Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's offerings include Vegan Sweet Potato Chowder, Stuffed Peppers, and Cowboy Caviar. Enjoy!

LINGUINE WITH CRISP CHICKPEAS AND ROSEMARY

This comes from Ali Slagel at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Ali wrote, “Pasta with chickpeas is a substantial, quickly assembled meal, but what’s alluring about this version is the undercurrent of rosemary. Whole sprigs lightly fried in olive oil provide flavor in two ways: the leaves are crumbled into the pasta for a fragrant punch, and the infused oil slicks the noodles. You could add spinach, arugula or kale when you toss the pasta in the sauce, or simply brighten it with parsley, Parmesan and lemon.”

Time: 20 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019901-linguine-with-crisp-chickpeas-and-rosemary.

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

8 fresh rosemary sprigs

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 pound linguine or other long noodle

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and patted very dry

1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino, for serving (optional)

Preparation

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water (2 heaping tablespoons kosher salt to about 7 quarts water) to a boil. Meanwhile, make the rosemary oil: Pat the rosemary dry with a kitchen towel. In a large Dutch oven or skillet big enough to hold all the pasta, warm the oil over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the rosemary sprigs and fry, flipping once, until sizzling subsides and leaves are crisp, 3 or 4 minutes.

Transfer the sprigs to a paper towel-lined plate, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Keep the pot with the oil on the stove.

Add pasta to the boiling water, and cook to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta.

While the pasta cooks, with the rosemary oil over medium-high heat, add the butter. Once melted, add the garlic and chickpeas and fry, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are golden brown and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. If some of the chickpeas explode like popcorn, that’s a good sign.

As the chickpeas cook, remove the rosemary leaves from the sprigs (pinch the top of the sprig and swipe downwards). If any do not come off easily, they aren’t fully fried: Throw them back into the oil with the chickpeas and remove them after a quick fry. Crumble the leaves by rubbing them between your fingers, and set aside.

Once the chickpeas are crisp, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to low and stir in the pasta, adding pasta water as needed to form a glossy sauce. Stir in the parsley and crumbled rosemary leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a lemon wedge for squeezing. Top with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.

RED CURRY LENTILS WITH SWEET POTATOES AND SPINACH

This comes from Lidey Heuck at The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Lidey wrote, "In this vegetarian main inspired by Indian dal, lentils are cooked with an aromatic blend of Thai spices — fresh ginger, turmeric, red curry paste and chile — then simmered in coconut milk until fall-apart tender. Browning the sweet potatoes before cooking them with the lentils brings out their sweetness, balancing the heat from the chile and curry paste, while baby spinach tossed in just before serving adds fresh flavor. Serve over steamed white or brown rice, or with toasted flatbread on the side."

Yield: 4 to 6 servings; Time: 1 hour

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020766-red-curry-lentils-with-sweet-potatoes-and-spinach.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)

1 red chile, such as Fresno or serrano, halved, seeds and ribs removed, then minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 (13-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

1 (4- to 5-ounce) bag baby spinach

1/2 lime, juiced

Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, for serving (optional)

Preparation

In a Dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the browned sweet potatoes to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot and set the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic, ginger, chile and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the lentils, stock, salt and browned sweet potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil over high. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the lentils are creamy and falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.

Divide among shallow bowls and top with cilantro and coconut flakes, if using.

STUFFED PEPPERS

Recipe Yield: Servings: 8

Source: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

Book Title: The New American Heart Association Cookbook

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/stuffed-peppers.

Ingredients

4 large bell peppers, any color or combination

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 medium crookneck squash, diced (about 2 cups)

1 medium zucchini, diced (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup diced onion (1 medium)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced, or 1 tsp bottled minced garlic

2 cups cooked brown rice (1/2 to 2/3 cup uncooked)

1/2 cup grated fat-free or low-fat Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts (2 ounces)

1 cup no-salt-added tomato juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut peppers in half lengthwise, removing stems, ribs, and seeds. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, swirling to coat bottom. Saute tomatoes, crookneck squash, zucchini, onion, and garlic until zucchini is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Don't overcook.

In a medium bowl, combine rice, cheese, and water chestnuts. Gently stir into skillet. Stuff pepper halves with vegetable mixture. Place in 9-inch round or square casserole dish, then carefully pour tomato juice around peppers. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 119; Fat: 1 g; Sodium: 68 mg; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Protein: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 23 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 Bread/Starch, 1/2 Low-Fat Milk, 2 Vegetable

LEMON POUND CAKE

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Add a splash of sunshine to any spring brunch or dessert spread with this bright lemon pound cake. Yellow cake mix is combined with cream cheese and grated lemon peel for a pound cake that’s rich in flavor and bursting with refreshing citrus notes. With just six simple ingredients and only 15 minutes of prep time, you can whip up this lemon pound cake recipe when you want to bake something homemade, but don’t have all day to do it."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes; Servings: 12

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ yellow cake mix

1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup water or milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

3 eggs

1/4 cup Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy lemon frosting

Directions

Heat oven to 325°F. Generously spray bottom only of 9x5-inch loaf pan with baking spray with flour.

In medium bowl, beat cake mix, cream cheese, water, grated lemon peel and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack or heatproof serving plate. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on High 10 to 15 seconds or until frosting is thin enough to drizzle; stir. Spoon frosting evenly over cake, allowing frosting to drip down sides.

Expert Tips

If you have leftover cake, cut it into slices and place individually in sandwich-size food-storage plastic bags. Seal bags and freeze. You'll have a quick treat when you need it!

For added lemon flavor, sprinkle some extra grated lemon peel over the cake.

For a different look, cut your cake into wedges instead of traditional slices.

This elegant pound cake makes a wonderful hostess gift for any dinner party.

VEGAN SWEET POTATO CHOWDER

This was in an email from TheKitchn. I absolutely love TheKitchn, as well as its sibling site, Apartment Therapy. If you haven’t checked out either site, I highly recommend them. (Go ahead, I’ll wait…tap, tap, tap.)

Anyway, Kelli Foster, Assistant Food Editor for The Kitchn, wrote, “This vegan sweet potato chowder delivers everything you want in a warm fall soup. It has a velvety broth laced with seasonal spices like sage and paprika, and chunks of tender root vegetables. It's delicious the day you make it, but like most soups, it's even better the next day. So make a big batch of this plant-based chowder and enjoy it all week long.

“We're calling this soup a chowder, given the fact that potatoes are the key to both its velvety base and its hearty texture. And thanks to the silky-starchy contents of sweet potatoes, you'll get the creaminess expected in a chowder without a drop of cream.

“After a quick simmer on the stovetop, a few cups of soup, both broth and vegetables, are whirled through the blender, then stirred back into the pot. Purée a little extra if you're after an even thicker soup, or less for a bowl that's more brothy.”

To view this online, click here. Serves 6.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 medium celery stalks, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds sweet potatoes (2 to 3 medium potatoes), peeled and diced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 cups vegetable stock

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and celery and cook until the vegetables are soft and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the sweet potatoes, coriander, paprika, sage, salt, and pepper; stir to combine; and cook for 1 minute.

Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer about 2 cups of the soup, broth, and vegetables to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Stir the purée back into the soup and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

COWBOY CAVIAR

This yumminess is from Margaux Laskey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Margaux wrote, "Depending on where you’re from, this simple dip is known as cowboy caviar, Texas caviar or Dixie caviar, and it’s a favorite at tailgates and potlucks all over the South. Its creator, Helen Corbitt, a dietitian from New York, had never heard of black-eyed peas when she moved to Texas in 1931. The exact details are fuzzy, but at some point in her 40 years working in restaurants there, she combined black-eyed peas with a simple vinaigrette, and it was a big hit. The recipe has evolved over the years, and you can find a number of variations online. Some contain corn and black beans (as this one does), and others avocado. Some call for bottled Italian salad dressing, others homemade. No matter how you tweak it, it’s always good with a pile of tortilla chips."

Yield: 8 cups; Time: 15 minutes, plus 2 hours' chilling

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020433-cowboy-caviar.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

Kosher salt and black pepper

For the salad:

3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded if desired, and diced

1/2 red onion, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed

1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 to 4 cobs) or thawed, drained frozen sweet corn (about 8 ounces)

1 red, green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced

1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish, if desired

1 scallion, white and green parts, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Tortilla chips, for serving

Preparation

Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to combine.

Add the tomatoes, red onion, black beans, black-eyed peas, corn, bell pepper, jalapeño and cilantro. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

To serve, toss well and season to taste. Sprinkle with scallions and serve with tortilla chips.