Spice Up Your Life

It has been a busy week here in Chicago. I live in a big apartment, and this weekend was the great-roommate-switch. We lost three to grand adventures, but gained three new faces. While this was all going on, I was in the kitchen. Not cooking, but cleaning! I scrubbed every cupboard and shelf and counter top. And in doing so, discovered that we own way too many spices. The variety is marvelous, but when one has three jars of basil and four canisters of black pepper, you know you have a problem. With much ceremony, we created a box for the extras and placed it high up in a cupboard for later consumption.
So without further ado, this week's spice-filled recipes.

Barley Salad with Orange, Honey & Thyme Dressing

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Onion

1 cup Pearl Barley

4 cups Water

Olive oil

Cumin

Paprika

Black Pepper

Garlic

1 Sweet Potato, peeled and chopped

Broccoli

2 Tbsp Orange Juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Honey

1 Tbsp fresh Thyme, chopped

Rinse the barley and drain. In a large pot, sauté with onions until just beginning to brown. Add water and bring to a boil, rolling for about 40 minutes until soft.

Meanwhile, sauté sweet potatoes and broccoli in a large skillet until just done. Add to barley.

Combine ingredients for dressing. Pour over barley mixture. Set aside to cool. Serve alone or over spinach.

Caprese Salad

1 Serving (includes 2 servings of vegetables)

Grape tomatoes

Fresh Basil

Fresh Mozzarella

Asparagus

Angel Hair Pasta

Balsamic Vinegar

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Cook asparagus, either sauté or roast.

Cut tomatoes, cheese and basil. Mix together. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.

Roasted Eggplant with Sweet Potato Hummus

1-3 Servings (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Eggplant

Olive oil

Black Pepper

Garlic

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise. Score across the flesh on a 45° angle and then repeat in the other direction to achieve a diamond pattern (this allows the steam to escape). Drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and garlic and roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the flesh is very soft and golden.

Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 can low sodium Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Tahini

2 Tbsp Olive oil

2 tsp Cumin

1 garlic clove, chopped

Black pepper

Set a steamer basket in a large pot. Fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a food processor.  Combine chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, oil, cumin, and garlic in the food processor. Puree, about 1 minute; thin with water if necessary. Season with pepper and let cool.

Breadcrumb-less Chicken Parmesan with Asparagus

1 Serving (includes 2 servings of vegetables)

Chicken tenderloins

Water

Balsamic Vinegar

Fresh Basil

Garlic

Black Pepper

1 Tbsp Tomato Paste

Onions

Asparagus

Parmesan Cheese

In a deep bowl or container, marinate chicken in balsamic vinegar, water, basil, garlic and pepper. Let sit for about an hour, then cook chicken in an oiled frying pan. Once chicken is browned, pour in the remaining marinade and tomato paste. Cover and simmer until chicken is done. If the sauce is not wet enough, add more water.

Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve with Onions and Asparagus.

Masa Pancakes

2 Servings (includes as many servings of vegetables and fruit as you add)

1 cup Masa flour

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 egg

1 cup Milk

1 cup Water (add more if needed)

In a medium bowl, combine ingredients and stir well.  Heat frying pan. Grease pan and pour on batter. Cook until each pancake is golden brown.

Serve sweet (with butter, cinnamon, syrup and fresh fruit) or savory (chili powder and cumin, sour cream, fresh tomatoes and peppers).

Chickpea Marinara Salad

1 Serving (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Olive oil

Onions

Broccoli

Asparagus

Chick peas

Garlic

Marjoram

Basil

Paprika

Black Pepper

Balsamic Vinegar

Tomato Paste

Leafy Greens

Sauté vegetables and garlic in small amount of olive oil. When tender, add spices, herbs, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste and water.

Serve over leafy greens.