Spicy roasted chickpeas

Ok, the first thing I need to do is warn you against the highly addictive nature of those fabulous roasted chickpeas.

Now that that's out of the way, here's how you can make the most delicious of delicious snacks.

Try them, they really are a treat :)


INGREDIENTS (yields about two half-pint mason jars):
- 2 15oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained really well
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- a pinch of ground pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 425F
- in a large baking sheet, or baking dish, spread the drained chickpeas in a single layer and pat them with paper towels until very dry to the touch

Note: if they are even a little bit moist, they will not get crunchy. You can let them air dry an hour after  for better results
- in a bowl, mix the spices and the olive oil until well blended, add the dry chickpeas and stir until uniformly coated

- spread the spiced chickpeas in a single layer on a baking sheet or baking pan in a single layer and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden

Note: the chickpeas will still be a little soft when hot. They will get crunchier as they cool down
- let cool completely before storing them in an air tight container. They will keep for about a week in the fridge (if you can refrain yourself from wolfing them down, that is...)
- eat those right out of the jar (ahem), as a snack with a cold beer, or sprinkle them on soups or salads
- Enjoy!

Roasted chestnut soup

One of the last winter soups of the season. Super simple and delicious.

Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS (2-3 people):
- 4 cups chicken broth (you can keep the recipe vegetarian by using vegetable broth)
- 2 small shallots
- 1 tbsp butter (for a vegan option, use a splash olive oil)
- 2 cups of shelled roasted chestnuts (click here for recipe - you can also use canned/fresh peeled chestnuts)
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional: toasted hazelnuts, or broken pieces of roasted chestnuts for decoration


RECIPE:
- in a pot, melt the butter and fry the shallots until translucent, then add the chestnuts, broth and bring to a boil

- lower the heat to medium and simmer for a few minutes or until the roasted chestnuts are warmed through
Note: if using raw chestnuts, simmer for 20 minutes, or until the chestnuts are cooked through
- using a stick blender, puree until smooth and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed

- serve warm, sprinkled with toasted hazelnuts or a few broken pieces of roasted chestnuts
- enjoy!

Gorgonzola and caramelized pear scones

I've been on a breakfast kick as of late. After the crepes, waffles and muffins, I decided to try my hand at scones.

I wanted a savory scone.

Since my favorite cheese of all time is gorgonzola (ok maybe not of ALL time, but very close) and I had a lonely pear in my fridge, I decided that this was going to be it. Chunky, ooey-gooey, blue cheesy nuggets contrasting nicely with soft, juicy, sweet bursts of pear flavor. Yes.

Plus, they look awesome on your table!

Here is how I made them.



INGREDIENTS (for 8 scones):
- 1 1/2 cups AP flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup milk, cold
- 1/4 cup sour cream, cold
- 1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cold
- 1/2 cup gorgonzola
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 pear


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 400F
- melt 1 tbsp of the butter in a pan, add the peeled and finely diced pear with the sugar and cook until caramelized (about 5 minutes over medium-high heat), then reserve on the side

- in a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, salt, pepper, baking powder) and the diced cold butter and incorporate the butter with a dough cutter or your fingers as quick as possible until it ressembles fresh breadcrumbs

- add the rest of the ingredients (milk, sour cream, gorgonzola, pear and eggs) and mix until just combined

Note: the dough will be very wet. Don't worry, just make sure you work on a well floured surface when you shape the scones later
- transfer the dough on a floured surface, shape into a flat disc, cut into eighths and place in a floured cast iron skillet (or just place on a floured cookie sheet)

- bake at 400F for 18-20 minutes until golden

- the scones will be soft when they come out of the oven, let them cool down before handling or they will crumble
- enjoy!

Vegan sun-dried tomato soup

Another cold day, another soup.

In this wintry weather, there's nothing I like more than homemade tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side.

This is one of my go-to recipes for lazy days. I usually just use fresh tomatoes and chicken stock, but I decided to keep this one vegan, use plain water for liquids and add flavor units with sun-dried tomatoes.

Here's how to make this soup.


INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 10 medium tomatoes on the vine, diced
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, grated or finely diced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (or you can make your own oven-dried, click here for a recipe), sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsps sugar, not pictured
- 3 to 4 cups of water or broth, not pictured
- salt and pepper to taste, not pictured


RECIPE:
- in a deep pot, fry the diced onions and garlic in the olive oil on medium heat until translucent (2 to 3 minutes), then add the dried and fresh tomatoes and cover with water (or broth)

- bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat and simmer until the tomatoes are cooked (about 20 minutes)

- turn off the heat and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Add a little water or broth if you like a lighter consistency

Note: if you want a very smooth soup, I recommend peeling and seeding the fresh tomatoes before adding them to the pot. 
- serve hot alongside a grilled cheese sandwich or sprinkled with roasted chickpeas for a totally vegan meal
- enjoy!

Banana walnut Nutella muffins

You like banana bread? You like Nutella? You don't like to share? Look no further: those muffins are for you :)

These are super easy to whip up, and the swirls of Nutella in the moist banana bread are scrumptious.

A great breakfast on the go or post-workout snack, those banana muffins should be in your belly now!



INGREDIENTS (yields 16-18 muffins):
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cups shelled walnuts
- 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp coconut extract (vanilla is fine too)
- 1/2 cup Nutella


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 375F
- in a large bowl, mix the eggs, bananas and sugar until well combined

- add in the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well

- mix in the walnuts then gently fold in the Nutella

Note: thorough mixing will give a subtle homogeneous hazelnut taste, whereas a quick fold will result in delicious swirls of pure Nutella throughout the muffin 
- line a muffin pan with paper cups, fill them to 2/3 and bake for 18 minutes at 375F

- Enjoy!