Artichoke Hearts and Peas with Parsley Bread Crumbs

The power of suggestion can be strong sometimes, especially when you want it to be. We really do have the power to will a situation into being. It is like Paulo Coelho says in The Alchemist: The universe is kind to those who follow their hearts. That story is a reminder that what we envision for our lives can come true, even our wildest dreams. Or even on a smaller scale...

It was toward the end of the workday one day last week. It was the time of day to start thinking of the dinner menu. I wasn't in the mood for the fallback roasted vegetable topped with an over medium egg. I wanted something different.

Inspiration was inevitable because I work for a food website. But I wanted something fresh that would help me branch out a little. And low and behold, after only a few minutes of scanning, I came across a dish with artichoke hearts, peas, and tomatoes. It was quite visually appealing and got the culinary juices flowing. Sometimes a nudge is all we need. And I am not speaking of the 'nudging' that goes on in Words with Friends, although I have been guilty of nudging a friend or three to take their turn dangit.

 I knew my freezer held artichoke hearts, bread crumbs, and chicken sausage. I always have a partially cut-up onion. Kale, peas, and parsley were the only components to buy and would 'green-up' the dish. My coworker and friend A and I are always discussing how we forget how good sauteed bread crumbs are sprinkled over pasta or vegetables. The Brutus salad at Steelhead Diner has the best gremolata made with pine nuts sauteed with crushed croutons. So I decided to make a variation of that with garlic, bread crumbs, olive oil, fresh parsley, and lemon zest for the topping.

Whether we are looking for dinner inspiration, a new apartment, or a new perspective on life, sometimes all we have to do is type it into the search bar.

Artichoke Hearts and Peas with Parsley Bread Crumbs
Makes 2 servings

This does seem like a gigantic list of ingredients and steps, but it is ready pretty quickly. You can always make the bread crumb mixture ahead of time. It keeps well in the refrigerator. The sausage can also be cooked ahead as well. The result is definitely worth it for a nice light weeknight dinner or in a small portion as the first course for a dinner party.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
salt and black pepper
2 cups frozen artichoke hearts, defrosted
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken sausages, sliced

1 large lemon, zested and juiced
1/2 cup frozen peas

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over low heat; saute onion, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and slightly caramelized, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir artichoke hearts, basil, and thyme into onions. Saute, stirring often, until artichoke hearts are completely cooked and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat; saute sliced chicken sausage until browned, about 10 minutes. Add sausage to artichoke hearts. Pour half the lemon zest, all the lemon juice, and the peas into artichoke mixture and immediately cover; simmer on low.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a third skillet over medium-low heat; saute garlic and bread crumbs until fragrant and bread crumbs are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and pour bread crumb mixture into a small bowl; fold in parsley and remaining lemon zest.

Transfer artichoke mixture to two plates; sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.

Mango Coconut Compote

The first time visiting Hawaii, we stayed at a place that served coconut syrup at the breakfast buffet. In addition to the tropical landscape, endless pineapples, and a Mai Tai option at ever corner, the coconut syrup was one of the most memorable aspects of the trip. That was four years ago.

I actually never sat down to figure out how to make it until the other day in the midst of making this compote for Saturday pancakes. I had the realization that the creaminess in the coconut syrup was probably from coconut oil. So at the last minute, I stirred in a spoonful. It made all the difference.

It is always a risky move to stir something into a self-concocted recipe...right at the end. I had committed a good 20 minutes to this compote and was so relieved when the the coconut oil made it even better. It rounded out the sweetness. Let this be a lesson in life. Round things out at the end by taking a calculated risk from time to time. It might just be worth it.

Mango Coconut Compote
Makes about 1/3 cup

3 mandarin oranges, peeled
1/2 cup frozen chopped mangoes
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Place oranges in a blender; blend until completely pureed. Transfer orange juice to a small saucepan; add mangoes, water, vanilla extract, and honey. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced to a syrup consistency, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in shredded coconut and coconut oil.

Cheesy Eggs with Tortilla Chips

Thanks to having the best job in the world, I was inspired to make this dish two nights in a row this week. My colleagues threw a breakfast party last week that featured migas, which was new to me. We received an email in the morning to join the party in the cafe. Not knowing what migas were, my cube-mates and I followed the seductive aromas up the stairs.

If you could bottle the sensations of weekend brunch, this would have been an exact replica. Coffee brewing, onions and red peppers sauteing, eggs and cheese scrambling, orange juice pouring...and the low lull of conversation weaving through the warm, humid air.

A colleague was crunching and folding tortilla chips into a huge skillet of scrambled eggs and I was enlightened. How has this never crossed my mind? Basically crossing breakfast burritos with tacos with tamales creates a salty skillet of perfection.

We were driving home from a weekend at the cabin on Sunday and little by little I realized all the ingredients for migas were in my kitchen. What a great way to spend Sunday evening after a relaxing, sunny weekend in the mountains. Migas and beer for dinner is pretty much heaven on a plate.

Cheesy Eggs with Tortilla Chips
2 servings

Basically sauteing any variety of vegetable with onions will do the trick. Wrapping a corn tortilla around the cheesy, veggie-inspired eggs is even more of a treat. Serve a green salad alongside for a complete meal.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 red peppers, thinly sliced
2 cup chopped cauliflower
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and black pepper
1 cup tortilla chips, roughly crushed
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet; saute onion, red peppers, and cauliflower until tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Fold tortilla chips into vegetable mixture; keep over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a separate small skillet over medium heat. Whisk eggs and milk together in a small bowl; pour into the hot oil. Cook egg mixture, stirring very gently, until scrambled, about 5 minutes.

Fold scrambled eggs and Cheddar cheese into vegetable mixture until cheese melts.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

It is the first Monday of the month, which means: Recipe Swap time. Christianna of Burwell General Store sifts through a vintage cookbook for a unique and sometimes very unique recipe for us to alter and make our own. This month was 'Stuffed French Pancakes'. It entails simmering a creamy, chicken-based sauce that is poured into the center of a pancake. The pancake is rolled around the sauce and served with a ladle of Morney sauce. Upon reading this, my stomach kind of turned. But then in all fairness, I considered ham and cheese-filled crepes, realizing savory crepes are quite nice. This wasn't so bad.

Timing worked out perfectly with the Super Bowl yesterday. T was having her annual party and a chicken-inspired dish was the perfect addition to the snack table. Buffalo chicken dip seemed to be quite a popular topic in conversation at work this January, so why not make a cheesy chicken dip for the swap and the party?

My natural inclination is to use creative liberties to change recipes, especially if it can be made healthier or a little lower in fat. But keeping the spirit of calorie-dense food consumption on game days, I bought full fat cream cheese and regular ranch dressing. But I did at least buy Annie's dressing, and was pleasantly surprised to learn Frank's Hot Sauce only has five ingredients, none of which are artificial red food coloring. The sauce is naturally red from cayenne peppers. So all in all, not so bad...and quite delicious.

Super Bowl parties are about the socializing, the food table, and the halftime entertainment for me. Even though I am not football's number one fan, I do love a national gathering day that brings friends and families together. I was laughing with some of the friends at the party at how we only see each other once a year at this party. It is always a great opportunity to invite other groups of friends for a merging of friend circles. Although most people are getting pumped up for the actual football game, there are so many other great parts of the day that form and maintain the bonding spirit. Woot woot!



Buffalo Chicken Dip
Yields many servings
Inspired by an Allrecipes.com recipe

1 chicken breast
1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank's(R) Hot Sauce)
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup ranch-style dressing (such as Annie's(R))
1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add chicken breast. Cook at a rolling boil until chicken is completely cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove chicken from water and place on a cutting board. Shred chicken using two forks.

Heat a skillet over medium heat; add chicken and hot sauce. Bring to a simmer and stir in cream cheese, stirring continuously until cream cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in ranch dressing and cook until dip becomes smooth and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Fold in Cheddar cheese and parsley; cook until Cheddar cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Transfer dip to a fondue pot or slow cooker. Serve with celery sticks.

Peanut Butter Buckeyes

A few years ago I dedicated a post to peanut butter. A few readers were disappointed after committing themselves to a recipeless post. So now, two years later, I have made a set of the miniature balls of decadence. It was quite a thrilling exercise to finally make the little confections; it was like walking behind the scenes. I am from Ohio, and have consumed dozens of them in my life, but have never coated my hands in peanut butter and done the deed. It should be a right of passage to make them at least once.

There was a certain sense of pride seeping into the kitchen the afternoon, the Midwest and the Northwest combining forces. I was humming a little bit more while gliding around the kitchen. The sun seemed to be shining brighter through the blinds. Going beyond peanut butter and chocolate and embracing my roots was so grounding. The rest of the day felt like an open canvas. Now I just need to remember that feeling and do something inspiring, however small it is, everyday...who knows where it could lead. Buckeyes sure are memorable little things.

Peanut Butter Buckeyes
Makes 15 buckeyes
Inspired by an Allrecipes.com recipe

3/4 cup natural peanut butter (such as Adam's(R))
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pinches salt

1/4 10 ounce bag good quality dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter

Mix peanut butter, powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Roll peanut butter mixture into 15 ping pong ball-sized balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate peanut butter balls for at least 1 hour.

Heat chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon butter in the top bowl of a double boiler over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth.

Insert a toothpick into a peanut butter ball and dip into the melted chocolate until the majority of the ball is covered; transfer back to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls. Pinch the tops of the buckeyes back together to close the hole where the toothpicks were used. Refrigerate buckeyes until chocolate has solidified, at least 30 minutes.