Baked Plantain Chips & Guac

Whenever I am in need of some cooking inspiration, a visit to a new restaurant or at the very least, studying the menu, usually does the trick. So, no, I can't claim to be the mastermind behind this tasty snack - truth be told, even vending machines these days boast their own (far less fresh) versions of plantain chips. 

I first really started to enjoy plantains after a trip to Costa Rica on a self-declared  spring break during my first year of working in the real world. Often times for lunch or dinner, I would order a dish called "Casado", which included rice, beans, sweet plantains, meat, and veggies - quite a meal packed on a plate! Anyhow, sweet plantains are delicious, but interestingly enough require using overripe (yellow or black) plantains, as opposed to the underripe (green) plantains used for making chips.

I have included some loose guidelines below in the quest to execute the recipe to perfection! There is no exact science to making the chips and guac so get in there and taste test as you go. 

The "Recipe"... if you can call it that
Green Plantains, peeled and thinly sliced
Olive oil
Salt (Jane's Crazy Salt if you can get your hands on it)
Pepper
Seasonings: I used - Cumin, Paprika, Garlic powder, Cayenne (I would warn against being too heavy handed on this one)

Guacamole:
2-3 medium RIPE avocados, reserve at least one pit
1/2 lime
2 cloves garlic (use more if you wish!)
salt (about 1 tsp as a starting point)
pepper (about 1 tsp as a starting point)
cumin (about 1/2 tsp is a good starting point)
red pepper flakes (depends how much kick you want, try starting with 1/4 tsp)

1/2 tomato, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Slice off the skin of the plantain (peeling does not work particularly well). Then I would recommend cutting in half horizontally so you can stand the plantain up and ultimately have a better shot at achieving the desired thing slices. 

Toss the thinly sliced plantains in some olive oil and desired seasonings then placed on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes to start (might require more time to crisp depending on how thin the slices are), remove from oven and turn over, return to oven and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes. If this doesn't achieve a desired crispy-ness, continue baking for additional time. 

While the chips are baking, begin on the guac by slicing each avocado in half vertically and scooping out the avocado (reserve one pit). Add the juice of half a lime and then mash into the desired consistency. Mix in garlic and spices, then fold in  tomato and onion. Taste test and add additional spices as necessary.

If by chance you find yourself with leftover guac, use the reserved pit to store and prevent the guac from browning. 

Purely Granola

As far as summer discoveries go, here's one for the books; Purely Elizabeth = Pure Bliss. Allow me to explain. Having two close friends with celiac has turned me on to many things gluten-free. So when I noticed Purely Elizabeth Original Ancient  Grain granola on the shelf at Whole Foods (of course) I couldn't resist picking up a bag for one of my favorite glutards...and later I returned to get one for myself. 

This amazing product is not only gluten-free, but also made with coconut oil, which gives it standout flavor; quinoa; and chia seeds - a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and antioxidants. 

Chia seeds may sound familiar - and even cause you to subconsciously sing the "ch-ch-ch-chia pet" jingle. After some quick googling to get to the bottom of the similarities, hit #2 revealed, "Don't eat your chia pet, but chia seeds are proving healthy." Bottom line, chia seeds are used to make chia pets, sans FDA standards. In addition to the benefits above, chia seeds actually prove to be energy and endurance enhancing - great news for a wannabe runner such as myself.

As I eyed up the final few grains in my first bag of Purely Elizabeth, on sale  for a not so budget friendly $6, I was determined to get my hands on a cheaper version. With this in mind, I made another important discovery - granola is incredibly straightforward to make at home. One quick trip to the grocery store and I was ready to tackle a new food project.

I offered the first test run of granola to one of my coworkers, a fellow Purely Elizabeth enthusiast. She keenly picked out that mine contained more cinnamon flavor and moisture than the original. I tried a few different variations and encourage you to dial ingredient amounts up and down to your liking. For a more cluster-y granola, try using some additional honey - drizzle on the granola once it is spread on the pan.

The recipe:
2 cups multi grain oats (for the gluten free version use gluten free oats)
3 tbsp coconut oil
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp uncooked quinoa
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp Sunflower seeds

Preheat oven to 300°. In a large bowl, stir together coconut oil, honey, cinnamon, salt, oats, quinoa, chia, and sunflower seeds . Mix until evenly coated.

Spread in an even layer on a foil or parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stir and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

Note: cooking times may vary by oven so be sure to keep an eye (and nose) on the granola.

Nectarine, Prosciutto and Arugula Flatbread

In the age-old battle of battle of toe-may-toe, toe-mah-toe, we have some new contenders: pro-shoot and pro-shoo-toe. Today' story is of Fruit and Pro-shoot (rhymes!). A quick google search informs me that some italians have taken it upon themselves to drop the last syllable of the word, but regardless of the pronunciation, this recipe brings together the salty and the sweet in perfect harmony to create a little something savory. 

I will be the first to admit that I constantly find myself brainstorming ways to incorporate fruits into recipes other than desserts, but when we're talking sweet, juicy nectarines it is 100% warranted. Nectarines are the long lost cousin of the peach and in my experience; the pros - no "peach fuzz", the cons - they can be very difficult to cut around the pit. I have often had more luck finding flavor-packed nectarines...there have been one too many times I ended up with a bland peach. But my new rule to live by for peaches is: if you can smell the flavor you'll be able to taste it. So regardless, either variation will work for this recipe. Especially because when paired with the prosciutto (something I always consider a treat) and other ingredients, this flatbread becomes a prime candidate for a dinner party appetizer that won't go unnoticed. 

Another great way to elevate the flatbread is to add a drizzle of balsamic glaze on top. But whatever you do...

I guarantee this won't last long!

The recipe:

Flatbreads (like Trader Joe's Middle Eastern Whole Wheat Flatbread)

1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese, divided

Prosciutto (about 1.5 thick slices or 3 thin strips per flatbread, enough to mostly cover)

Nectarine, sliced

1 tbsp chopped basil

1/3 c. arugula

Olive oil

Pepper

Oregano

Preheat broiler. Drizzle olive oil over the flatbread and spread around to lightly coat. Sprinkle with

pepper and oregano. Sprinkle half of shaved parmesan over the flatbread. Place in the broiler for 1 minute to melt the cheese.

Remove and drape prosciutto slices over (about 3 thin slices), arrange nectarine slices atop prosciutto.

Return to broiler for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile mix together basil and arugula and drizzle with a tiny bit of

olive oil (<1tsp). Remove pizza from oven and top with arugula mixture.

Top with remaining parmesan (if you wish). Cut into pieces and serve. (Also - try drizzling with balsamic glaze for some additional contrast!)

Another note: After melting the cheese you could skip any return to the broiler for more of a cool and refreshing nectarine/prosciutto combination, while still maintaining the crispy crust.

Quick Caramel Popcorn

 

What happens when Orville Redenbacher and Mrs. Richardon get together? Instant gratification. For some reason it never occurred to me that caramel corn would be so easy to make at home...this could prove to be a very dangerous discovery. I guess the good news is that for now I am out of both popcorn and caramel sauce.

  Shockingly this recipe weighs in at less than 250 calories. Stop drooling and go make some!

The recipe:

100 calorie size bag of popcorn
2 tbsp caramel sauce (I used Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel)

Preheat toaster oven to 250 degrees. Prepare popcorn as you normally would in the microwave. Transfer popcorn to a foil lined try and drizzle half of the caramel sauce on top, mix up with a wooden spoon, drizzle remaining sauce over the popcorn and mix again. Place the tray in the toaster oven for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for as long as you can stand (1-2 minutes) and enjoy!

Snack Time: Baked Chickpeas

Neglect: The passing of three weeks before writing in my food blog. Sorry readers, for the next few months you might have to get used to it. Work has been nothing short of intense to start the year, while attempting to study for the CFA, keep up with friends/family, etc...you get the point!

Anyway, here is a quick one to break the hiatus. As much as I love cooking, I also like variety, so as a result, I sometimes wind up with ingredients that run the risk going bad and to waste...never something I like to have happen. So as therapeutic as cooking is for me and as much as I'd like to think my brain shuts off when I'm not at work or studying, even cooking becomes a problem solving exercise! Case in point: baked chickpea snacks. I love having chickpeas in my salads, but they do tend to go bad after a few days of sitting in the fridge. This simple recipe is an easy fix to that problem and the end result is a great crunchy snack that doesn't even require a full-sized oven. I used my trusty little toaster oven. If the low maintenance recipe wasn't enough to convince you to try them, Chickpeas are also a very good source of folic acid, fiber, rich in iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium AND are a good source of protein. The recipe:
-1 can (or what remains of the can) of Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
-Cooking spray or Olive Oil to very lightly coat-
Seasoning of your choice - I used primarily Tony's Creole, but this is your opportunity to get creative
-Salt

Preheat oven/toaster oven to 400˚F.
Drain chickpeas and rinse under cold water. Lay out on paper towels and pat dry with paper towels on top, roling around to remove the chickpea shells as you go.

Toss chickpeas with a small amount of oil, spices, and salt . Put them on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes until golden brown and crunchy. Toss and rotate about every 10 minutes.

They get crunchier after they cool so allow them to sit for a bit. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.