Tomato Chickpea Salad

In the summer there always seems to be an abundance of tomatoes at our house.  We have a small garden with a few kinds, but we also try different varieties from our farmers market.  I love having fresh tomatoes readily on hand to garnish sandwiches and burgers or to simply eat cherry tomatoes as a quick snack.  

Since we have a stock supply of tomatoes, I have a basil plant that I keep on my back porch for easy picking.  Fresh basil has a wonderful flavor and pairs extremely well with tomatoes.  Taking all this into account, you can say I’ve gotten pretty creative with tomato recipes.  My favorite snack or appetizer has to be Tomato, Basil & MozzarellaPoppers.  But this week I discovered a new dish from a recipe I found on Pinterest.  This is a cold, refreshing side dish that you can serve with just about any meal.  And the best part is it’s extremely easy to put together.  

Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas

The key ingredients are grape tomatoes, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and basil.  Keep in mind that you can always cut whole tomatoes into bite size pieces if you don’t have grape tomatoes accessible.  If you’re not familiar with chickpeas, they have a mild nutty flavor and are rich in minerals.  They’re quite popular in vegetarian dishes as they’re an excellent source of protein.  Just one cup of chickpeas contains 29% of your recommended protein intake.  If that doesn’t entice you, just know that this salad is healthy and will leave you feeling invigorated.  Give it a try during these hot summer months.  After all, it’ll only take you 10 minutes to assemble.

Tomato Chickpea Salad
Adapted from Green Lite Bites blog
Serves: 4 to 5 people
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time:  10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 (15.5 oz.) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 1 pint grape tomatoes
• 25 large basil leaves
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Drain chickpeas and rinse in a strainer to remove the starch.  Place in a large bowl.
2. Chop the basil and cut the tomatoes in half.  Add to the bowl and combine with the chickpeas.
3. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl.  Stir to combine well.
4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.  Serve cold.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

You may be wondering why you haven’t seen any new posts on Red Lab 27.  With the summer being so busy, I decided to take it off and truly enjoy it.   After today, however, I plan to post more frequently, so please continue to visit and check for new recipes! 

To start back up, I thought I’d share an easy recipe with you.  Baked sweet potato chips.  I LOVE chips.  They’re crunchy, salty, and addictive.  Sure they’re not healthy, especially if you eat more than the recommended serving (and I almost always do).  With that said, I typically buy Baked Lay’s potato chips to stock our kitchen cabinet.  At least they’re somewhat healthier.  Baked Lay’s are good, but have you ever tried homemade potato chips?   If you haven’t, then you are missing out!

A mandoline will create thin slices that are consistent in size

Homemade chips taste better than any packaged ones you’ll find at the grocery store.  There are so many options for seasonings.  Experiment with different spices, or if you prefer a more traditional taste, stick to using salt.  The best part about these potato chips is that they’re warm when you eat them!  Think of chocolate chip cookies.  Aren’t they a million times better when served fresh out of the oven?  The same is true for chips.  Trust me, you won’t be able to get enough of these chips!

The slices will shrink in size when cooked

These can be made at home by simply using an old fashioned knife to slice all the potatoes.  However, to cut the potatoes very thin and have a consistent thickness (1/8 inch), I would recommend purchasing a mandoline.  A mandoline is a cooking utensil that quickly allows you to slice fruits or vegetables by running them over a sharp blade.   Not only does it slice extremely thin (much better than I could by hand), but it can also julienne.  They even come with a safety guard to protect your fingers.  I have never owned a mandoline until recently, and I must say that it makes cutting that much easier.  If you’re looking for an affordable mandoline, I suggest the Progressive International HGT-11 Folding Mandoline Slicerthat I recently purchased.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Adapted from Simple Comfort Food

Serves: 4 people

Prep Time: 10 mins.

Total Time: 30 mins.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)

Supreme Seasoning (optional):

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or kosher salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. 
2. Wash potatoes and slice to 1/8 inch thick.  The skin can be left on or if preferred, peeled and removed.
3. Place potato slices in a large bowl.  Add olive oil and toss, making sure to evenly coat all slices. 
4. If making the supreme seasoning (optional), combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. 
5. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on metal baking sheets.  Lightly sprinkle one side with sea salt or the supreme seasoning.  Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and turn the slices over to the other side.  Lightly sprinkle with the remaining sea salt or supreme seasoning. 
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the centers are soft (and slightly golden brown) and the edges are crisp.  Transfer to a bowl and serve while warm.

Brussels Sprouts with Carrots & Almonds

Many times I find myself deciding what type of side dish to make with dinner.  With summer quickly approaching, as well as my birthday (the big THREE O), my husband and I have vowed to eat healthier and exercise more.  This helps narrow our selection.  Or maybe ‘narrow’ isn’t the right word.  I’ve found that you can eat a lot of vegetables for not very many calories at all.  I guess you could say this is a learning experience and has opened new doors for me.  There are so many vegetables we’ve never tried.  For instance Brussels sprouts.

I know what you’re thinking….yuck!  Isn’t that the vegetable that everyone despises?  The one that causes kids to turn their noses up in disgust?  Yes, that’s the one I’m talking about.   I thought those same exact things myself.  Actually, I’m not quite sure why I didn’t move onto the next recipe when I stumbled across this one.  Ohhh I remember what caught my attention.  One serving size of this dish is only 84 calories.

I decided to give Brussels sprouts a try.  Okay, I admit I wasn’t brave enough to eat them alone. I enjoy carrots and almonds which is why I thought this recipe would be perfect for easing me into Brussels sprouts.  Plus, as I searched online, I learned that Brussels sprouts offer some great health benefits.  Not only do Brussels sprouts help lower cholesterol, but they also help fight against cancer and even prevent some forms of cancer.  What else?  They are extremely high in Vitamin K (one cup contains 273.5% of the recommended dietary allowance).  They’re also a great source of Vitamin C (one cup contains over 161% of the recommended dietary allowance).  

With all of the above health benefits, how could we go wrong with this dish?  I made it to go along with one of our favorite salmon dinners (Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon) and we were quite surprised.  Never having experienced Brussels sprouts, we felt they tasted very similar to cooked broccoli.  The carrots, almonds, and tad bit of brown sugar really pulled this side dish together by creating an ever so faint sweet taste.  The verdict: give Brussels sprouts a try!

Brussels Sprouts with Carrots & Almonds

Adapted from Brussels Sprouts and Carrots with Almonds,Cooking Light

Servings:  4

Prep Time:  10 mins.

Total Time:  20 mins.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 1/2 cups (2 inch) julienne-cut carrot
• 3 cups Brussels sprouts, quartered
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

 

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots; sauté 4 minutes.
2. Add Brussels sprouts; sauté 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.
3. Add parsley, almonds, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.  Stirring constantly, cook until    the sugar melts (approximately 30 seconds).

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Recently I took a cooking class at the Birmingham Community House which happens to be right across the street from where I work.  How convenient!  I highly recommend checking to see if your city, or a nearby city, has a community center.  They offer all sorts of classes (exercise, cooking, foreign language, dance, etc) at very reasonable prices.  The class I took was called Quick & Easy Weeknight Meals.  The 2 hour class cost $36 and during that time we made 7 different meals and side dishes.  The best part is we were able to sample ALL of them.  YUM!!! 

This is a recipe for one my favorite sides that we tried, Roasted Potatoes.  We paired it with flank steak and these potatoes tasted divine!  This is such a simple recipe too.  The only thing you’ll find hard about assembling this dish is waiting 45 minutes while the potatoes cook in the oven.  They taste so wonderful when they come out of the oven and I am in complete agreement with our teacher who said “Why would you make French fries (implying the frozen kind) when you could make these instead? “

You can make roasted potatoes using traditional Yukon Gold, Idaho, or redskin potatoes but this recipe, including the cooking time, is specifically for Fingerling potatoes.  Until this class I had never heard of fingerling potatoes.  Fingerlings are different varieties of potatoes (French, Russian Banana, and Purple Peruvian) that grow small and narrow.  Because of their shape and size, they are perfect for roasting.  These potatoes aren’t easy to find in grocery stores though.  Our teacher told us Costco sells them, however I thought I might save myself a trip and check my normal grocery store (Meijer).  Unfortunately they didn’t carry them.  I think higher end grocery stores may carry these, but if you don’t feel like searching, Costco sells a 5 lb. bag for $6.99.  

Five pound bag of Fingerlings from Costco

The various shapes, sizes, and colors of Fingerlings

One of the most important things you’ll need to remember when making this side dish is to cut the potatoes into similar bite size pieces.  This will ensure all the potatoes cook evenly.  Otherwise you’ll have some potatoes that are mushy (over done) while others are cooked just right.  For the most part all you’ll need to do is cut the fingerlings in half.  However you’ll find that some are long and narrow while others are short and fat.  Because of this, you may need to cut a short and fat potato into quarters, while the long and skinny potatoes are halved.  This will help keep the thickness of the potatoes consistent.

When all the potatoes are sliced, you’ll need to cover them with oil and herbs.  I find that 1 tablespoon of olive oil is perfect for around 2 lbs.  You’ll want to make sure that the potatoes are evenly coated with olive oil but not swimming in it.  You may need to buy some Mrs. Dash seasoning if you don’t have any at home, but this can be found at any grocery store.  Also, you can use regular salt for these, however I find that using freshly ground sea salt really takes these up a notch.  The stores even sell sea salt  that is already packaged in a grinder.  These range from $2-4 and are sold right in the baking aisle next to all the other herbs and spices.  Below is a picture of the one I purchased at Meijer.  Once the cap is removed, the grinder works by simply twisting the top.

When the potatoes are ready to bake, use parchment paper to line a sheet pan.  Parchment paper is different from wax paper.  I previously thought they could be interchanged.  Not so much.  If you don’t have parchment paper in your house, buy a roll.  It’s super handy.  It will save your prized possessions from sticking to the pan and save YOU some scrubbing work afterwards.  When the potatoes are placed on the pan, the skin side should face down on the parchment paper while the inside of the potato faces upwards.  This will ensure the potatoes cook evenly. 

Ready to put in the oven

Enjoy!  I know you’ll love these just as much as we do.  The best part about serving these potatoes as a side is that you can pair them with a fancy dish such as steak or with something as simple as a turkey sandwich, like we did today!

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Adapted from Roasted Potatoes recipe by Chef Pam Gustairs (Birmingham Community Center)

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 10 mins.

Total Time:  60-65 mins.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pounds Fingerling potatoes
• 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
• 1/2  teaspoon Mrs. Dash Original Blend (salt -free) seasoning
• 1 -2 pinches regular salt OR 1-2 cracks of freshly ground sea salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350˚F.
2. Wash potatoes (peel if desired) and cut into similar bite size pieces.
3. Place potatoes in a medium bowl and add minced garlic.  Toss.
4. Add olive oil and toss potatoes to coat evenly. 
5. Add Mrs. Dash seasoning and salt.  Toss to coat all potatoes.  Tip:  Sprinkle the seasoning and salt high above the bowl instead of directly on top of the potatoes.  This ensures the seasoning will ‘sprinkle’ and not ‘clump’.
6. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Dump potatoes onto the pan and arrange so that all potato skins are facing down on the parchment paper. 
7. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and tender.

 

Wicked Broccoli Salad

A few weeks ago I went to a wedding shower and had the most amazing broccoli salad.  No, not a salad with lettuce and broccoli, but more of a pasta salad that you’d find at Whole Foods, except without the pasta (if that makes any sense!).  This salad has a slight creaminess similar to traditional pasta salads, but it contains ingredients such as bacon, golden raisins and sunflower seeds that make it a really unique and fun dish to serve at a barbecue or small gathering.

Plumping the raisins

This dish is very easy to assemble.  Because it’s easy to assemble, DO NOT take shortcuts.   The salad includes chopped bacon and even though it would be easy and quick to buy Bacon Bits, don’t do it!  The flavor is just not the same as making your own.  It’s only a few extra minutes to cook the bacon and chop it up.  I also found that when you buy bacon from the store it’s sold by the pound.  We never cook bacon at home so I decided to freeze the remaining half pound of uncooked bacon.  Next time I make this dish, however, I plan to prepare the full pound of bacon and save the remaining amount to use throughout the week on BLT sandwiches or add the chopped bits to our salads.

Chopped into small pieces for the salad

This was one of the side dishes I served at our barbecue with my parents over the holiday weekend.  It tasted very similar to the salad I was trying to re-create and overall everyone enjoyed it.  The dressing is just the right consistency and the perfect amount as it doesn’t smother the broccoli.  The raisins, sunflower seeds, and bacon intensify the salad by adding a nice texture.  The dressing has a sweet flavor which my husband thought was a little too sweet for his liking, but my parents and I really enjoyed the flavor.  I have to say this salad was a major win as my dad does not eat any vegetables that are dark green in color, however he decided to try my salad after hearing my mom explain how good it was.  Not only did he like it, but he finished his serving. 

Wicked Broccoli Salad

Adapted from Fresh Broccoli Salad by Nora, allrecipes.com

Servings: 9-10

Prep Time: 15 mins.

Total Time: 25-30 mins.

Ingredients:

• 2 heads fresh broccoli
• 1/2 cup red onion
• 1/2 pound bacon
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds (shells removed)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Add raisins to a small bowl and cover with warm water.  Let stand 5 minutes before draining (this helps plump the raisins).
2. Place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Lay on paper towel to absorb grease while using another paper towel to blot the grease on top.  Cool and chop into small pieces.
3. Chop the onion and cut broccoli into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl and combine with bacon, raisins, and sunflower seeds.  Mix well.
4. In a small bowl prepare the dressing by combining the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar.  Whisk together until smooth. Pour on top of the salad and stir until well combined.
5. Chill in the refrigerator and serve.  For best flavor allow to chill in the fridge a few hours before serving.