Ginger Veggie Stir Fry

So, as I stated 2 posts ago, I was making the Ginger Veggie Stir Fry that came in the last packet from Linda.  You can find the recipe on this post.

For the record (and because you'll see by the pictures), I don't really measure my vegetables.  So when the recipe calls for a cup of this and a cup of that, I just chop whatever amount looks good to me.  With this in mind, I did bump up the amounts used in the sauce as well.  And I ended up having to cook the veggies in two different pans.  One non stick skillet and one wok.

Before I started chopping veggies, I mixed up what was going to be the sauce and set it aside.  I made sure that I mixed all the cornstarch in so that it wouldn't be lumpy.  I also added the spices into this mix so that they had time to infuse their flavors into the sauce mix as well.  I don't know how much more flavor it added if any, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I also decided to add meat to this dist (because my husband likes meat in the meal, though he also asked if I was going to make rice with this and I told him I wasn't because it had sweet potatoes in it).  I cooked up some kielbasa while I chopped up the first round of veggies and used the fat/oil that resulted to stir fry the veggies.  After the sausage was browned, I pulled it out and set it aside to add back in at the end.

Because of the amount of veggies I was using, and because I only have one larger cutting board for this purpose, I had to cut the veggies in two patches.  I cut the broccoli, carrots and trimmed the snap peas first.

Once the first round was cooking up in the wok (as per the directions), I chopped the onion and the sweet potatoes.  I purchased the non-orange sweet potatoes.  I've read conflicting things about what the difference was between sweet potatoes and yams.  I've always thought of the orange variety as yams and the white-ish as sweet potatoes.

By the time I was done peeling and chopping the sweet potatoes, he green veggies were looking pretty good.

I added the onions and sweet potatoes and realized that my wok was too full to really stir the veggies, so I split the mixture into another skillet.  Once the sweet potatoes were tender, I tossed everything back into the same pan, added the sausage and the sauce mixture and let that cook until it thickened up and coated everything.

The sauce helped pack the veggies down a little bit too.  My husband wasn't too sure about the choice of kielbasa in this, but I wanted something with it's own distinct flavor, and chicken just wasn't going to cut it for me.  I kind of liked the combination and after dinner, my husband admitted that it was pretty good too.

Since then, I have made one other stir fry, but that one I did with a bunch of veggies I had to use up (I had some older carrots, some broccoli stems and some celery), stir fried some chicken and made up some rice to go with it.  I needed leftover rice for a dish later on in the week.

I should be getting on here more often to post.  Lately my work schedule has been weird and my days off have been split up which makes it hard to have a day to just do things that I want to do because I'm always taking care of little things around the house or running errands.  However, I have finally been offered a full time position and that comes with a set rotation, where my days off are together for 3 of the 4 weeks in the month.  As of right now, I have a list of 17 more things to share in the blog and that's not counting all the new things that I'm trying to do as well.  So I'll have plenty to share.

Thanks and happy eating!

Linda's Herb and Spice World Tour Part 3: Ginger

I really do love this project that Linda and Lilly are doing.  I enjoy getting the spices and herbs and the new recipes that come with them.  I have already made one recipe that came in this month's packet twice and will be making the second recipe tomorrow.

Ginger

Zingiber officinale
syn: Amomum zingiber
Fam: Zingiberaceae

Ginger is native to India and China. It takes its name from the Sanskrit word stringa-vera, which means “with a body like a horn”, as in antlers. Ginger has been important in Chinese medicine for many centuries, and is mentioned in the writings of Confucius. It is also named in the Koran, the sacred book of the Moslems, indicating it was known in Arab countries as far back as 650 A.D. It was one of the earliest spice known in Western Europe, used since the ninth century. It became so popular in Europe that it was included in every table setting, like salt and pepper. A common article of medieval and Renaissance trade, it was one of the spices used against the plague. In English pubs and taverns in the nineteenth century, barkeepers put out small containers of ground ginger, for people to sprinkle into their beer — the origin of ginger ale. In order to ’gee up’ a lazy horse, it is the time honoured practice of Sussex farmers to apply a pinch of ginger to the animal’s backside..

Spice Description

Although often called “ginger root” it is actually a rhizome. It is available in various forms, the most common of which are as follows:

Whole raw roots are generally referred to as fresh ginger. A piece of the rhizome, called a ‘hand’. It has a pale yellow interior and a skin varying in colour from brown to off-white. Jamaican ginger, which is pale buff, is regarded as the best variety. African and Indian ginger is darker skinned and generally inferior, with the exception of Kenya ginger.

Whole fresh roots provide the freshest taste. The roots are collected and shipped when they are still immature, the outer skin is a light green colour. These can sometimes be found in Oriental markets.

Dried roots are sold either ‘black’ with the root skin left on, or ‘white’ with the skin peeled off. The dried root is available whole or sliced.

Powdered ginger is the buff-coloured ground spice made from dried root.

Preserved or ‘stem’ ginger is made from fresh young roots, peeled and sliced, then cooked in a heavy sugar syrup. The ginger pieces and syrup are canned together. They are soft and pulpy, but extremely hot and spicy.

Crystallized ginger is also cooked in sugar syrup, then air dried and rolled in sugar.

Pickled ginger has the root sliced paper-thin and pickled in a vinegar solution. This pickle is known in Japan as gari , which often accompanies sushi, and is served to refresh the palate between courses.

Bouquet: warm, sweet and pungent.
Flavour: Fiery and pungent
Heat Scale: 7

Preparation and Storage

In Asian cooking ginger is almost always used fresh, either minced, crushed or sliced. Fresh ginger can be kept for several weeks in the salad drawer of the refrigerator. Dried ginger should be ‘bruised’ by beating it to open the fibers, then infused in the cooking or making ginger beer and removed when the flavour is sufficient. Store dried and powdered ginger in airtight containers.

Culinary Uses

Fresh ginger is essential to Asian and oriental cookery. It is used in pickles, chutneys and curry pastes and the ground dried root is a constituent of many curry powders. Tender young ginger can be sliced and eaten as a salad. Sometimes the roots will produce green sprouts which can be finely chopped and added to a green salad. In the West, dried ginger is mainly used in cakes and biscuits, especially ginger snaps and gingerbread. Ginger is also used in puddings, jams, preserves and in some drinks like ginger beer, ginger wine and tea. Pickled ginger is a delicious accompaniment to satays and a colourful garnish to many Chinese dishes. Preserved ginger is eaten as a confection, chopped up for cakes and puddings, and is sometimes used as an ice cream ingredient.

Attributed Medicinal Properties

Ginger has long been ascribed aphrodisiac powers, taken either internally or externally. It is mentioned in the Karma Sutra, and in the Melanesian Islands of the South Pacific it is employed ‘to gain the affection of a woman’. Conversely, in the Philippines it is chewed to expel evil spirits. Ginger is a known diaphoretic, meaning it causes one to sweat. It was recorded that Henry VIII instructed the mayor of London to use ginger’s diaphoretic qualities as a plague medicine.

Ginger is most commonly known for its effectiveness as a digestive aid. By increasing the production of digestive fluids and saliva, Ginger helps relieve indigestion, gas pains, diarrhea and stomach cramping. The primary known constituents of Ginger Root include gingerols, zingibain, bisabolenel, oleoresins, starch, essential oil (zingiberene, zingiberole, camphene, cineol, borneol), mucilage, and protein. Ginger root is also used to treat nausea related to both motion sickness and morning sickness. Ginger has been found to be even more effective than Dramamine® in curbing motion sickness, without causing drowsiness. Ginger's anti-inflammatory properties help relieve pain and reduce inflammation associated with arthritis, rheumatism and muscle spasms. Ginger's therapeutic properties effectively stimulate circulation of the blood, removing toxins from the body, cleansing the bowels and kidneys, and nourishing the skin. Other uses for Ginger Root include the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems by loosening and expelling phlegm from the lungs. Ginger Root may also be used to help break fevers by warming the body and increasing perspiration.

Ginger Nutella Brownies

(I have made these twice... and probably would have been a third time, but I'm out of cinnamon)

1 cup tub margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tbls non fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup Nutella

Combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and both cocoa powders.  Beat in the eggs.  Add in flour, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Fold in the Nutella and yogurt.

Pour into greased 9x9 pan and bake at 350 for about 35-40 minutes, or until done.

Ginger Veggie Stir-Fry

(Making this tomorrow)

1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 medium carrot, julienned
1 cup fresh broccoli florets
1 cup fresh green beans (2-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 cup sweet potato, julienned
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, orange juice and soy sauce until smooth; set aside. 
In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry carrot, broccoli and beans in oil for 8 minutes. Add sweet potato and onion; stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Stir the soy sauce mixture; add to the skillet with garlic, rosemary, ginger, and pepper flakes if desired. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. 

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For the stir fry I will be swapping out green beans for snap peas (I seem to be having trouble finding fresh green beans at the produce store, and I think snap peas will work well).

I made one batch of the brownies for my husband and I.  He really liked them and they were having a bake sale for charity at his work, so he asked me to make them again for that.  There was only one left at the end of the day.  He said they were a hit at work.  

I could not find dark cocoa powder, so I just used regular for that.  I also used regular butter, and low fat vanilla yogurt (the only nonfat plain I could find was in quart sized tubs).  And to be honest, I liked them a little better when they weren't warm.  When they first came out of the oven I was exited to have the warm brownie.  I loved the spice in the batter, but when the brownie was fresh out of the oven and warm, the spice got a little lost.  It was more pronounced once the brownies were fully cooled (room temperature).  

I should also note that if you're expecting a texture similar to brownies out of a box, these will not give you that.  They were a little more on the cakey side.

Enjoy!

Spring Vegetable Soup with Tarragon (and chicken)

So, you can find the recipe for this in Saturday's post.  I don't have any "as we go" pictures because I think I was being lazy.

I think for this soup, I spent more time chopping and cleaning things than I did paying attention to the soup itself.  I used the recipe as a guideline.  I figured that if I added more veggies to it, it wouldn't hurt.

I had never used leeks before this recipe, but I had seen other people talk about how dirty they were on the many food shows I watch in the background during the day.  They weren't lying.  I'm glad I saved them for last because my cutting board was dirty after I was done.

So, just in case you didn't feel like bouncing back and forth between the previous entry and this one, here is the list of veggies for the soup:

10 small red potatoes, quartered
2 medium carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 large leek, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 pound green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths, or frozen peas

I think I used 8 red potatoes (because they were a little bigger than I thought), 4 carrots, 4 ribs of celery, and 2 leeks.   The green beans and onion were about right though.

After cutting everything up, I cleaned the leeks.  To do this, chop them however you need to for the recipe, fill a bowl with cold water and put all the copped leeks into the water.  Swish the leeks around to break the pieces apart, then let them sit for a few minutes.  The leeks float on the surface of the water while all the dirt sinks to the bottom.  I was amazed at exactly how much there was.

While the leeks were sitting in the water, I did my first addition.  I took a large, thawed chicken breast and seared it on both sides in a little garlic infused olive oil (making a nice brown flavor coating on the bottom of my dutch oven).  I removed the chicken breast, reduced the heat on the stove and sauteed the onion, carrots and celery until slightly softened.  I added the potatoes, salt, water, and leeks into the pot, then added the chicken breast back in.  I added the tarragon at this point.  The recipe sounds like it called for fresh tarragon, but I had dried stuff.  When you're cooking things in a slow cooker, or for longer periods of time, you want to add dried herbs at the beginning so they have time to develop.  If you're using fresh herbs, add them at the end.  If you cook the fresh herbs from the beginning, they won't be as potent and you'll lose some of the flavor.

I let all this cook at a simmer for about 30-40 minutes.  At that point, I pulled out the chicken breast and added the chopped, fresh green beans to let them cook while I shredded the chicken.  After 3-5 minutes, I added the shredded chicken back in, peppered to taste and added some more tarragon, and it was ready to serve.

My husband and I each had 2 bowls and we still had enough left over for 4 more servings.

I was amazed at how much flavor came out of the veggies and how dark the broth was.  The added chicken breast was just the right amount so that my husband didn't complain about there being no meat for dinner.  (I made another soup last night that had no meat in it and he just had to suffer.)

Anyway.  Try it .. you'll like it.

Thanks and happy eating!

Linda's Herb and Spice World Tour Part 2: Tarragon

Here we have installment number two in Linda and Lilly's spice project.  While I'm not a big fan of licorice flavored things, I do really like tarragon.  When I go to Soup Plantation, I almost always get some of their tuna and tarragon pasta salad (and I'm not a big fan of fish either, but the tarragon makes it).  So, I was super excited when this packet showed up.  I made one of the recipes shortly after it arrived and loved it.  That will be the next entry.  This will just be the information and the recipes that were sent.

Tarragon

Tarragon, or Artemisia dracunculus, is a perennial herb in the lettuce family and is related to wormwood. Native to northern Europe, Siberia, Russia, and parts of Asia, tarragon went from relative obscurity in the cooking world to the forefront of French cuisine in just a few hundred years – a remarkable accomplishment considering its competition.

Characteristics

Tarragon is a small, attractive herb with slim vertical stems and long, narrow dark leaves which are green in color. The herb is native almost exclusively to the Northern hemisphere, and has spread from its cultivation in Europe and Scandinavia to parts of North America as well. The plant prefers dry, poor soil which typically is unfriendly to delicate herbs – excess moisture in the soil can actually lead to frostbite and death in colder climates, so dry soil protects the plant.

There are two varieties worth mentioning in reference to the kitchen – French tarragon and Russian (or Siberian) tarragon. The French is held in higher esteem because of its milder flavors and glossy appearance (the herb has smooth, deep green leaves). Russian tarragon is a suitable substitute in most cases, but is said to have an “inferior” flavor by comparison; this variety can be identified by its rough leaves and light green color.

Tarragon is similar in flavor to anise, with sweet and heady notes and a fragrant aroma.

Common Uses

The herb is, compared to kitchen plants which have been used for thousands of years, relatively new to many world cuisines. It has found a semi-reliable place in Mediterranean, European, and North American cookery. However, tarragon is most commonly associated with French cuisine due to its placement in an herb blend referred to as the “fine herbes” (fresh parsley, chives, chervil, and tarragon); it is also used in well known sauces such as Bearnaise and in dishes like tartare. Tarragon pairs well, when used correctly, with fish, lobster, red meats, chicken, some roasted vegetables, fresh salads, and tomatoes; dressing, marinades, soups, and vinegars can also be enhanced with a bit of tarragon. It also goes nicely with eggs – the traditional French herb omelet demonstrates this nicely.

Tarragon contains a numbing compound, eugenol, which makes it a good natural remedy for minor pain-related symptoms such as toothache or sore gums (the Greeks used the herb this way). It was also classified for a time under an archaic school of medicine which claimed that certain herbs could cure ailments inflicted by animals or offenders similar to the plant; tarragon, with it’s long, narrow leaves, was assumed to treat snake bites and wounds from venomous animals because it looked like fangs…there isn’t much information on how successful the treatment was, perhaps because the practitioners of this school of medicine didn’t live very long…

Use and Storage

Tarragon loses its flavor with unfortunate speed when dried – preserving in herb in vinegar is a good option for those wanting to use its essence for cooking when the leaves are unavailable. Tarragon can be stored for a short time in the fridge, but is sensitive to cold and can deteriorate quickly. Dried tarragon is less potent but can be purchased in many fine grocery stores and supermarkets.

It is best to use tarragon with a light hand – the herb can easily overpower all other elements in a dish.

Use It (How to/where)

• along with chives, parsley, and chervil to season French dishes
• in egg dishes and delicate omelets
• infused into vinegar to season many dishes
• in salad dressings and marinades
• to season fish, lobster, and seafood
• paired with chicken and young fowl
• with red meats and some roasts
• in soups and stews
• in sauces like Béarnaise

Recipes

Spring Vegetable Soup with Tarragon (Serves 4)
Food & Wine 

7 cups water
10 small red potatoes, quartered
2 medium carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 large leek, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 pound green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths, or frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
Freshly ground pepper 

Directions:

In a large pot, combine the water with the red potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and leek. Bring to a boil. Add the salt and simmer over moderately low heat for 30 minutes.

Add the green beans and simmer until tender, 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and tarragon. Season with pepper and serve.

Notes One Serving 163 cal, 0.5 gm fat, 0 gm sat fat, 36 gm carb, 6.8 gm fiber. 

Tarragon Omeletta
The Perfect Pantry 

10 large eggs, well beaten
3/4 cup shredded cheese (gruyere, cheddar, fontina, or your favorite mix)
3 Tbsp minced fresh herbs (tarragon, parsley, thyme, basil, or a mix) OR 4 tsp dried herbs
Large pinch of sea salt
Large pinch of fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, herbs, salt and pepper, and beat lightly with a whisk to combine. Heat a large frying pan over lowest heat; add the oil, then pour in the egg mixture. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Lift the lid, and with a spatula lift the edges of the omeletta and let some of the uncooked egg from the top run underneath. Replace the lid and continue cooking over low heat for another 3 minutes. Again, lift the edges and let the uncooked egg on top run underneath. Cover, and continue cooking until the egg is set, another 5 minutes or more. If you prefer to have the top browned, either flip the omeletta and cook for 1 minute, or place under the broiler until the top is lightly browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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I made the soup with minor additions.  It was delicious and I will be sharing that next.  I need to see if I can find the picture of the finished product.  I encourage everyone to try tarragon.  It's a great herb.  The smell of it makes me happy.

So, get some tarragon, try one (or both) of these recipes and tell us what you think!
Thanks, and happy eating!

Cardamom Vanilla Pound Cake

Finally the finished product that I've been promising to post.  The Cardamom Vanilla Pound Cake that came along with part one of the spice project my friends Linda and Lilly are doing this year.  I have part two waiting to be posted, but I didn't want to do that until I got these pictures up.

So, back on January 6th, I posted the information and recipes for Cardamom in this journal.  I chose to make the pound cake recipe on that page.  It was delicious.  I think my husband said it was the best cake he's ever had, and he told me that we're never buying store bought whipped cream again.

You can go to the link above to find the recipe, so this blog is going to be mostly pictures and my own rambling about how it went.  There were a few things in this recipe that I had never done before.  I didn't even own a bundt pan, so I had to buy one of those, but I took advantage of my Amazon Prime free trial to order one with free 2 day shipping to get one.  I had also never used real vanilla beans before.

I started as the recipe directions stated.  I prepped the pan (even though the reviews of the pan I got said that you really didn't need to use anything on it), then mixed my dry ingredients together.

Then, in my mixer, I creamed the butter and sugar until it looked like this

Next was the vanilla bean scraping.  I cut the beans in half the long way and used the tip of my knife to scrape the pods.  I was surprised by two things.  The beans themselves were more waxy feeling than I thought they'd be, and there were more seeds in them than I thought there would be.  I wasn't complaining though.

I still have the shells.  They are sitting in a container with white sugar to make vanilla sugar.  I use it in other dessert type things.

I continued to follow the directions.  A friend of mine gave me some lemons for the lemon juice.  Before I cut and juiced the lemon, I zested it to sprinkle on top of the whipped cream.  You'll see that later.

Once everything was mixed together (eggs, lemon juice, flour mixture and milk), it should look like this (you can see all the little dots of the vanilla bean seeds in there):

Then it gets spooned into the bundt pan carefully.  You don't want to undo all the butter and flour prep that you did in the beginning.  I got it all in there (and I was very proud of myself for not getting too much on the sides), tapped it on the counter like the directions stated and smoothed the top with my spatula.

I let it bake as directed.  It took about an hour like the recipe suggested.  It looked pretty even still in the pan

Next came the scary part.  Bundt pans are notorious for not releasing completely and you end up with chunks missing out of your pretty cake top.  After what had been about an hour cooling in the pan, I decided to give it a shot.  I put my cooling rack on top, flipped it over, and tapped on the pan a few times.  I closed my eyes and pulled the pan up.  When I opened my eyes I was amazed.  It came out beautifully.

My husband came home, looked at it and asked if it was a real cake.  It came out so well that it was shiny (as you can see).

Some time during the baking/cooling process, I made the whipped cream.  It was a pretty simple process.  You added everything together in the mixer:

And mixed it until it was fluffy and held it's shape.  I probably could have beat it for a little while longer, but if you mix it too long, it starts to turn to butter (which I did at a later date on purpose).

And the final served product:

Try it, it's good ... mmm.

Thanks and happy, yummy eating.

Linda's Herb and Spice World Tour Part 1: Cardamom

A friend of mine, Linda, and her granddaughter (another friend of mine), Lilly have decided to take on a project for the year.  I think it's kind of neat and she has given me permission to share what she sends me with you all.  She plans to put together little packets throughout the year that contain a packet of a spice or herb, information about that spice or herb and a recipe or two using it.  The idea is that she'll choose things that are a little different, and recipes from different cultures and cuisines.  Like I said... I think it's neat and I'm interested to see what she comes up with through the year.

For the first installment of this project, they have chosen Cardamom.  This is not a spice that I currently have, but I'm still (re)building my herbs and spices.  So without further delay... Cardamom:

Image courtesy of UCLA Biomedical Library


All About Cardamom

by Sandra Bowens

Most herbs and spices are used in a similar manner no matter where in the world the cooking takes place. Thyme finds its way into soups and poppy seeds into baked goods with little regard for location or cuisine. Not so with cardamom.

This highly scented spice has a variety of typical uses depending on region. Cardamom flavors coffee in Saudi Arabia, baked goods in Sweden and ground meat in Norway. It is a common ingredient in Eastern Indian curries. All of India considers cardamom to be a digestive aide while Scandinavians employ it as a breath freshener.

The Near East and Scandinavia consume half the world's cardamom. It is more widely used than cinnamon in Sweden. Cardamom coffee or gahwa is a symbol of Arab hospitality. The spice is often combined with cloves and cinnamon in all cuisines.

A member of the ginger family, cardamom follows saffron and vanilla on the list of most expensive spices. As with those two spices, the harvest is labor intensive. Grown on plantations, primarily in India and Guatemala, the tall plants flower for eight or nine months of the year. Each pod, or capsule, ripens slowly and must be plucked when three-quarters ripe.

These capsules hold seeds that are considered the spice. After harvest, the pods are washed and dried. The method of drying dictates the final color. White indicates the pods have been dried for many days in the sun leaving them bleached. Green pods have been dried for one day and night in a heated room.

Cardamom is offered commercially in many forms. You might purchase the whole pods and remove the seeds yourself as needed. You may also buy "decorticated" cardamom; the seeds have been removed from the pod but left whole. Least desirable is the ground form. Powdered cardamom loses flavor quickly.

This flavor is intense with a citrus aroma and hints of menthol. Try it with baked goods, curries and meats. Some say it is a must for mulling wine. Just a quarter teaspoon or so will go a long way so use care as you experiment. Roughly 10 pods will give you enough seeds to crush to equal 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom.

And on to the recipes....


Moroccan Garbanzo Bean Stew Recipe 
formerchef.com 

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cardamom, ground
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground
• 1 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/2 tsp paprika, ground
• 1 tsp chili pepper, ground
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes and their juice
• 2 cans (15 oz each) garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chick peas)
• 3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock or water)
• 1 lb zucchini, cut into 1-2″ chunks
• 4 oz dried apricots, diced
• 1/4 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 cups (packed) fresh spinach
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a large pot (6 or 8 qt) and add the olive oil. Cook the sliced onions over a medium heat until soft and add the minced garlic. Add the ground cardamom, cumin, paprika and chili pepper and cook 2 minutes.

2. Add the can of diced tomatoes, the garbanzo beans and the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes and then add the diced zucchini, the chopped dried apricots and the green olives. Cook until the squash is tender.

3. Before serving, fold in the 2 cups of fresh spinach and cook until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with cous cous.

Notes (from the formerchef writer):
*I used ground chipotle chili
*I would have used fresh tomatoes if they were in season
*You can use dried garbanzos, just soak and cook them first.
* If too much of the liquid evaporates near the end of the cooking process, just add a little more stock or water and bring back to a simmer. 

How to Grind Cardamom:
The recipe calls for ground cardamom, and if you have some whole cardamom pods, it’s worth the extra time it takes to get the seeds out and grind them yourself. The fragrance is nothing short of incredible and blows the doors off the stuff in the bottle. 

Crush the pods until they break apart. Pull out the seed covers until you have nothing left but the tiny black/brown cardamom seeds. Grind them in a spice grinder until fine.

 And Recipe number 2:

Cardamom Vanilla Pound Cake
epicurious.com

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 vanilla beans, halved lengthwise
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Equipment: a 12-cup kugelhopf or bundt pan; a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.

Whisk together flour, cardamom, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat together butter and granulated sugar in mixer at medium speed, scraping side of bowl occasionally, until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape seeds from vanilla beans with tip of a paring knife into butter mixture, reserving pods for another use, and beat until combined well, about 1 minute. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in lemon juice until combined well. At low speed, add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top. Gently rap pan on counter to eliminate air bubbles.

Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan 1 hour, then invert onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour more.

Beat cream with confectioners sugar and vanilla extract using whisk attachment of mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Serve cake with whipped vanilla cream.

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I definitely plan on trying the pound cake.  As I'm sure you'll see, I do a bit of baking and am partial to deserts.  I may try the bean stew, but my husband is not a fan of zucchini and I'm not really a big fan of green olives.  Hopefully I can pick up the few things I'm missing for the pound cake recipe on Friday.  I will definitely post an entry with how that goes (with pictures!)

If you enjoyed this and/or tried a recipe, please leave a comment to let us know your thoughts.

Thanks, and happy eating.