A Story That Starts with Chickpeas

A friend of mine recently said, "Chick peas are my thing." (Hi Adam!) I can't argue with this. Hummus and falafel, for example, are two of my favorite things, and I've posted a recipe that puts them in a pan with chicken and harissa. 

I came across this entry's recipe a while ago, made it and it didn't quite work. We have since achieved an oven thermometer, which improves the odds considerably. 

I hadn't made any specific plans to make it again until I made a chicken and white bean dish the other day and accidentally opened a can of chick peas. Read the labels, Kate. Really. So, needing something to do with them, I remembered this. Here's our ingredient list:

• 2 Cups cooked chick peas. If you're using canned, rinse them well.
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons za'atar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

I love za'atar and it's becoming easier to find. If you can't find it locally, there's always Amazon. 

I have some quibbles with the directions. 

• Spread out chick peas on a paper towel. Let dry for one hour. (The first time I made this, an hour did not feel nearly enough. Even though the oven temperature was low, they should have crisped up somewhat. I left them out for a couple episodes of The Fall, maybe a little longer)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Line a heavy rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper and spread chick peas evenly on the pan. Bake in the center of oven for 30 minutes, stirring and turning every 10 minutes (I just shook the pan; I also baked them about 10 minutes longer)
• Place hot chick peas in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, za'atar and salt.

Theoretically, these will keep in an airtight container for a week. I wouldn't know. I ate half of them and saved the other half for Nexx. 

I made another batch, this time with some homemade chili powder. I made it a little too heavy on the chilis (I had de arbol in the house) and even serving it with some cheese and chunked avocado, they were a wee bit too spicy. Tasty, but a little too much burn.

I did have another use for the leftover chili powder, though. Next entry!

Not Quite What I Had In Mind: Chicken UnTikka Masala

It's no secret I love Indian food, whether it's spicy or not. I make an aloo gobi that passed muster with the Indian guys on my team at my former job. I grind my own garam masala when I manage to have most of the spices in the pantry (pantry is a bit of an exaggeration. We have the bottom half of a storage unit from IKEA, but I have a drawer in it with nothing but different kinds of pepper, which I find quite cool).

Anyway, most recipes I've found on Epicurious have been pretty good, and they email me recipes on a regular basis, though I know I never signed up for that.

So I found this recipe in my mailbox and thought I'd give it a try. No chicken tikka masala I've ever had has included peas, but peas do go well in curry, so I figured I'd follow the recipe. I'll critique the "quick" part in a bit.

• 1 (2 1/2") piece ginger, peeled
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 breasts), cut into 1" cubes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
• 2 1/2 teaspoons garam masala, divided
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup plain full-fat or low-fat yogurt (not Greek)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

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A few comments before I get started. This seemed to be pretty heavy on the salt, so I cut that a bit. I'm also of the firm opinion (I can hear Nexx muttering "Do you have any other kind?) that if you're chopping more than two things, you're  no longer making a quick recipe. Quick to me means 30 minutes from having all your ingredients out to having the food plated on the table in front of your guinea pigs, er, loved ones.

I also had a slight problem with the yogurt. We get our groceries delivered if we need a lot at once. It saves on the back muscles. It does come with its risks, and one of those is missing the email when they're out of something. The plain unstrained yogurt I ordered was replaced by vanilla, which was not going to work. So I cut some Greek yogurt with some cream and I know I was missing some of the tanginess that should be there, so that one's on me.

The instructions:

1. Pulse ginger and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add onion and pulse again until finely chopped. (You really don't need a food processor, you can chop just fine by yourself. Also, considering the time it takes to put a food processor together, this also removes from the definition of "quick."
2. Toss chicken with 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and 1 tsp. garam masala in a medium bowl. (too much salt, I cut it to .5 teaspoon)
3. Heat oil over high in a large skillet (at least 12" in diameter). Add chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a clean medium bowl. (this took closer to 12 minutes)
4. Heat same skillet over medium-high and add butter, chopped onion mixture, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. (I did't bother with the salt and black pepper here. There's already black pepper in the garam masala) Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent, about 3 minutes (closer to 5). Add tomato paste, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1 1/2 tsp. garam masala and cook, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 2 minutes (again, closer to five minutes). Return chicken to pan, add peas, and cook, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 1 (3) minute more.
5. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among 4 plates, top with cilantro, and serve with naan.

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It was tasty, but way too heavy on the tomato taste. I felt like Bobby Flay in a Throwdown episode. "Hey Bobby, this is great, but it isn't the challenge food of the week." While we were eating, I started to deconstruct the recipe, starting with eliminating the tomato paste, and Nexx stopped me. He liked it just as it was. 

Success? I guess so. There's two more servings in the freezer that will be very nice on a cold winter's night very soon.

Holiday Booze

So we've been doing an eggnog experiment, to see what booze we like best with eggnog. This post is not about that experiment.

It is instead about a serendipitous finds.

I needed a bottle of champagne. One of the receptionists at my physical therapist's office recommended me Wine Wisdom on 46th Street. They suggested I go home with Henri Goutorbe rosé, and a Balvenie 12yr Doublewood. The rosé is fantastic - dry, without becoming sawdust, with a hint of flowery goodness. That's all I'll say about that too; if you can find it, it is one of the best champagnes I've tasted.

The Balvenie 12yr Doublewood was a great find. It's silky-smooth, and not a hint of smokiness. So if you're looking to drink peat, well, perhaps this one isn't for you, but otherwise it's a great Scotch.

Here's a holiday dessert drink. I know my normal measures are in metric, but when talking about ounces and drinks, American seems to work better for me.

• 1 fl. oz Balvenie 12yr Doublewood
• 2 fl. oz Milk
• 1 Tbsp Grade A Dark Color and Robust Flavor maple syrup
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• Ground nutmeg to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a glass. Stir well. Serve. Repeatedly as desired.