Chick Pea Burgers

Original Recipe: https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/spiced-chickpea-burgers-with-vadouvan-sweet-potato-fries-lemon-yogurt-sauce

• 2 Whole Wheat Buns
• 1½ Cups Cooked Chickpeas
• ¼ Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Persian Cucumber
• 1 Pound Sweet Potatoes
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 2 Tablespoons Chickpea Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Vadouvan Curry Powder 
• ¼ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1Prepare the ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Halve the buns. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Transfer ⅔ of the chickpeas to a large bowl and smash with a fork; leave the remaining chickpeas whole. Peel and mince the garlic; using the flat side of your knife, smash until it resembles a paste. Quarter and deseed the lemon. Thinly slice the cucumber. Cut the sweet potatoes into ½-inch-thick rounds. Peel and small dice the onion. In a medium bowl, combine theyogurt, the juice of 2 lemon wedges and ¼ of the garlic paste; drizzle with olive oil and stir to thoroughly combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2Roast the sweet potatoes & chickpeas:

Place the sweet potatoes and whole chickpeas on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and ⅓ of the vadouvan curry powder; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and roast 18 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are slightly browned and tender and the chickpeas are slightly crispy. Transfer to a serving dish.

3Cook the aromatics:

While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas roast, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add theremaining garlic paste, onion and remaining vadouvan curry powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened and fragrant. Transfer to the bowl of smashed chickpeas. Wipe out the pan.

4Form the patties:

While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas continue to roast, add the chickpea flour and Parmesan cheese to the bowl of smashed chickpeas and cooked aromatics; season with salt and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined. When cool enough to handle, using your hands, divide the mixture in half; flatten into two 1-inch-thick patties

5Cook the patties:

While the sweet potatoes and chickpeas continue to roast, in the same pan used to cook the aromatics, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Carefully add the patties. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned and heated through. Remove from heat. Set aside in a warm place.

6Toast the buns & plate your dish:

In the pan used to cook the patties, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the buns, cut sides down. Toast 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a clean work surface. Place the cooked patties on the toasted bun bottoms. Top each with the lemon yogurt sauce, cucumber and the bun tops. Garnish with the remaining lemon wedges. Serve with theroasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas on the side. Enjoy!

 Hot Mama Grade: B

Hot Mama Notes:  This recipe, as I find all blue apron recipes to be, is a lot of work.  It is good.  I don't know that it was GREAT.  I am not sure I would make it again.  Also, it is best when fresh on the first day...

Green Chicken Curry, Blue Apron

Original Recipe at: https://www.blueapron.com/recipes/green-curry-chicken-with-jasmine-rice-and-long-beans
Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts

1 Small Can Coconut Milk

1 Ounce Green Curry Paste

2 Cloves Garlic

1 Stalk Lemongrass

1 Bunch Cilantro

1 Lime

½ Cup Jasmine Rice

1 Bunch Chinese Long Beans 

Directions:

1. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Trim the bottom off the lemongrass until you reach the tender, pliable white core, then chop it finely. Next, trim the tops off the long beans and chop them into bite size pieces. Then, roughly chop the cilantro. Lastly, slice the chicken into thin strips. Set everything aside in small bowls.

2. Put 1 cup of water on to boil. Once boiling, add the rice, cover, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer the rice as you continue cooking.

3. Drizzle a little olive oil in a medium pan, and turn the heat to high. Add the chicken and cook until it begins to brown and is cooked through, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the garlic and lemongrass to the chicken and cook for another minute. Next add the green curry paste, coconut milk, and long beans. By now the rice should be cooked. Remove the pot from the heat to rest with the lid on.

5. Cook the green curry mixture for another 6-7 minutes, adding water if it gets too thick. Plate the rice in a deep bowl and spoon the green curry on top. Garnish with some fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Hot Mama Notes:  This recipe was very good.  But, a bit laborious.  Not the quick and easy dinner meal that I favor, since I am always late and running behind.  Tasty.  I am not sure if I will make it again any time soon.  Maybe when I have more ... time!  I used fresh green beans in place of chinese long beans, since that is what they had available at the grocery store.

Hot Mama Grade: A

Peanutbutter Graham Cracker Sandwiches

I made my own recipe adapted from these two:

http://sprinklesomesunshine.blogspot.com/2012/08/peanut-butter-sandwich-treat-party.html

and

http://picky-palate.com/2011/06/30/chocolate-peanut-butter-sandwiches-from-disneyland/print/

I used:

1c milk chocolate chips melted with 1 T shortening.
1 c creamy peanutbutter 
1 c powdered sugar
Graham Crackers, halved

I used as many graham crackers as were needed to use up the filling.  I cannot recall if I used 3c or 2c of peanutbutter, but whatever I used it was too much.  I also skipped also the refrigeration steps because I was in a rush, which is also a mistake.  So, my sandwiches were a sloppy mess, but tasty!  ;)  I put them in the freezer to harden them up.  I am not sure I would make these again.  They are a bit of work and very messy.  Plus, they are super rich.  I would almost rather just have chocolate covered PB balls or chocolate PB Bars.  

Hot Mama Grade: B

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich…Picky Palate’s Version

• 3 cups good quality chopped milk chocolate
• 4 tablespoons shortening
• 12 halved graham crackers
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter

Directions

1. Melt chocolate and shortening over a double boiler, stirring to melt.  I use a small saucepan, boil water, reduce heat to low and place a heat proof bowl over the saucepan then add my chocolate, stirring until melted.
2. Dip each graham cracker into chocolate and let set up on wax or parchment paper.  Stick in the freezer for a few minutes to speed this up.  Spread 2 tablespoons (or a cookie scoopful) of peanut butter over the top of each dipped graham cracker then place in the freezer for 10 more minutes.  This step is important.   While the peanut butter is freezing, remove chocolate from heat and stir, so it cools slightly and thickens up a touch. Slowly and carefully spoon melted chocolate over tops and sides of peanut butter.  This is where the patience and work comes in.  Use a small spoon working the chocolate around the edges and sides.  You’ll then use a little plastic knife to run the chocolate around the edges and clean it up a little.  Let set up, (stick back in the freezer for another 10 minutes) then with a spoon, drizzle chocolate over top to get the “lines” you see in the pictures above.  (If your chocolate is too thick at this point, set it back over the double boiler so it melts a little bit).
3. My reviews…Definitely keep these chilled just like Disneyland does, they melt rather quickly once your fingers get on them.  It was tricky to get mine to look quite as pretty as the Disneyland ones, but with a little patience you can do it!  Have fun and keep them chilled!

Makes 12 sandwiches

Peanut Butter Sandwich Treat

makes 6 treats

6 graham crackers

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate for dipping (I used chocolate Candiquik today) but you could also use the chocolate chip/shortening combo (12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips & 2 tablespoons shortening, melted together).

1.  Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar & vanilla with a fork in a bowl & stick it in the freezer to firm up a bit.

2. Melt chocolate (Candiquik melts beautifully in the microwave) & brush one side of the graham crackers with melted chocolate using a pastry brush. 

3. Scoop peanut butter mixture on top of chocolate side of the graham crackers. I used about 2 tablespoons of pb mixture per cracker. Spread pb evenly to edges of cracker.

4. Place crackers in freezer for a bit to firm up the pb.

5. Reheat the chocolate if needed. Dip the pb graham crackers into chocolate. I set them in the bowl of melted chocolate, one at a time, & spooned the melted chocolate over the top. Then lift the cracker out of chocolate with a fork & tapped the fork on the side of the bowl so extra chocolate drips off into the bowl. 

6. Place on waxed paper or parchment paper & allow chocolate to set up. I drizzled extra melted chocolate over the top. Store in refrigerator & serve very cold.

Fennel Quiche

Ronald’s Fennel Quiche
From the Moosewood Restaurant New Classics Cookbook

Crust:

1 c unbleached white flour
1/2 t salt (optional)*
1/3 c chilled butter
2 T ice water

Filling:

2 T olive oil
3/4 c diced onions
1/2 t salt
1 c thinly sliced or diced fresh fennel (bulbs)
2 medium fresh tomatoes
1 c seeded and diced zucchini
1 t ground fennel seeds
2T minced fresh bsil
1/4 t ground black pepper
4 eggs
1.5 c grated feta cheese, packed
1 c grated Swiss cheese, packed

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 1 hour
Baking time: 50 minutes

Mix together the flour and the salt, if using, in a large bowl. Rapidly work the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or your fingers until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle the ice water over the mixture a tablespoon at a time, and lightly mix it through the dough.

Push the dampened dough from the sides to the middle of the bowl, to form a ball that holds together. Transfer it to a clean, dry work surface. Cut the dough in half, place one half on top of the other, and press down. Repeat the cutting and pressing steps three or four times until all of the water is well distributed and the dough clings together. 

Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the pie dough to a 9-inch pie plate, fold the edges under, and crimp with your fingers or a fork. Refrigerate the pie shell while you prepare the filling.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive skillet. Add the onions and salt, and sauté on medium heat until the onions are translucent and juicy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the fresh fennel and sauté for another 3 to 5 minutes. The edges of the onions will begin to brown.

While the onions and fennel cook, halve the tomatoes through the stem sends and scoop out the pulp and juice, setting aside ½ cup of it. Dice enough of the tomato flesh to make 1 cup and add it, with the z8ucchini and ground fennel, to the skillet. Cook on medium, heat for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the tomatoes soften and begin to fall apart. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and pepper.

In a blender, puree the eggs, the reserved ½ cup of tomato pulp and juice, and the feta to form a smooth custard. Spoon the sautéed vegetables into the chilled crust, top with the grated Swiss, and pour the custard over all. The pie will be very full.

Bake for 50 minutes, until the quiche is domed, crusty, and golden.

http://hotmamacookbook.blogspot.com/2013/04/unbaked-single-pie-crust-savory.html 

Chili Rellenos Casserole - Lazy Chili Rellenos

Original Recipe at: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/11/lazy-chiles-rellenos/

Ingredients

• 8 whole Roasted, Peeled, And Seeded Green Chiles
• 1-1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
• 5 whole Large Eggs
• 2 cups Whole Milk
•  Salt And Black Pepper To Taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Mix together eggs, milk, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne.
Cut chilies in half and add a single layer of chilies on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Top chilies with half the grated cheese.
Repeat with another layer of chilies and another layer of cheese.
Pour egg mixture all over the top.
Place into a larger baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Pour in 1/2 inch of water and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until completely set.
Cut into squares and serve with warm corn tortillas!

Hot Mama Notes: I roasted my own chilis from the garden.  I thought about making actual rellenos, but it seemed like a lot of work, and I was short on time!  As it is, the kids are complaining about being hungry.  :/  I used a jack/chedder cheese blend.  I used season salt.  I had maybe 10 smaller chilis, mainly poblanos, but there might have been another type in there, too.  

To roast the chilis, I followed these directions (which are from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/authentic-mexican-chili-rellenos/):

1. Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place peppers onto the prepared baking sheet, and cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes. Turn the peppers often to blacken all sides. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl, and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 15 minutes.
2. Rinse cooled peppers under cold water to peel off the skins, and cut a slit along the long side of each pepper to remove the seeds and core. Rinse the peppers inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels.

The kids didn't really dig this recipe much (well, the older one like it okay, but the younger two wouldn't eat much), but my Hubby and I *loved* it!!!  I guess you can't go wrong with what is essentially an EGG casserole.  YUM.  The fresh roasted fresh chilis were the BOMB.  We will definitely make this recipe again.  We are always looking for recipes to use up the chiles from the garden!  :D

Hot Mama Grade: A! :D

I also liked this link about chilis:

http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/chilerecipes/r/Roasted-Green-Chiles.htm

All chiles start out green, and then as they mature, they change color to yellow, orange, red or purple. Green chiles are picked as soon as they reach their full size, but before they begin to change color. They are usually roasted before using them in recipes to impart a smoky flavor as well as soften them and make the skin easy to remove.

Heat Source
Begin by preparing your heat source. You will need something extremely hot to char the chiles with. An open flame, such as a grill, is best but you can also roast them in a hot pan or under a broiler. Turn up the heat and begin roasting the chiles by turning them frequently over the heat source. Roast them until the skins are blackened and blistering. The skins do not need to be solid black, just blackened in areas and the rest of the skin should appear loosened and browned. 

This should take about 10 minutes over an open flame or in a broiler, and 15-20 minutes if you roast them in a pan.

Steaming the Chiles (optional)
Once the skin is thoroughly charred, remove the chiles from the heat source and into a bowl. Cover the bowl loosely so that the hot roasted chiles create a steam. You can cover the bowl with aluminum foil, a lid, or a dish towel. Let the chiles steam for about 10 minutes. This helps to loosen the skins even more, but this step can be skipped if time is of the essence.

Preparing the Chiles 
When the chiles have cooled enough to where you can touch them, begin peeling of the skin. The skin should peel off easily, but if it is being stubborn, you can run it under warm water while peeling. This will remove some of the chiles flavorful oils and should only be done if the skin is very hard to remove.
If you are using the green chiles for rellenos (stuffed chiles) use a knife to cut a two-inch slit from the stem and down the side and use a spoon to carefully scoop out the seeds.

Roasted chiles tear very easily so go slowly and take your time. If you're using the chiles for anything else, you can cut the stem portion off and then slit the remaining chile down the entire side and open it up. Use a spoon to scrape the seeds off. Discard the seeds and stems and use the roasted green chile in your recipe.


More on How to Roast Chiles:
http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/techniques/ht/roastchiles.htm

You can roast chiles under medium heat on the broiler, on a very hot grill, over open fire or on the stove top. For the stove top method it is helpful to use a metal steaming basket placed over the open flame. Place the chiles into the basket and keep the flame medium.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: 10-20 minutes

Here's How:

1. Prepare chiles
   Clean chiles and dry thoroughly.
2. Prepare heat
   Get the heat source ready. Pre-heat broiler or grill, get fire ready or place the metal steamer over the open flame of a stove top

1. Char chiles
   Place cleaned chiles under or over the heat and turn every minute or so until the skin is blackened. The entire chile will not be completely black, but it should be charred about 60%. It should take 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Remove from heat
   Carefully remove the charred chiles from the heat source. Tongs are helpful for this.
3. Sweat chiles
   Carefully place the chiles into a plastic baggie and seal it. This will steam the chiles to continue the cooking and make the skins easier to remove. Let the chiles sweat for 10-15 minutes. Use additional baggies if roasting a large number of chiles.
4. Remove skins
   Remove the chiles from the bag one at a time. As you remove them, rub the chiles to remove the skins. Use a knife to remove any skin that sticks.
5. Use or store
   When the chiles are all peeled, you can use them immediately for best flavor, or freeze them for later use.

Tips:

1. If a baggie is not available, place the chiles in a plastic storage container with a lid. Or on a plate covered with plastic wrap or a towel.

1. 
   What You Need: Be careful of the heat. Always use tongs, pot holders or whatever you need to protect yourself.
2. Remember that the chile does not need to be completely black. As long as the chile is at least 60% charred, it should be fine.
3. Some people remove the skins while holding the chile under running water. The water can remove some of the flavorful oils in the chile so try to remove the skins with just your fingers.

• Fresh, whole chiles
• Heat source- broiler, grill, open fire, stove top with a metal steam basket
• Tongs
• Plastic baggie or plastic wrap