Parmesan Roasted Vegetable Salad with Creamy Basil Dressing

Hi there! It's been quite a while since I posted. Like all summer, actually. I didn't set out to take such a long break from blogging, but I have a good excuse, I think. My sweet little baby loves:

Life was starting to feel a little too hectic, and I decided I could give more to my family if I just stepped away from my blog for a while. But after a fantastic summer, I was beginning to really miss the creative outlet, so here I am. I want to thank my blogger friends who took the time to send me emails or post comments asking how I was or telling me I was missed. You ladies rock, and I am excited to be returning to such a great community.

On to the recipe I am sharing today. When Simply Life posted a Parmesan Roasted Potato and Squash recipe the other day, I immediately was inspired for that night's dinner.  I used yukon gold potatoes and yellow squash for the red potatoes and zucchini, tossed in grape tomatoes and then to make it more of a main dish, served it over greens with a tangy yogurt-basil dressing. I do want to note that by itself the dressing seems rather tart and strongy flavored, but mellows perfectly once it is mixed with the warm roasted veggies and cool salad greens.

I adored this salad, and since Sage was out of town when I made it, was lucky enough to get to eat it again for lunch the next day. I don't think to use roasted vegetables on salads too often, but this was such a wonderful reminder of how delicious they are!

Parmesan Roasted Vegetable Salad with Creamy Basil Dressing
Roasted Vegetables adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen via Simply Life
serves 2-3

3 medium yukon gold potatoes, cut in 3/4 inch pieces
2 yellow squash, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
olive oil
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tsp dried parsley
salad greens of choice- I used a spring mix

for the dressing:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 to whole small lemon, juiced
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Place the potatoes, squash, tomatoes and cheese in a large bowl. Drizzle with just enough olive oil to coat veggies (about two tablespoons) and season with several pinches of salt, a generous amount of pepper and the parsley and toss to coat well.

Spread in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet, and roast for 20 minutes. Flip vegetables over and return to oven for another 15-20 minutes, until slightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine yogurt, basil, garlic and the juice of half a lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add remaining lemon juice if desired. Cover and refrigerate until vegetables are finished roasting.

To serve, place warm vegetables on top of a few handfuls of salad greens and drizzle with dressing.

Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken with Butternut Squash and Fingerling Potatoes

I have a husband who loves chicken. Me? Not quite so much. I mean it's alright, but I think I ate so much of it for so long, that I became bored of it. There are just so many things I'd much rather eat instead. Things like fish, beans and tofu. But I'm pretty crazy about my husband, so from time to time, I try to find ways to prepare chicken that will keep him happy. 

When I read Joanne's statement in regards to this recipe, saying how she doesn't even really like chicken, but loved this dish, well, it was enough convincing for me that this was a perfect one to try. That and it had butternut squash. Even if I didn't care for the chicken, there would be roasted squash to eat. But as it would be, I liked the chicken just as much as the accompanying vegetables.

I didn't have the sweet potatoes which were to be be roasted along with the butternut, so instead I used fingerling potatoes. Another change I had to make wasn't intentional. I had accidentally purchased chicken breast strips instead of breasts. But  this just made for quicker cook time. I also reduced the amount of chipotle peppers from four to two. It still had plenty of spice to it, although not so much that Beckett couldn't eat it. I just served his with a big dollop of cooling greek yogurt (which actually complimented this meal wonderfully) and a glass of milk. But if your family is very heat sensitive, I'd suggest only using one.

I'm not sure if it was the two less peppers, or the fact I didn't mince them that finely, but I got a slightly chunky chipotle honey sauce instead of a paste. I just dipped my chicken into the sauce to coat and then once the chicken was placed on the vegetables, spooned the remainder over top of the chicken. It wound up seasoning the potatoes and squash as well, which tasted fantastic. And if you're not sold yet, besides being absolutely delicious, it cooks in one pan for easy clean up.

Spiced Chipotle Honey Chicken with Butternut Squash and Fingerling Potatoes

adapted from Melissa Clark's In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, via Eats Well with Others

serves 4

1 small butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1.25 lb fingerling potatoes, larger ones halved or quartered

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp cider vinegar

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1.25 lb chicken breast strips/tenders, rinsed and patted dry

chopped cilantro or basil, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400. Toss the squash and potatoes with 1 tablespoon of oil and spread onto roasting pan. Season with a few pinches salt and several grinds of pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, in a small bowl mix together the remaining tablespoon of oil, peppers, garlic, honey, vinegar, cumin, cinnamon and 1 1/4 tsp salt until they form a paste (or in my case, sauce).

Rub the paste all over chicken and place on top of squash and potatoes. (If your paste is not quite a paste, dip chicken into sauce, then spoon remaining sauce over chicken once it on the vegetables). Continue roasting until chicken is just cooked through, 10-15 minutes.

Serve garnished with cilantro or basil.

Chili Potato (and Chicken) Burritos

As I've mentioned before, I don't plan out a menu for the week. I'm too easy influenced by what strikes my fancy at that moment while at the produce market and grocery store to stick to planned out meals. I tend to come up with my meal ideas by looking at what I've already bought and taking it from there. Because of that, there are hundreds of recipes I've bookmarked in my reader and in cookbooks I may never get around to trying. But then there are those recipes that I do come across that I am so drawn to, I know I have to make right away.

When I saw these Chili Potato Burritos on Taste and Tell, I thought they sounded delicious. (I mean, they are essentially spiced mashed potatoes wrapped up in a tortilla and topped with cheese. How could they not be delicious?) Definitely not as healthy as most of the meals I opt for, but nevertheless, I found myself thinking about them all day. And the next. Maybe it was some kind of pregnancy craving, but I couldn't get them out of my head, and I knew they would be gracing my dinner table very soon.

I made some changes, mostly due to the fact I didn't reread the recipe before I went shopping. (And also because I can't ever leave a recipe alone.) I had some leftover roast chicken in the fridge, and on a whim, I decided to include some of it to half of the burritos, an addition I knew Sage would love. I tried it both ways, and while 9 times out of 10 I prefer things without meat, I actually think I liked it just a little more with the chicken. But really, both ways were great. I had intended roast some veggies to serve on the side, but I completely forgot until minutes before this was about to come out the oven, so I threw together a quick salad and it was a perfect compliment.

Chili Potato (and Chicken) Burritos
adapted from Taste and Tell, originally from allrecipes
makes 6 large burritos, serving 4-6

We are not huge enchilada sauce people, so for us, this was the perfect amount of sauce for our liking; if you'd prefer yours swimming in it, you will want to use more. We are however cheese people, so next time I will add a good bit more cheese to the tops of the burritos before baking.

3 medium-large Russet potatoes (about 2.25 lbs.), cubed (I didn't peel)
1 tbsp reduced fat milk
1 tbsp butter/margarine/spread
1 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
1 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese (or colby jack), or more as desired
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 (10 oz.) can of mild enchilada sauce (or about 1 1/4 cup homemade), or more as desired
6 large multi-grain soft wraps or tortilla of choice
optional: shredded cooked chicken (about 2 cups for all 6 burritos) tossed in a tbsp or two of the sauce

Boil potatoes until tender but still firm. Drain and mash with milk, butter and cream cheese.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes with 3/4 cup of the cheese, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder. Season with a couple pinches of salt and a several good grinds of pepper. Stir in about 1/3 cup of the enchilada sauce.

Spoon 1/6 of the potato mixture onto the middle of a tortilla. If desired, top with some of the shredded chicken. Roll up burrito-style and place seam side down in large baking dish. Continue, using up all tortillas and potato mixture. (I made these ahead, and at this point, refrigerated until just shortly before ready to bake.)

Pour enchilada sauce over burritos and top with desired amount of cheese. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Potato-Veggie Skillet Bake

This summer, I learned something rather shocking, something that went against everything I had heard up to that point. During our family trip to New England, we spent some time at Sage's aunt's home, where I discovered she uses soap on her cast iron. I know, crazy, right? All I've ever heard is soap + cast iron = ruined pan. But Aunt Roxann has been using her large collection of cast iron cookware daily and washing them with soap for over 25 years with no problems.

Now I'm not a germaphobe, by any means, but there was always something that just skeeved me out about not being able to wash my cast iron skillet with soap, and so I rarely used it. I'm sure cast iron purists would shudder at the thought, but I've actually found many articles/websites that agree a quick wash with a little mild dishsoap and water won't hurt well seasoned cast iron. With this information, I now use my pan all the time.

A few weeks ago, I was at a loss for what to make for dinner. I was thinking something with the ease of a frittata, where I could toss a bunch of veggies in a pan, saute, add some eggs and throw the whole thing in the oven. Only Beckett and Sage had already had eggs for breakfast. And what I was really in the mood for some kind of comfort food like cottage pie or pot pie, minus the meat. This was my compromise. We enjoyed it so much, I've been looking forward to making it again.

The great thing about this is you could use up any vegetables you have on hand. (I'm dreaming up a very Autumn inspired version with sweet potatoes instead of Russets, maybe winter squash, or even brussel sprouts or apple maple chicken sausage.) If you aren't as crazy about thyme as I am, sub out the spice with whatever you prefer, or even go with just salt and pepper as I did the first time I made it. I think this is hearty enough to be a meatless entree, but you could also serve it along side your protein of choice, or easily add chicken or turkey to it.

Potato-Veggie Skillet Bake

2 medium baking potatoes, unpeeled and thinly sliced (roughly 1/4-1/8" thick)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery ribs, diced

1/2 small onion, chopped

4 oz. button mushrooms

3 cups broccoli florets

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup frozen corn

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup vegetable stock

3/4 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar

Preheat oven to 375. (Since I keep my cast iron in the oven, I leave it in there to preheat as well.)

Using a steamer insert, steam potatoes over boiling water for 10 minutes. Carefully remove basket from over top water, and set aside, allowing to potatoes to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add remaining vegetables, season with salt, pepper and thyme, and continue cooking for 2 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables and mix well. Pour in broth, stirring, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Layer potatoes over vegetables, and top with cheese.

Bake for 20-25 or until potatoes are fully cooked and cheese is melted. (Next time, I think I will bake it a little less and finish it off by broiling for a few minutes just to crisp up the top a bit.)

Symon Sundays: Pierogies

I've been really looking forward to this week's selection for Symon Sudays. Natashya, at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, selected the pierogies from Live to Cook. Michael Symon's version was for Beef Cheek Pierogies with Mild Mushrooms and Horseradish. Some possible meat substitutions he gave were beef shoulder or pork shoulder, but since we're eating little meat these days, I chose to do two simple vegetarian versions. I made a classic potato and cheese filled one and our unanimous favorite, a Portabella mushroom stuffed one.

This is one time consuming recipe! Even though I skipped the lengthy beef braising step and the days-long Horseradish Creme Fraiche process, it still took me over 3 hours of hands on time to make these. As I was in the final stages, I was convinced they weren't going to come out, and it would be all for nothing. Luckily I was wrong! Mine might have been rather misshapen,but they were soooo good.

You can find the original recipes by visiting Natashya's blog. I followed the basic recipe for making the dough, and forming and cooking (boiling then sauteing) the pierogies. Since half of mine already contained mushrooms, I didn't bother topping mine the seared wild mushrooms. In the place of the horseradish creme fraiche, I mixed up store-bought horseradish cream and light sour cream, which I thinned with a few splashes of half and half. It was a prefect compliment to the portabella pierogies.

If you want to make my vegetarian fillings, here is what I did:

For the potato-cheese version: Peel, cube and steam or boil 2 large baking potatoes until tender, then mash. Saute 1 small diced yellow onion until soft. Combine potatoes, sauteed onions and 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Portabella version: Coarsely chop 3 Portabella mushrooms. Saute mushrooms in a small amount of olive oil, seasoned with 1 tsp fresh thyme and salt and pepper, until , working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.

Moroccan Chickpea Stew & Moroccan-Style Couscous and Chickpeas

I love chickpeas. So much, in fact, that I typically eat them a couple times a week. My favorite way to enjoy them is with couscous, veggies and a Moroccan-inspired flavor. These two dishes, while containing many of the same ingredients, manage to taste quite different from one another. Its hard to say which one I prefer more. I have no idea if they are anything close to authentic (and most likely not) but I don't care, as they are both so good! This absolutely delicious recipe is from Cooking Light (found on myrecipes.) Its super easy and one of those kind of meals where you find yourself excited about the leftovers. (Or at least I did!) The recipe originally called for serving with brown rice, but suggested trying it with couscous, which I definitely think is the better choice. Due to a sensitive little mouth, I seed my jalapeno, and it isn't hot at all.

Moroccan Chickpea Stew
adapted from Cooking Light (they say 6 servings, I say much more like 4)
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (seeded, if desired)
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled Yukon Golds (Several small or 1 large)
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
2 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained (you can also just use one)
1 (15 oz.) can reduced sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups hot cooked couscous (or brown rice)
plain yogurt (or sour cream,) for serving
cilantro, for serving

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic, and jalapeño to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until tender.

Stir in potato, spices, tomatoes, chickpeas, broth and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Serve over couscous. Top with yogurt and sprinkle with cilantro.

This equally wonderful dish has already been shared on my blog once before, as the stuffing for acorn squash. It was great that way, but I loved the "stuffing" so much, I've made some changes and now make it without the squash. It would make a great side dish to chicken, but in our house, we're just as happy to eat it as an entree along with a baked sweet potato, for a filling meatless dinner. If you have leftovers the next day, its just as good hot or cold.

Moroccan-inspired Chickpeas and Rice
adapted from allrecipes (about 5 servings as a side, 2-3 as a meal)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 3/4 of a large pepper)
1 large carrot, chopped
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 an apple, peeled, cored and chopped (I used fuji)
1/3 cup rasins
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground corriander
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup uncooked couscous
1 cup vegetable broth

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, celery, onion, pepper and carrots. Season with salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes.

Mix in the garbanzo beans, apples and raisins. Season with cumin, coriander, tumeric and cinnamon, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.

Add couscous and broth, mix well. Cover and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absord liquid for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Mushrooms with White Wine Gravy

This certainally isn't my typical type of thing to make, but sometimes you just want some kind of comfort food. A meal worthy of being a "Sunday Dinner," even if you actually have it on a Monday because of a football playoff game get together.

I found this recipe, originally as a stew, from Williams Sonoma. I used less liquid to cook it in, which I then thickened into a gravy before serving. Instead of cooking it along with red skinned potatoes, I served it over top mashed Yukon Golds. (Which we made with 2% milk and Smart Blance in attempt to make ourselves feel slightly better about eating mashed potatoes when it wasn't a holiday.)

While the original recipe called for a cooktime 5 hours on high, Sage was starving (and the wonderful aroma was killing him) so we only cooked ours for three, and the chicken was fork tender and beginning to fall apart. With the potatoes and steamed veggies, this was more than enough for two adults, and I think by just adding an extra breast you could easily get four servings.

2 tbsp all purpose flour
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, sliced
16 oz. button mushrooms, quartered
1 bay leaf
3 fresh thyme sprigs
4 fresh flat leaf parsley sprigs
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsps cornstarch
mashed potatoes, for serving

In a shallow bowl, stir together flour and salt and pepper. Lightly dredge chicken pieces and set aside.

Heat oil in a medium sized saute pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker. Add onion, mushrooms, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, stock and half of the wine.

Pour remaining half cup of wine to pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits. Pour into slow cooker over chicken and vegetables and cover. Cook for 3-4 hours on high, until chicken is tender.

Remove bay leaf, thyme and parsley sprigs. Carefully strain liquids from slowcooker into a small saucepan, reserving about a 1/4 cup. In a small container, blend reserved liquid and the cornstarch together until smooth. Heat saucepan over medium heat and pour cornstarch mixture in, stirring until thickened, about a minute or two.

Serve chicken, mushrooms and onion over mashed potatoes and top with gravy.

Warm Potato Salad with Dill and Capers

I don't blog about side dishes very much, but that's because I really don't make a lot of them. When it comes to cookouts, I'm all about the pasta salads, but for everyday meals, I prefer all-in-one dishes and don't do a lot of seperate meat-starch-vegetable type dinners. And then it usually just roasted or steamed veggies. But I found myself with some dill and a bag of potatoes that I needed to use up, and a warm potato salad just seemed like a perfect purpose for them.

I haven't made something like this before, so I just kind of went with it regarding the quanities, and luckily, I think they were just right. This was absolutely delicious and went so well with an otherwise very healthy dinner of steamed green beans and grilled fish. I think the "sauce" would also be fabulous over roasted potatoes. I used yukon golds, but I can imagine it would be just as tasty with red skinned potatoes.

5 cups diced (about 1/2 in. cubes) yukon gold potatoes

2 tbsp light mayo with olive oil

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp spicy brown mustard

1/2 tbsp olive oil

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 tbsp chopped dill

1 tbsp capers, drained

Steam potatoes until tender. (I forgot to pay attention to how long this took, but I'd guess around ten minutes or so.)

When potatoes are nearly done, in a small sauce pan, wisk together mayonnaise, mustards and olive oil until blended and heated through.

Transfer potatoes to serving dish. Add contents of saucepan, salt, pepper, parsley, dill and capers, and toss to coat. Cover, and let rest for several minutes before serving.

Week 2: NE Patriots vs. NY Jets- New York Style Potato Knishes

I thought pretty hard about what to make this week. For a NYC team, there are the obvious: Pizza, Cheescake, Black and White Cookies, or Egg Creams. But I thought it would be fun to do something you might find at Jewish Delicatessen.

With some help from my mother's boyfriend, Joe, who was born and raised in the Bronx, I decided to make Potato Knishes. A potato dumpling of sorts, either fried or baked, these are can be bought in Jewish Delis or on the street. There are many different fillings, but the most traditional is the potato with onion.

Finding a recipe wasn't easy. There are so many, but I was attempting one as authentic as possible. I'd find one that would claim to be, and then the reviewers of the site would rip it to shreds. After reading dozens and dozens of recipes, I was ready to give up. Then I found Uncle Phaedrus, Finder of Lost Recipes. I honestly don't know how authentic this recipe is to a New York Style Knish, possibly not very, because there are a lot of people on message boards trying to find recipes for the square, fried knishes and these are baked and not square, but at least they were made with dough and not phyllo like so many of the recipes claiming to be authentic.

They were surprisingly easy to make and SO DELICIOUS! I did make one change, in order to make it a little healthier. Knishes are usually made with schmaltz, which is rendered chicken fat, or another type of fat. I used a light butter-substitute spread with half of a crumbled bouillon cube instead. Authentic? Absolutely not, but this recipe is already unhealthy enough. But so good, its worth the calories for the occassional treat. I cut the recipe below in half and it made 16 minis. We ate them with yellow mustard, as you would get them on the street.

New York Style Potato Knishes, Uncle Phaedrus

1/2 c plus 2 tbls vegetable oil

1/2 c plus 2 tbls lukewarm water

1 tsp salt

About 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 lb russet potatoes (about 3 med)

3 tbls schmaltz or other fat

1 cup yellow onions, chopped (about 2 medium)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

About 2 tsp salt

About 3/4 tsp ground black pepper

Make egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tsp water)

To make dough:

Combine oil, water and salt in large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour. Gradually stir in enough of the remaining 1 cup flour to make a soft dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Form into ball, flatten slightly, cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temp for about 30 minutes. Don't refrigerate.

To make filling:

Place unpeeled potatoes in large pot. Add water and cover. Boil until fork-tender, about 25 minutes. While still warm, peel and mash. (I peeled mine first just to make it easier.)

Heat fat in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the potatoes, then the egg, salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

To assemble:

Make egg wash. Preheat over to 375, lightly grease a large baking sheet. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick. For large knishes, cut into 5 X 4 rectangles, for small cut into 3 inch squares or rounds. (I used a drinking glass with a three inch rim.) Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the center of the large knishes, or about 1 tbls in the small knishes. Bring the edges together in the center, pinching to seal.

Place the knishes seam side down on the prepared baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp. (once cooled these can be frozen. to reheat, cover loosely with foil and bake at 375 oven for 15 minutes.)

Split Pea Soup

Recently I went to a little nearby bulk and natural store, searching for something. They didn't have what I was looking for, but I felt I had to buy something...so I left with fennel seeds and a bag of dried split peas. I've used the fennel seeds but was waiting to use the split peas. Yesterday was the day, as I was in the mood for a "simple" dinner.

My split pea soup is made without meat, because frankly, I loathe ham. So no hambone for me. However it isn't missing it one bit. Blending the soup at the end results in a wonderful, velvety texture, but isn't neccesary. This was so delicious, and I'm kicking myself for not making a larger batch. I'm trying to make smaller portions of things lately, so we don't have a fridge full of leftovers, but sometimes I enjoy something so much, I'll wish I had made tons of it. We had this with a big garden salad, for a filling, complete meal.

makes 4 bowls

1 cup dried split peas, picked over

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium onion, choppped (about 3/4 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup carrot, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup celery, chopped

2 red potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup white wine

3/4 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups hot water

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried marjoram

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp cumin

fresh ground pepper

kosher salt, to taste

1. Rinse peas well. Allow to soak while chopping and sauteeing vegeatbles.

2. Heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic, for 3 minutes.

3. Add carrots, potato, celery, wine, broth, hot water, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, cumin, and a generous amount a pepper. Do not add salt. (Salt can interfere with the softening of the dried peas.) Turn heat to high, and bring to a boil.

4. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

5. Add salt to taste. Remove bay leaf. Soup can be transfered to a food processor, and pureed in batches until smooth or by using an immersion hand blender.

Grilled Chicken Burgers & Crispy Oven Baked Parmesan Fries

To say that my husband loves chicken is an understatement. Sage could eat it everyday, happily. Since it was pretty much the only meat I ate growing up, I get quite bored of chicken. But since we have it 4 or 5 times a week, I'm always trying to come up with new ways to fix it.

Last night I made chicken burgers. They were very moist, which was something I worried about. Since Beckett and Sage have a lower tolerance for spiciness than me, I went light on the seasoning, but you could definitely go for more- they'd be great with a kick. Beckett doesn't normally like chicken or really any meat (a texture thing) and he loved these!

To go with them, I fixed fries made from red potatoes. I had a little happy accident- I meant to use grated parmesan (the powdery stuff) but wasn't paying attention and grabbed my can of the shredded. It was already on the potatoes, so I went ahead with it, thinking it would just melt and make a mess...Instead it formed a "crust" on them, which made them very crispy on the outside. Like a real french fry! I used a only pinch of cayenne on these, and Beckett couldn't eat them. Sage really liked them but said they'd be better if they weren't so spicy, so make your according to your family's preference.

Grilled Chicken Burgers makes 4 burgers

2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. cubes (or sub. 1 lb. already ground chicken breast)

1/2 of a small onion, chunked (about a 1/3 cup)

1/4 of a green pepper, chunked (about a 1/3 cup)

1/2 of a celery rib, chunked

1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered

1/3 cup quick oats

2 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs

1 egg

kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp. creole seasoning blend (I used Tony Chachere's)

1. In food processor, pulse 1/2 of the chicken until minced. Transfer to large bowl, and repeat with the rest of chicken. Transfer to large bowl.

2. Add onion, green pepper, celery and garlic to food processor. Pulse to fine mince. Transfer to bowl of ground chicken. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.

3. Form into 4 large patties. (They will seem very "goopy" and be different than ground turkey or beef.) Chill until ready to grill. (I chilled mine for 45 minutes.)

4. Grill over medium-high direct heat, for 5-6 minutes a side.

We topped our with pepper jack cheese and served on toasted hamburger rolls with lettuce, tomato and lite mayo.

Crispy Oven Baked Parmesan Fries (serves 2)

3-4 red potatoes (about 3/4 lb.)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp shredded parmesan

sea or kosher salt/fresh ground pepper

pinch of cayenne peppper (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 dgrees.

2.Slice potatoes longwise into 1/2 inch wide strips, leaving skins on. Place in large bowl or ziplock baggie.

3. Add remaining ingredients. Toss to coat well.

4. Spread in a single layer on cookie sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Flip, and bake for another 15 minutes.