smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich

If you need a quick and healthy summer lunch, and one that baby will eat too, this sandwich from Two Peas and Their Pod is the recipe for you.  Even if you don't have cilantro or green onion, the combination of chickpeas, avocado and lime makes a great spread. 

smashed chickpea and avocado sandwich 

recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 large ripe avocado
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bread of your choice 
Fresh spinach leaves or other sandwich toppings: lettuce, tomato slices, sprouts, etc.

method

1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas. Place on a paper towel and remove the outer skins. You can leave them on, but I like to remove them.

2. In a medium bowl, using a fork or potato masher smash the chickpeas and avocado together. Add in cilantro, green onion, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3. Spread salad on bread and top with your favorite sandwich toppings. I like to add fresh spinach leaves.

Note: This salad also makes a great dip. Serve with cut up veggies, crackers, or pita chips. Also, this salad is best eaten the day it is made because it will turn brown due to the avocado.

fourthcoming

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When it comes to Fourth of July cuisine, I have a few prerequisites.  I'm gonna need some watermelon.  And some sort of gooey mess of baked berries smothered under a crumble or a crust and topped with loads of fresh whipped cream.  I need tomato something, and peach something, and avocado something.  Some grilled corn, some grilled bread, and don't forget the grilled lamb.  If you're looking for some festive food inspiration this Fourth of July, here are my favorite tried-and-true recipes and a few that I will be trying out this holiday.

1.  Apple Ginger Cranberry Cocktail // What Katie Ate                                                       (try swapping the ginger ale for ginger beer for a spicier cocktail, and if you use unsweetened cranberry juice you may want to add a little agave or simple syrup)

2.  Tomato Basil Peach Skewers // Love and Lemons

3.  Spiced Lamb Burgers // Bon Appetit

4.  Fennel Apple Radish Salad // What Katie Ate

5.  Grilled Yogurt Marinated Leg of Lamb // Bon Appetit                                                   (cold leftovers make fantastic sandwiches - just add arugula and a little sauce)

6.  Panzanella Salad // Food and Wine

7.  Tomato Peach and Avocado Bruschetta // Love and Lemons

8.  Rose, Bourbon and Blue Cooler // Bon Appetit

9.  Watermelon Soda Float // Bon Appetit

10.  Mexican Corn Salad // Bon Appetit

11.  Blueberry Schlumpf // Food52                                                                                       (I plan on serving this with coconut whipped cream)

12.  Spicy Watermelon Avocado Salad // Love and Lemons                                             (I recommend using arugula for the greens and omitting the mint/basil)

13.  Blueberry and Rye Slab Pie // Food52

14.  Tunisian Vegetable Salsa // Bon Appetit

15.  Radish and Butter Tartines // Food52

16.  Raspberry Crumble Bars // Love and Lemons                                                               (I will be trying these with strawberry jam and pecans this year) 

biscuits + sqirl

Biscuits and gravy might just be my favorite breakfast meal, but unfortunately (or fortunately?) I have been hard pressed to find a decent version in Austin: not enough gravy, too thick gravy, no sausage (gasp!) in the gravy, too dry biscuits... you get the idea.  I dream of the biscuits and gravy I used to get at Barbec's in Dallas, or at the double-wide-trailer-turned-diner in South Bend.  While I occasionally make my own at home, I have oftentimes been deterred by the thought of making biscuits… until now.  This biscuit recipe from 100 Days of Real Food is almost as easy as opening a can of biscuit dough, and much better for you.  I substituted half spelt flour in my recipe, which resulted in a fluffier and tastier biscuit.  And, although these biscuits are delicious with sausage gravy, I shockingly found myself pushing aside the gravy and reaching for the Sqirl Blueberry and Tarragon jam.  People.  If you have not tried Sqirl Jams you must. do. so. now.  (If you live in Austin you can pick up a jar at Epicerie)                  

Whole Wheat Spelt Biscuits (adapted from 100 Days of Real Food)

makes 8-10 biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup spelt flour 

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 cup milk (any kind - I used whole)

Method

1. In a medium sized bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well with whisk or fork.
2. Cut the ½ stick butter into little pea sized pieces and then mix the pieces into the flour mixture.
3. Using a fork, try to mash the butter pieces as you mix it together with the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. It is okay if the outcome just looks like the same pea sized pieces of butter covered with flour.
4. Then pour in the milk and mix it all together. Knead the dough with your hands 8 to 10 times and then turn out onto a counter or cutting board.
5. Pat it out flat with your hands until the dough is a somewhat even ¾-inch thickness (sprinkle with a little flour if necessary).
6. Turn a drinking glass upside down and cut out biscuit rounds. I have also used shaped cookie cutters (like a heart or star) if you have little ones helping you!
7. Then put them on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly browned. 

And now, smother with sausage gravy, or blueberry tarragon jam, or honey butter, or… you get the idea.

fennel + orange smash

It's Friday!  I'll drink to that!  (well, technically I will drink to any day of the week.. )  What better way to kick off the weekend than with a refreshing, slightly bubbly, slightly herbaceous cocktail?  

ingredients:

2 oz gin

1 oz dry vermouth

juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup fennel, roughly chopped

3 orange slices (or 6-8 clementine slices.  grapefruit also works deliciously here)

1 oz maple syrup

topo chico or other sparkling/soda water

optional: orange slice (full slice from clementine or half slice from regular sized orange), fennel stem (make sure it's a hollow one) and fennel frond for garnish 

method:

Combine gin, vermouth, chopped fennel and orange slices in cocktail shaker and muddle together.

Add lemon juice and maple syrup and fill shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into lowball glass filled with fresh ice (fill glass about 3/4 way full), top with Topo Chico.

If you're feeling fancy, garnish with hollow fennel stem, frond and orange slice.  Drink directly from the fennel "straw" for more fennel-y goodness!

serves 2