Recipe Review from 8/1/11

Whoo.  A mellow week what with the Husband away in Calif military training and the weather on the warmish side that all culminated in a rather adventurous Friday.  As a favor for the Husband, because he bought the tickets four months in advance then couldn't go, the Father and I went to a MN Twins game on Friday to obtain this:

The bobble head (pic from the web).

The infamous play

Yes.  A fancy little double bobblehead commemorating the 1991 World Series against the MN Twins and the Chicago White Sox. 

The Father and I left the Northland at 1pm, arrived at Target Field at 3:45pm, stood in line (we picked the right corner to park ourselves!) till gates opened at 5p and scored a bobblehead for the Husband. 

However, that was only part of the adventure...we still needed to pick up said Husband! His flight was due in about 8p to the Cities and he was to make his way to Target Field via the Cities newish light rail system.  We all connected about 9p and started the drive home.

Everything went just smoothly until a motorcycle was involved in a hit and run, in a construction zone north of Hinkley, at 11p at night.   We called it in and offered what help we could - there was an off-duty cop already starting first aid (it happened in front of him) and my thanks to those others who also stopped (a first responder and a emergency room nurse I believe).   Three ambulances, two fire trucks, and about four squad cars.  Traffic in both directions got stopped so they could re-create the incident after the fellow was secured and taken away.  It was about 45 minutes from our arrival to being allowed to go.  What a sobering mess.

So. not a lot of new recipes were made last week.   Suppers were black bean quesadillas and lunches were the dish below.

Cumin-Spiced Chickpeas and Carrots on Couscous  (Ckng Lght Aug 2011)
This came together very quickly and I highly recommend using pre-julienned carrots.  Just makes things a bit easier and you can use any leftover carrots on a salad or in another dish.  I also used israeli couscous because I prefer the slightly larger grains.  Worked great for lunches - can be eaten cold or warmed up.  Made with the Israeli couscous I think it made closer to 6 servings than 4.

1/2 cup organic vegetable broth
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

picture from cookinglight.com

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup julienne-cut carrots
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
6 3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups warm cooked couscous (about 2 cups dry)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves Lemon wedges (optional)
1. Combine the first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

2. Dry chickpeas thoroughly in a single layer on paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat, and swirl to coat. Add chickpeas to pan, and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chickpeas from pan with a slotted spoon; wipe pan clean with a paper towel. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add bell pepper, carrots, and jalapeño to pan, and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender. Add cumin seeds and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add reserved broth mixture and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Serve over couscous, and top with cilantro. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Sally Swift, Cooking Light