Sheet Pan Roasted Gnocchi Butternut Squash

Sheet pan recipes are all the rage and with good reason. Sheet Pan Roasted Gnocchi Butternut Squash is quick and easy to prep. Only one pan to wash, so clean up is easy.

Sheet Pan Roasted Gnocchi Butternut Squash

Even though Tim is the dish-man extraordinaire, the fewer dishes, the better when making a meal. This recipe does use a bowl, or at least I did to mix the gnocchi and squash, but you could mix it right on the sheet pan. The beauty of using a sheet pan is versatility. Continue reading “Sheet Pan Roasted Gnocchi Butternut Squash”

Chickpea Salad With Apples and Pecans

Chickpea Salad With Apples and Pecans

Chickpea Salad With Apples and Pecans 2

Chickpea, oh chickpea, how do I love thee……..let me count the ways……..

I eat chickpeas everyday, and no, I am not exaggerating. At the High School in my School District, we have a very large ala carte line with lots of great food items. We also have a rocking salad bar, on which we have chickpeas….a.k.a. garbanzo beans. I have a salad daily and I load on the chickpeas.

Chickpeas are a great source of protein (good for vegetarians), loaded with fiber, contains vitamins and minerals and significantly boosts your intake of manganese and folate. So kinda the Superman of Beans !!

Chickpea Salad With Apples and Pecans 1

Making a salad with them seemed like the natural thing to do. I made a kinda tuna salad from them. Mashed up the chickpeas, added shallots, celery, dill, and for extra crunch and yummy flavor, some crisp apples, and toasted pecans. Just add lemon juice and a touch of relish and you have a chickpeas salad that will rival a tuna salad any day of the week!

Chickpea Salad With Apples and Pecans

I wrapped mine in lettuce leaves, but it would be awesome on toasted whole grain bread, or stuffed inside a pita.

So, next time you want a light, refreshing, and crunchy salad……try making Chickpeas Salad with Apple and Pecans. Perfect for you vegetarians or if you want to try a meatless Monday!!

Chickpea Salad with Apples and Pecans Collage

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Chickpea Salad With Apples and Pecans

  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzos beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 apple, cored and chopped
  • 1 stalk celery chopped
  • 1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
  • 2 tablespoons dill relish
  • 1 large shallot
  • juice of fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
  • Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Pulse the garbanzo beans in the bowl of a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped.
  2. Transfer to a medium bowl and add apple, celery, pecans, relish, shallot, dill, lemon juice, and celery seeds.
  3. Stir until well combined. Season with pepper and chill until ready to serve. Wrap in lettuce leaves or serve on toasted bread or stuffed in a pita.

 

Cast Iron Cake

Cast Iron Cake

Cast Iron Cake

 

I have a new love……….it’s a cast iron skillet. Where has it been all my life?????

I came across a couple of cast iron skillets way back in the cupboard right after Tim and I were married……..and thats where they have stayed, until recently.

While looking at and researching recipes for the blog, I noticed that a lot of folks still use them……….I always thought they were for those of a certain generation (sorry) or for camping ( yuck…..but thats a different story). So just for kicks, I have tried them for different things over the last couple of months. Well to my surprise, they are great!!!

So, when I came across a recipe at www.kitchendaily.com and it used a cast iron skillet and it was chocolate……………I had to try it and it turned out beautifully. Not only was it easy to prepare, with things almost all pantries have, but you only need one bowl and the skillet. It was chocolatey, and the frosting melted into the cake and made it moist, almost pudding like.

The Cast Iron Cake is a homey, rustic chocolate cake, topped with a dollop of whipped cream…………yummmmmm!

Cast Iron Cake Collage

 

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Cast Iron Cake

Cast Iron Cake

  • Author: Marty Boyd
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Adapted from Kitchen Daily recipe……..


Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Cake:
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup oil
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • For Frosting:
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecans chopped
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*
  2. Sift the flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, bring the butter, oil, cocoa powder, and water to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the dry ingredients. Stir in the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
  4. Set cake aside.
  5. To make the frosting:
  6. In a medium saucepan, place the butter, cocoa powder, and milk and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients, mixing well. Pour warm frosting over warm cake and spread over entire cake.

Keywords: chocolate, cake, bake, cast iron, skillet