If it were up to Ben, we would frequently serve BBQ sauce as a main dish, with a side of ranch dressing. This week’s cooking adventure (like everything in life) was a compromise, but it did capitalize on our current condiment holdings. I wanted to try replicating a splendid chickpea dish we sampled at a tapas restaurant in Miami, and Ben wanted shrimp. We threw in a salad and some pita bread and called it a meal.
Smoked Sausage and Chickpeas
1 pound smoked kielbasa sausage
2 cans chickpeas
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sumac
Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley, chopped (optional)
- Slice kielbasa in fourths lengthwise and then chop into small pieces. Fry over medium heat until somewhat browned. Add garlic and cook a minute or two, without browning.
- Drain and rinse chickpeas. In a blender, blend half a can of chickpeas with tomatoes and about 1 cup of water until smooth sauce forms. Add sauce to kielbasa and garlic.
- Add smoked paprika and sumac. Cook a couple minutes.
- Add whole chickpeas. Stir and cook a few minutes. Add more water if it is too thick, and salt and pepper to taste.
- This can be served on its own, with rice, with bread, or with pita bread.
We made sweet chili shrimp before (again, to try to replicate a great restaurant dish) but this time, I think we got a little closer.
Sweet Chili Shrimp
1 pound uncooked shrimp
1-2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
Pat shrimp dry with paper towel and toss lightly with cornstarch. Heat oil over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook, turning, about 3 minutes, depending on shrimp size. Add a tablespoon or two of sweet chili sauce.
The salad we made today was born during the height of Covid. When Ben was still in school, he would often come home with bags of food. This was meant for students who were experiencing food insecurity, but Ben, who always wants to be part of the team, capitalized on the pandemic and brought home all manner of things. We tried and tried and tried to funnel this towards those who needed it most, but still the bags came home every week with Ben, who by anyone’s measure, is not experiencing food insecurity. I did back off a bit on my “return to sender” campaign when I realized that Ben saw the sacks of food he brought home as his contribution to the family coffers. Oh, Ben.
I can’t really comment on what a “normal” person would do under these conditions, when perfectly acceptable but unselected food falls into one’s lap, but as Mennonites, we are genetically predisposed to use it to the fullest. The original salad recipe made use of these ingredients that were brought home from school: peanut butter, apple slices, mandarin oranges, chow mien noodles, and peanuts. It actually was pretty tasty, and this week we made a modified version.
PB JAsian Salad
Dressing:
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
A few drops sriracha
Salad:
8 oz. broccoli slaw
1 -8 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup, shelled edamame, steamed and chilled (from a frozen package)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (optional)
Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a large salad bowl, adding a little water if too thick. Add slaw, oranges, and edamame to dressing, stirring to combine, Just before serving, add cilantro.
