Easy Naan and Jerusalem Artichoke Hummus

Greetings and Salutations! What a wild year March has been! I took a break from the normal days of hand washing and staring out the window at squirrels to celebrate my birthday.

35, when did THAT happen!?

MMMMM my traditional Angel Food Cake! This year I had blueberry sauce drizzled over the top.

As we are deep into shelter in place, curfews, and general lockdown status, I was afraid my birthday would be a bust. My fantastic parents who live within an hours drive of me offered to have me spend the night and celebrate as a family. I went from my house to their house and we stayed put. We played Rummikub, cooked, investigated a woodpecker nest in the yard, and simply enjoyed spending time together. As simple as it was, it was incredibly special. I am blessed to have the family I do.

So! Now, another year wiser I am continuing my kitchen adventures. My mom gets a misfits market produce box regularly and this time she got the MADNESS box. That's 22 lbs of fresh fruits and veg y'all. She split it with me and so I have ingredients I've never even looked at twice. (I was NOT sad she offered to share her bounty with me! Thanks, Mom!)

First test? Jerusalem Artichokes. I had no idea what they were or how they tasted. I had heard of them along my kitchen adventures, but that was the extent of it. Fun fact- Jerusalem Artichokes and Sunchokes are one in the same! Whatever you call them, they are yummy.

Jerusalem Artichoke AKA Sunchokes are a root vegetable

After I did some research, I found they are a quite versatile little root vegetable. I decided to make a hummus with them. After roasting, the skins peel off very easily and they smell just like artichokes. Word to the wise- they do cause some, uh, flatulence, so maybe don't serve this at a fancy pants dinner... But the flavor is well worth it! The longer it sits, the more artichoke flavor comes out.

Mmmmm creamy, artichoke-y, lemony hummus

After I made the hummus I realized I need a vehicle to eat said hummus. I found a super easy recipe for yeast free Naan and made some alterations to fit my needs. I will never buy store bought Naan ever again! This is so easy and the flavor is so much better!

Warm, soft Naan!

I hope you are all staying healthy! Go have your own kitchen adventure. Its a perfect time to experiment.

Cheers!

Jerusalem Artichoke Hummus

3-4 medium Jerusalem Artichokes
1 (15oz) can of garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 TBS parsley
salt, pepper, paprika, and lemon pepper to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Wash artichokes well. Wrap in a parchment paper pouch, and place in a baking dish, seam sides down. (you can use foil for this if you choose) Roast in the oven for 45 minutes until very soft. Let cool.

Once the artichokes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins.

Place the flesh in a blender with all remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. You may need to add some water if too thick. Add 1-2 TBS at a time, pulse the mix to slowly incorporate.

Serve with fresh naan or pita chips.



Easy Naan Bread

Makes 6 small flat breads


1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/2 scant teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon milk
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup plain sour cream


Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium large bowl.

In a microwave safe container, melt butter. Add milk and return to microwave. Heat until warmed through, do not allow to boil or get overly hot.

Add sour cream and stir into warm milk until smooth.

Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in sour cream mixture. Stir gently until the ingredients come together.

Using your hands, knead the dough in the bowl to form a soft ball. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. You may need to add flour as you go. Dough will be soft! DON'T OVER WORK!

Let the dough rest for ½ hour on a lightly-floured surface and put the empty bowl upside-down on top of it. The longer the dough rests, the softer it gets and the easier it will roll out.

Split dough into 6 equal parts, shape each into a ball and roll out.

Rotate the dough-disk while rolling, and flip it over occasionally. Sprinkle with flour every now and then, so it will not stick to your rolling pin or surface. You want your disks to be about 1/8 inch thick.

Preheat skillet or griddle to medium high heat. Do not add any oil or fats.

Gently transfer your naan to the cook top you are using. Cook until bubbles have formed on top and the bottom side gets lightly nicely browned. Then flip, and cook until done, about 1 minute.

When each nann bread is cooked, rest it between two clean kitchen towels or in a lefse cozy, keeping them warm while baking the rest. As you add each completed naan, flip and rotate the resting breads to allow steam to keep working its way through the breads. This keeps the breads nice and soft!

Once cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature.

She blinded me with Science (cake)

Welcome to another edition of Staying Sane by Cooking during a pandemic!

I decided to honor my roots by cooking a tried and true recipe called Depression Cake or as Mom and I call it- SCIENCE CAKE!!!!

Before I get into that, let me give you a brief insight into my life.

I am a science nerd. I love to find out how things work, why, what makes them tick?

These 3 shows right here were my jam! They appealed to my inquisitive nature and helped to develop a healthy hunger for learning.

My Grandpa Spranger always encouraged us to explore our world. He would often smuggle gifts into the trunk of the car when we were leaving for home after a visit. Sometimes he was caught and the "gift" was returned promptly. Other times he got away with it- a chemistry set, dissection kit, and a portable pond were just a few of the truly memorable ones. The fun part was we lived 6 hours away, you couldn't exactly just walk it back over. :)

I loved to scoop up tadpole eggs in the pond by our house and watch them grow, then we'd release the them once they got big enough to not be eaten by fishies.

Even in middle school, I fully enjoyed dissecting owl pellets and identifying what they had for supper. (Easiest A of my life!) Later, when my lab partner fainted over African Frog dissection, I gladly did the entire project. The smell of formaldehyde isn't for everyone...

Anyway, you get the picture, me and science are besties!

Food is no different. I like to know why and how things work the way they do. I came across this cake that has no eggs, no butter, and gets mixed in the pan it bakes in.

Ok, I don't see how this works... then I get to the leavening agent: baking soda and.....VINEGAR. What?! Oh, I'm in now. I've made the volcano that erupts with this combination. I gotta see how this works!

This cake is delicious as soon as it cools, but I found the crumb was better on day 2. It seemed to hold better as it sat. I did read that you can omit the cocoa powder and make a white cake, and now I wonder if I could replace the cocoa with jam and make a peanut butter and jelly cake!

I was pleasantly surprised at how beautifully this cake rose, and DIDN'T explode in my oven. You can't taste the vinegar, which was an admitted concern of mine. Just creamy, chocolate goodness. 

Here's to some tasty science and an inexpensive treat!

Science Cake! 
Aka Depression Cake
Makes an 8x8 pan

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

Sift flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cocoa together into an 8x8 inch ungreased cake pan. Make three depressions. Pour oil into one well, vinegar into second, and vanilla into third well. Pour water over all, and stir well with fork

Bake at 350 degrees F  for 35 to 40 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean.Once cooled, frost with your favorite frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting (It's one of my favs with chocolate cake!)

Makes enough for an 8x8 cake including the sides

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups powder sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1-2 TBS almond milk or milk

Using a mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter. 

Slowly add the powdered sugar. It will be thick!

Once the butters and sugar are well mixed, add vanilla, salt, and 1 TBS milk and mix with the mixer until light and fluffy. If needed, add another TBS of milk to get the desired consistency.  

Wontons 3 ways!!!

Hello from Covid19 Quarantine! What a wild time we are living in. Large cities in complete lock down. Entire countries under house arrest. We are living a historic moment.

How are you dealing with things? I have all my supplies to shelter in place as I am high risk. I have a face mask should I need to go to get an Rx or some fresh fruit. My shop opening is delayed for the safety of myself, my employees, and my customers. I'm keeping in touch with family and friends via social media. And yes, I'm making and taking PHONE CALLS! What?! As much of an introvert as I am, I require a certain amount of human interaction. Facetime is a blessing. 

Super sexy look right here! Bahahah

Another way I'm dealing with things is sitting outside and soaking up sun while listening to the radio. I have been running in my neighborhood, but as the heat kicks up, I do more indoor workouts. I washed my car the other day and it was so nice to be able to be out under a blue sky removing layers of pollen from my vehicle. 

Of course, I've been cooking. I am a planner. I shop once a month for groceries so I have over 30 meal plans ready to roll for supper. I also plan for leftovers for lunch or another day.

I had chosen to make pot stickers this month and so I needed another 1-2 ways to use what was left in the wonton skins pack. Waste not, want not! So, I decided on crab rangoon and crispy strips for egg drop soup. Not a single wrap was wasted. As a result of planning, that 1 pack of wonton skins provided the foundation for 6 meals. Not too shabby if I do say so myself. 

Cat assistant not required,  but it does make it an exciting time in the kitchen

I hope you are all staying healthy and happy. Sending you love and good eats. 

Pot Stickers with Tangy Ginger Dipping Sauce

Makes 24 potstickers

1 cup cabbage (I used coleslaw mix with carrots in it)

1 cup fresh chopped spinach

1/4 cup green onion or sweet yellow onion

1 TBS soy sauce

1/2 tsp fresh, peeled ginger, grated 

1/2 tsp sesame oil

dash of pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 lb ground pork or turkey

1/4 lb peeled and devained shrimp, chopped

24 wonton wraps

1 TBS oil

2 cups chicken broth

Combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl. 

Working with 1 wrapper at a time (Cover the remaining wrappers with a damp towel to prevent drying) spoon about 1 heaping tsp of filling into the center of each wrap. Moisten the edges with water. Fold in half and pinch the edges together to seal. Form 3-4 pleats along the seal. Place dumpling, seam side up on a platter. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers to make 24 pot stickers. 

By the time I got to number 6 I got it under control lol

** You can use round gyoza skins to make this easier, but I only have the square available. I gently fold the corners in to make a half moon purse. 

If you want, you may freeze half this batch. Place uncooked dumplings on a pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze until hard and store in a plastic bag until ready to use. 

Ready to be frozen for later use

Heat 1 1/2 tsp of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. 

Place 12 dumplings in the pan, seam side up. DO NOT CROWD the pan. Cook 30 seconds until brown. Add 1 cup of broth to the pan, cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook about 1 minute until liquid evaporates. Remove pot stickers from the pan. Cover and keep warm. 

Repeat process with remaining dumplings. Serve with tangy ginger dipping sauce. 

Tangy Ginger Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup tomato

1/3 cup chopped green onion or yellow sweet onion

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 1/2 TSB sugar

1 tsp chopped, peeled ginger

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno, seeded

Tangy goodness

Throw it all in a blender and whirl until all ingredients are well chopped and mixed. Pour into a jar or small container with a lid. Allow to sit 10 minutes. Shake well and serve with dumplings or crab rangoon.

** You may choose to peel your tomato, I didn't. I like all those vitamins!

Baked Crab Rangoon

Makes 18 

5 oz crab meat (I used a can, drained very well)

4.5 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp

1 green onion or 1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

18 wonton wraps

Mix first 5 ingredients together in a small bowl. For deeper flavor, let sit for 30 minutes, covered. 

Working with 1 wrap at a time, place 1 heaping tsp of filling into the center of the wonton. Wet edges.Bring up the edges toward the center to make a small purse. Pinch to seal. 

Ignore my tortilla triangles, I was making chips at the same time :)

Lay the purses on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray with olive oil. (I have a handy little spray bottle, but you can brush on if you don't have a spritz bottle) gently salt with coarse salt if desired. 

Bake at 425 for 12-14 minutes until golden.  Let cool a few minutes as the filling will be hot. 

Bonus- if you want to make chips like I did, just cut up a corn tortilla or two and spray with oil and salt. They bake up the same time and temp as the rangoons. 

Easy Baked Wonton Strips

This one is super easy! 

Wonton skins

olive oil

salt

Stack several wonton skins and slice in half so you have two stacks of rectangles. 

Thinly slice into strips. Toss with a tsp of olive oil.

Lay strips onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Salt with coarse salt. 

Bake at 425 for 7-10 minutes until golden and crispy. 

Serve with your favorite soup (like egg drop soup!) or enjoy as a crunchy snack. 

Store any leftovers in an airtight container. 

Blueberry-Pecan Scones

As my mom says- the baking muse is alive and well in my kitchen these days.

Yesterday I baked Reese's Chocolate Cookies with Peanut-butter chips. I will post that recipe at another time. I had done a little searching and found that Reese's has changed the recipe quantities a few times and people are all up in arms about it... So be on the lookout for what I made (hint, I just followed the recipe on the package! lol)

Today, I continued on the Cooking Light Project. Yes, you know. That project I started like 10 years ago... The recent recipes I've shared come from The Best of Cooking Light Everyday Favorites. I really enjoy a project like this for a few reasons: I get to try new foods that I would normally avoid; I get to explore new techniques in the kitchen; it's one of those projects that you can pick up at anytime and it will always be fun!

I have NEVER made a scone before. I have eaten my share, I mean it's a sweet bread. Yea. I'm all in.

These were so simple to make. They came together quickly and baked up beautifully. I used frozen blueberries that my parents picked this past berry season and GA pecans. The flavor is light and tender. For a heavier bread, it's surprisingly delicate.

I loved the fact that I had everything in my kitchen for this recipe. No special trips to the store. No random spices or equipment needed. I can tell you, these are delish right out of the oven, but they are outstanding when you let them cool completely! Yum!

Why are you still reading? Go make some scones and have a cuppa. You can thank me later. :)

Blueberry Pecan Scones
Makes 10 

1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk, you can use regular 2% cows milk)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBS chilled butter, diced small
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup finely chopped, toasted pecans

1 large egg white, beaten
2 TBS sugar (You can use colored sanding sugar for a fun pop of color)

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine milk, sugar, lemon, vanilla, and egg. Whisk well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and butter. Using your preferred method, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. I personally do this while a pastry blender, others use two knives, and of course you can always just use your hands. (I have had many  children help cut butter in because they love to smoosh the butter and flour together)

Fold the berries and pecans into the flour mix. Once well coated, add milk mixture. Stir until the entire dough just comes together. It will be sticky.

Turn out onto a floured surface. Pat dough into an 8 inch circle. Cut dough into 10 wedges.

Transfer wedges to a cookie sheet lined with parchment.

Brush egg white over dough wedges. Sprinkle 2 TBS sugar over all. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

May be served immediately or at room temperature.

KEYS!!!!

It's time for exciting news!!! Friday, I picked up keys to my next new adventure. After a few years working for Life is Good (Love them! Check them out, for real, love them! www.lifeisgood.com) it is time for a new adventure. I've been sitting on this bit of fun information, waiting to get my keys because it didn't feel real until I had them in hand.

I accepted a super cool job opening and managing a different specialty clothing store called TINA Stephens. We will be opening late this month, so I am busy setting up shop and getting all those little details worked out.  Hooray!!!

That being said, you can't work on an empty belly. I'm trying to get myself in better shape these days. I quit smoking, I go to the gym regularly, and I eat pretty lean, healthy meals. One of my favorite meals is Chicken Lo Mein. I sent it to my friend, Kate who requested the recipe be blogged.

The recipe is inspired by my Cooking Light project. The original recipe called for flank steak, but I had chicken on hand.

Mmmm Asian inspired supper. Delish!

This isn't your grocery store, canned lo mein. This is a party in your mouth! Fresh, filling, and easy.

So, here, just for you KB, is my Chicken Lo Mein.


Chicken Lo Mein
Serves 3

4 oz uncooked linguine
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 TBS olive oil
1/2 TBS minced, peeled, fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped broccoli
3/4 cup sliced onion
8 oz chicken, cut into thin strips or cubes**
1 1/2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS brown sugar
1/2 TBS oyster sauce
1/2 TBS chili paste with garlic (huy-fong chili garlic sauce is my go to brand)
sesame seeds to garnish


Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Combine noodles and sesame oil, toss well to coat. Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic. Saute for 30 seconds. Add broccoli and onion. Saute 3 minutes. Add chicken, saute until done.

Add pasta to skillet. Toss well. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce, and chili paste. Toss well to coat all.

Garnish lightly with sesame seeds. Serve hot.

** Original recipe calls for 8oz flank steak if you prefer to make beef lo mein vs chicken.