Sunday morning and a Pot of Beans

I love Sunday morning.  I'm the first one up by a long shot.  Everyone else is sleeping in so I get a little more quiet time.  I can reflect on the last week (and last week was a doozy!), plan for the next week, read some recipes and cook.

So if you are a regular reader, here is an update of what has been going on...

Our little Miss Leah is home from the hospital.  Mom, Grandmas, Grandpas, Great-Grandmas and Great Grandpa are all fighting over who gets to hold her next.  Everything is going well and the problem with the seizures was due to a calcium and magnesium deficiency, she has had no problems since they leveled her out with a cal/mag drip and she is happy at home.

Fairbanks had a wonderful winter storm; snow, rain, ice, power outages (some people are going over 90 hours without power and heat today and the temp. is dropping), trees fell on houses and cars...it was a real mess.  You can read about it here at Fairbanks Daily News Miner.  We were very lucky, no trees, no electrical outages, and Dave drove me to work.

The Bboy and his chick arrived Monday night.  They made it without a hitch and are settling in.  Adding two more dogs to our pack is a little exciting, but we all will adjust.  Lucky for us, the kids drove from Haines to Fairbanks between snowstorms and were tucked in at home safe and sound before the rain hit.

So, here I sit, Sunday morning, extremely thankful for a healthy baby, a safe family at home, heat and electricity, and more dogs than you can shake a stick at.

I have my happy light going, the fire crackling, and a pot of beans on the stove.  I like to make a big batch of beans, portion it, freeze it and then I always have a variety on hand to throw into soup, on top of a salad, in taco meat, or to make a dip.  Fine Cooking had a master recipe this month for chick peas, and I'm trying to add more fiber to the Bboy's diet (he has diverticulitis) and reduce salt (he also has high blood pressure.  I'm sure he would be so happy to know I am sharing this with you!) Chick peas are not something we use a lot of, so I thought I would experiment a little.  Short of hummus (you know the white stuff you serve at holidays (inside joke)), I don't really use them too much.  I'm cooking the dried beans today, I'll roast some for a snack later, use some for a puree with our chicken, and add some to cabbage later this week.  Recipes to follow.

Chickpeas with bay leaves and herbs
adapted from Fine Cooking Oct/Nov 13

1 lb. dried chickpeas (about 2.5 cups)
1 small yellow onion, peeled and quartered
3 large springs of fresh flat-leaf parsley*
3 large springs fresh thyme*
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt

Put the chick peas in a large bowl, cover with cold water by a couple of inches, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas.  Transfer to a 6-quart pot.  Tie the onion, herbs and bay leaves in a piece of cheesecloth and add the bundle to the pot.  Add 10 cups cold water and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam.  Turn the heat down to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until just tender, about 1 hour.

Add 2 tsp. salt and continue cooking until the chickpeas are fully tender and creamy on the inside but retain their shape, 15-30 minutes more.

Drain the chickpeas, reserving the cooking liquid; discard the herb bundle.  Let the chickpeas and the reserved liquid cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate in separate airtight containers for up to 5 days.

*Fairbanks did not have fresh thyme or parsley when I went to the store, so I had to use dried.

Roasted Spicy Chickpeas
15 oz. chickpeas, from above recipe (about 2 good cups) or 1 can
1 tsp. Tabasco original hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, stirring to coat well.  Pour onto baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 25 minutes, shaking pan every 10 minutes or so.  Chickpeas are done when they are crunchy.

1 year ago: Gingerbread Biscotti
2 years ago: Hard Apple Cider

November 18, 2013   Daylight 5 hrs, 55 min, 23 sec   Temp. H 0/ L -7°F