie Chocolate Glazed Peppermint Eclairs

Can it really be Tuesday? Already? Halfway through June? Please..... Someone slow this summer down. It's time for treats on Tuesday with my TWD baking group. Quit going to the bakery, join us, and together we will rule the galaxy.

I'm in the middle of a super colossal family reunion with 80 family members. I think I should shout these words to help you understand: SUPER COLOSSAL, PEOPLE. Our TWD assignment this week was a gorgeous cream puff ring, filled with peppermint whipped cream, glazed with a shiny bittersweet ganache. But, when you're having a SUPER COLOSSAL family reunion, a cream puff ring is a little fussy. Usually I make diminutive half-batch versions of Dorie's treats because there are only 4 people in my nuclear family. This time I made a dimunitive double batch version, because of the SUPER COLOSSAL amount of people in my extended family. Little Eclairs to share the love. First of all, you must make your cooked choux paste dough. If your batter looks strange and you think you may have ruined it, keep going. It looks strange and ruined when it is perfect. In fact, I had a friend who made three batchs of choux paste, threw them all in the trash (ruined, she was sure) and had to serve frozen cream puffs at a baby shower. With the addition of eggs, the cooked pastry will have a shiny gleen, and begin to look more like a normal soft dough.
After the pastries bake, slice them, fill them, glaze them, eat them. Smile. Repeat.
You can find the complete recipe at the beautiful blog, A Consuming Passion. My only modification was the size and shape of the pastry.

Coming Tomorrow:

20 minute North African Chicken with Couscous and Minted Feta Sauce

Baby Greens with Cranberries, Sunflower Seeds and Blue Cheese with a Sweet Red Wine Dressing

Scroll down for any posts you might have missed this weekend, like a Pennywise tip/tribute to my popcorn lovin' pop, and some blog awards. My, we're getting to have lots and lots of readers. Keep coming. Bring friends. Wear sunscreen.

I hope everyone had a terrific and tasty Father's Day. I gifted the Quiet Man a red wheelbarrow, and of course that made me think of the William Carlos William poem, "So much depends upon a red wheel barrow..." I know how you feel, red wheelbarrow. So much depends on the person who makes food around the house, too.

So, here's a copy-cat quickie for you on a busy Monday. Paradise Bakeries are springing up around the country, offering yummy but pricey fare such as sandwiches, freshly baked bread, cookies, and salads. From the menu, this delicious baby green salad with cranberries, sunflower seeds and blue cheese caught my eye. I paid my fistful of greens, tried it, loved it, came home and copied it. It's relatively inexpensive to make at home and possibly even more delicious. You could serve it as a side salad for four, but frankly, you might happily eat the whole bowl yourself. Next time I will.

Baby Greens with Cranberries, Sunflower Seeds, and Blue Cheese
with a Sweet Red Wine Dressing

Estimated Cost: $5.50

Notes: I paid much more for just one serving at the bakery. This would make a lovely lunch with some warm, crusty bread. Add some grilled steak slices, and it's dinner.

1 (6 ounce) bag baby mixed greens

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

2 ounces (1/2 cup) crumbled blue cheese

For the Dressing:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Layer greens, cranberries, seeds and blue cheese in a medium bowl. In a small bowl whisk together vinegar, sugar, and mustard. Slowly add oil and mayonnaise, whisking until smooth. Add salt and pepper. Taste dressing with a leaf of lettuce and adjust sugar and vinegar to your liking. Pour over salad and toss to coat.

Coming Tomorrow:

Tuesdays with Dorie

Chocolate Glazed Peppermint Cream Puffs

Food and Furthermore VI

Forgive the unusual layout today-I can't seem to make my pictures stay in the right places....
This weekend marks the beginning of our super colossal Family Reunion. My parents, the progenitors of our tremendously huge group, live right across the street from me. They've got a leviathan house with a resort quality backyard, and I've got a medium-ish house (with an un resort-ish dead grass backyard), and there are some lovely vacation condos up the road. That's how we're squeezing in 10 of my siblings and spouses, 40 plus nieces and nephew(lost count long ago), and about 20 more Great nieces and nephews (Is that what they are called? The children of my sibling's children???? Anyone?) I have no claim to superior math skills, but there are about 80 of us here. Of course, we've picked up some friends and inlaws along the way that we claim as blood family, too.

We will sleep too little, eat too much, and talk through it all.

We've got daily theme parties planned, but so far we've only made it through the Surf Party/Birthday Party.

Check out the cupcakes my sister made. I piped the candy surfboards from vanilla candy melts, available at most craft stores. Many more parties to come for next week....

Furthermore.....I'm passing on the "E for Excellent" blog award to 10 of my favorite reads. You know I really love them because it's 4:30 AM and I'm willing to go through the tedious linking process. Go forth and read!

Food Blogs

1.Culinary Adventures of a New Bride

2. Honeyed Hashette

3. Anne Strawberry

4. Randomosity and the Girl

5. Ezra Pound Cake

Furthermore Blogs

6. LeeLou Headers (my blog designer)

7. Ice Cream Diary

8. Relishing Motherhood

9. The Meanest Mom

10. One More Moore

Coming Tomorrow: A Paradise Bakery Knock-Off
Baby Greens with Cranberry, Blue Cheese, and Sunflower Seeds
with Creamy Red Wine Dressing