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Cheesy Chickpeas & Broccoli

January 19, 2011 By Kate 3 Comments

Our 3 year old Gracie is absolutely crazy about chickpeas. Ask her what she wants for breakfast, lunch or dinner and she’ll say “chickpeas!” 80% of the time. (The other 20% is reserved for her second favorite, grilled cheese.) She’ll even walk around the table whenever chickpeas are being served in some capacity with her hand out, hoping that her brother or sisters will share a little of their chickpea bounty with her. How do you say no to a diva like this?

Seeing as how the rest of us all really enjoy chickpeas too, and considering their health benefits, I’m definitely happy to indulge her obsession. Lately, I’ve taken to serving chickpeas as a side dish in place of a starch. It’s working really well and I’m surprised with how versatile they are as a side dish.

This recipe for Cheesy Chickpeas & Broccoli is a play on the classic Cheesy Rice & Broccoli. I could not believe how well-suited the chickpeas were to this treatment. It was a wonderful side dish, but it would definitely work as a main course over rice too. The kids decided the perfect name for this dish is “Chickpeas & Trees with Cheese.” Works for me!

Cheesy Chickpeas & Broccoli aka Chickpeas & Trees with Cheese

  • 3 T. butter
  • 3 T. flour
  • 1 1/2 c. milk
  • 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. curry powder, optional
  • 1/4 t. black pepper
  • 1 can rinsed and drained chickpeas (or 1 c. dried chickpeas, fully cooked)
  • 3 c. frozen cut broccoli

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in milk and whisk until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until fully melted. Season with salt, optional curry powder and pepper. Toss chickpeas and broccoli together in a casserole dish. Pour seasoned cheese sauce on top and stir to combine. Refrigerate until using. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until bubbly.


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Pesto Chicken Stew

November 29, 2010 By Kate 1 Comment

I can’t believe I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, let alone mention it after the weekend. So, I’m getting caught up now. How was your Thanksgiving?

Ours was wonderful! We made the 7 1/2 hour trek out to Chicago (it should be 5 hours, but with 5 kids, an extra 2 hours at least is just a given) on Thursday morning and arrived just in time for the big turkey dinner. The rest of our stay was filled with just enjoying family and leftovers. Plus, Jill was baptized on Saturday. She was baptized in my parents’ house by the same priest who baptized me in my parents’ house 34 years ago.

Jill will be 2 months old tomorrow – I almost can’t believe it!

I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was as wonderful and special as ours.

Now onto the recipe. This is a typical grab-some-ingredients-throw-them-in-a-pot recipe. The pesto adds a wonderful dimension of flavor to stew and the combination of textures from the potatoes, chick peas and green beans makes eating the stew an experience. This is definitely my kind of dish!

Pesto Chicken Stew

  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 c. fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • 2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/2 t. black pepper
  • 5 c. chicken stock
  • 1/2 lb. chicken breasts
  • 1 1/2 lb. potatoes
  • 1 can chick peas
  • 1/2 lb. frozen chopped green beans
  • 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

5 Minutes Free: Coarsely chop garlic. Place basil and garlic in a food processor or blender. Process until finely minced. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and process until combined. Stir in Parmesan cheese, 1 t. salt and 1/2 t. black pepper. Refrigerate until needed.

10 Minutes Free + about 25 minutes Cook Time: Fill a large pot with chicken stock. Cube chicken and potatoes and place in the chicken stock. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and simmer until chicken and potatoes are fully cooked, about 25 minutes. Stir in reserved pesto just before serving.

Serving Options: Serve immediately, cover and simmer on lowest heat setting until serving or refrigerate after cooking and then reheat just before eating.

NOTE – This will have the consistency of a very thick soup. If you’d prefer a more traditional stew consistency, combine 2 T. flour with 1/4 c. water and stir into pot about 5 minutes before serving. Slowly boil until thickened.

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Taco Soup

September 9, 2010 By Kate 7 Comments

Taco soup is one of those recipes that I’ve seen in countless places over the years. Every recipe is always a little bit different than the last. To me, that just shows it’s a soup that can be played around with for endless possibilities.

I tend to like soups filled with lots of different stuff the best. So obviously when I make a soup for my family, I add as many things to the pot as I think I can get away with. This recipe is no different. I just kept adding things until every spoonful I lifted from the pot had a few different ingredients. And the whole time, I kept the thought of the classic taco soup in mind.

Basically, this is a fully-loaded taco soup. It is bursting with different textures, veggies and add-ins while still maintaining that traditional taco flavor. Sprinkled with some cheese on top and served with some homemade tortilla chips and we couldn’t get enough of it! Even better, I doubled it and have a big bag waiting in our freezer for after the baby is born.

Taco Soup

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 T. + 1 t. chili powder
  • 2  t. cumin
  • 1 t. garlic powder
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1/4 t. oregano
  • 1/4 – 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
  • 4 c. beef stock or broth
  • 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained (or 1 1/2 c. cooked dry beans)
  • 1 15 oz. can hominy, drained
  • 1 8 oz. can sliced black olives, drained
  • 1 4 oz. can diced green chilies, drained
  • Optional items for garnish: shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips or chips

1. In a large soup pan or stock pot, cook ground beef with onion, green pepper and garlic. Drain once browned.

2. Stir in all remaining ingredients except garnish items. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes. (The flavors will combine and it will taste great after 20 minutes, but simmer all day if you want the maximum flavor.)

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