Chickpea Soup

2 c chickpeas--soaked overnight and cooked (we just used 2 cans of chickpeas)

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp minced garlic

2 leeks, sliced thin (we just used green onions)

1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tbsp parsley

6 c broth or stock

1/3 lb small pasta (we like to use pastina for this--makes the soup seem thicker)

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Saute garlic and leeks until garlic is golden brown. Add tomatoes and rosemary; simmer 3-4 minutes stirring constantly. Stir in chickpeas, basil, parsley, and broth. Bring to a high boil. Add pasta and cook uncovered until al dente.

Potato Pizza

This was a bit bizarre, but still tasted really good. It's like pizza, except on mashed potatoes instead of a pizza crust.

Crust:

5 generous cups diced mealy potatoes

1 tbsp butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (I used fresh basil and oregano)

1 egg beaten

Pre-heat oven to 425ºF. Boil the diced potatoes until cooked through. Drain and mash until smooth. Stir in the butter, garlic, herbs, and egg. Spread mixture on pizza pan (we used a 14" greased and floured pizza pan). Bake for about 20 minutes. Top with desired toppings.* Bake for another 5 minutes. Enjoy!

*Toppings we used on this pizza:

Pizza sauce

Pepperoni

Sliced red and green bell peppers

Sliced fresh mushrooms

Grated mozzarella

Tip: I hate slimy cooked vegetables on pizzas. We cooked it only long enough with the toppings to mainly melt the cheese and slightly cook the vegetables.

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

I love pudding. :)

1 c sugar

1/2 c baking cocoa*

1/4 c cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

4 c milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar, baking cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Sift together. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and butter until butter has completely melted and is mixed in. Chill before serving**.

Serves 6-8

*I should note that I used unsweetened baking cocoa for this recipe--not sure if/how many other kinds there might be out there....

**A couple of alternative ideas for serving this: frozen (especially on a hot day), or even warm (e.g. serving it over a crepe with fruit or fruit sauce topped with whipped cream).

Marinated Tuna Steak

Having never had anything other than canned tuna before, we decided that this would be interesting to try. It tasted really good!

1/4 c orange juice

1/4 c soy sauce (we used Teryaki)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Four 4oz tuna steaks

In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, oregano, and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Pan fry with marinade on med-hi for 2 minutes on each side. Cover, reduce heat to medium and fry until cooked through (about 5 minutes), turning every couple of minutes.

Serve with rice. It would probably go well with a rice pilaf, but we didn't think of this until afterwards. :)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/marinated-tuna-steak/detail.aspx

Lego Night!

Yet another night of Legos! We had no particular "theme". (I'm not very good at sticking to them anyway. :) ) Here's the result:

Tyrie made a tractor pulling a trailer with a cow hitching a ride. :) (Moooooo!)

I made a speedboat (complete with gear inside for diving--mask/helmet, oxygen tanks, flashlights, etc).

Quinoa Salad with Apples and Almonds

Thanks again to my sister, Megan, who discovered this recipe! It was fabulous! :)

1 c quinoa, rinsed

2 c water

2 tbsp honey

1/4 c lemon juice

1/2 tsp coarse salt

3 tbsp olive oil

1 c peeled, diced tart apple (such as Granny Smith)

1 c finely chopped celery

1/3 c raisins

1/3 c finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 c slivered almonds

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow quinoa to sit in pan for another 15 minutes. Chill.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lemon juice, and salt. Gradually whisk in the oil until blended.

Add the apple, celery, raisins, parsley, and almonds to the quinoa and toss the ingredients well. Add the dressing and toss once more to coat the salad. Season it with salt and pepper to taste (we forgot, but when we realized it decided it didn't need it). Serve at room temperature.''

Serves 6-8.

http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/quinoa-salad-with-apples-and-almonds-876990/

Pease Porridge

2 Tbl oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

1 lb. split peas

~6 cups broth (or 3 14oz cans)

salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onions in oil until brown. Stir in the garlic and cook until it starts to brown too (about 30 seconds). Stir in the other ingredients, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until it turns into porridge (think really thick oatmeal texture- about 90 minutes), stirring every 10 minutes or so.

No picture because it doesn't look pretty, but it tastes really good :)

Serves 6. Goes well with bread and butter.

Adapted from "The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook"