Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

So I just got back from Beantown, aka Boston. Now, normally I really don’t like Boston for some reason, but going to a Celtics game, seeing the State House, and having delicious diner food can alter your perspective. Also, something about attractive men on the T after the game late at night might have a little something to do with it.

Last post I made mention of two things that are simple, fresh, and tasty, though very far apart on the food spectrum. First were those thin delicious Swedish pancakes…yum! And second was the spicy chickpea sauce that I mentioned I used as a salsa substitute with my quesadillas. Let’s start with the second recipe…

Spicy Chickpea-Tomato Sauce

This is a great recipe that yields a lot of sauce – and it’s great because it is a thick, creamy, protein-packed sauce that can be used in a lot of ways: a dip for pita, on pasta or rice, over steamed veggies. It’s a wonderful way to get cheap protein – a 16 ounce can of chickpeas is faster and much less expensive than meat. I love cooking with chickpeas in place of meat sometimes. The American diet could do with a legume-boost. I use canned beans and tomatoes because they are reduced the amount of time and prep involved; also, tomatoes are expensive in winter!

You’ll need:

• A small sauce pan and some oil for sautéing
• 1 small onion – chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic – chopped
• 14 ounce can of diced or chopped tomatoes
• Herbs of your choice (Fresh or dried - use what you have on hand!)
• 1-4 tbsp of red pepper flakes*
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 16 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of water.

*DO NOT under-estimate the heat that red pepper flakes can pack. I think I used 2 to 2.5 tbsp and the sauce was plenty spicy. In fact, I would recommend using the minimum amount unless you like the heat.

To create the sauce:

1. Over medium-high heat, sauté the chopped onion and garlic until the onions are translucent and the garlic cooked through, but not burnt.
2. Add whatever herbs – fresh or dried – to the sauce pan. Cook for 2-4 minutes more.
3. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to the mixture, until the tomatoes are warmed and softened.
4. Add about 2/3 of the can of chickpeas to the mixture, along with the 1 cup of water; heat through.
5. Turn off the stove top and remove the tomato-chickpea mixture.
6. Blend the mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth, like a puree. Add the remaining chickpeas to this sauce, and serve over pasta or rice.

Thin Swedish Pancakes

Now that you’ve gotten your protein and a little bit of spice at dinner, you’ll want something sweet to wake you up. Just recently I have fallen in love with breakfast, and this is a sugary but beloved way to do it.

Sweet way to start the day

You’ll Need:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk

Such simple ingredients! These are staples of any kitchen.

1. Blend the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt)
2. Add the milk and egg
3. Mix until the batter is smooth

Batter is done!

1. Heat a griddle or iron frying (I buttered mine because I do not have non-stick pans, and the butter made it easy to flip the pancake)
2. Pour a small amount of the batter onto the center of the griddle (5-6 inches in diameter)
3. Cook on one side; flip and cook on the other.

So, that’s all there is to it. These pancakes don’t have baking powder or baking soda, so they don’t rise or get fluffy. This was my first time making these family-loved pancakes, and I found them hard to flip. Because they are small and thin (only 5 inches in diameter or so), a fork worked great to flip. Chances are you will burn the first couple and you may need to play around with how you flip them or keep them from sticking. Also, turn on your fan and open your windows…you wouldn’t want to set off the fire alarm and wake up your roommates like I did. 

Recommendation: Syrup is good but it isn’t the healthiest thing in the world…it’s really just sugar being poured atop a flat sugary cake. So, a healthful substitute is frozen fruit! I took half a cup of frozen fruit and heated it in the microwave. Because the ice on the fruit melts, you end up with a fruity syrup with chunks of the fruit itself…a GREAT topping for pancakes 

Eat well!

<3 katie kate