MINI girl

White Bean Dip with Toasted Pita

I've been searching for a recipe like this for a long time; I'm glad I finally found it! Plus, it's really simple!

Ingredients:
1 can cannellini beans, drained and washed

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

Coarse salt and ground pepper
Toasted pita chips

Method:

1. In a food processor, combine cannellini beans, olive oil, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon); season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Puree until smooth.
2. Place puree in a serving bowl, and lightly sprinkle chili powder over the top, if desired. Serve dip with toasted pita chips.

From Everyday Food.

Four Seed Snapper Crackers

This recipe sounded really good to me! I'm going to try it this weekend. I think it looks more complicated than it actually is. Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 dozen crackers

Ingredients:
1/4 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds (red or golden)
1/2 cup "natural" sesame seeds (tan, rather than pure white), plus extra for garnishing (white or black)
2 cups (9 ounces) whole-wheat or whole-rye flour, or a combination of the two
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup
2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil such as canola, peanut or corn
1 egg

Method:

1. In a blender or coffee grinder, grind the sunflower and pumpkin seeds into a fine powder. Be careful not to blend too long or they will turn into seed butter. Separately, grind the flax seeds into a powder. (The sesame seeds do not need to be ground.)
2. In a mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the seeds, flour, salt, honey and vegetable oil with three-fourths cup water. Mix by hand or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to form a firm ball of dough. It should not be sticky.
3. On a lightly-floured surface, knead the dough by hand for about 30 seconds to make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed and that the dough holds together. It should be slightly tacky but not sticky. Add more whole-wheat flour or water, if needed.
4. Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Line three baking pans with parchment or a silicone baking liner. Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Set two of the pieces aside and roll out the remaining piece on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Roll it to less than one-eighth-inch thick, or nearly paper thin. Continually lift the dough as you roll it so that it doesn't stick to the surface; dust more flour under it if need be. You can also flip the dough over and continue rolling with the bottom side up. If the dough resists, lift it gently and set it aside and begin rolling out one of the other pieces. You can return to the first piece after a few minutes and it will roll more easily. Continue rolling out all three pieces in this manner.
5. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the rolled dough into rectangular or diamond-shaped crackers. (You can also use a small biscuit cutter, dipped in flour, to make round crackers.) The crackers do not need to be the same size. Carefully transfer the cut crackers to the baking pans. The pieces can be nearly touching, as the crackers will not spread or rise. Fill each pan as full as it will allow.
6. Combine the egg with one-half cup water. Brush the egg wash lightly over each of the crackers and top with sesame seeds. 7. If your oven has enough shelves to accommodate all the pans, you can bake them all at once. If not, bake them in shifts. After placing the pans in the oven, bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pans and bake for another 10 minutes. Make one final rotation and continue baking until they are done. (The thinner you roll them the faster they will bake -- they typically take about 25 to 30 minutes total, but this can vary from oven to oven.) The crackers will be a rich golden brown and should be fairly dry and crisp when they come out of the oven.
7. Leave them on the pans to cool; they will crisp up even more. If they do not snap cleanly after they cool, return the pan to the hot oven for a few more minutes. The crackers can be stored in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag and kept for at least 8 days at room temperature or indefinitely in the freezer.

Each of 6 dozen crackers: 32 calories; 1 gram protein; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 3 mg. cholesterol; 26 mg. sodium.

From the Los Angeles Times.
Note: Adapted from "Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor"

Thin wheat crackers

This recipe sounded really good! Total time: 1 hour

Yield: Makes about 4 dozen crackers

Ingredients:
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (or 1 teaspoon kosher salt)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, plus extra as needed
1/2 cup whole or low-fat milk (you can also substitute soy or rice milk as well as buttermilk)
2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup (you can also use brown or white sugar)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (canola, corn, soy, peanut, etc.)
1 egg
Coarse sea salt for garnish

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix the salt with the flour. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, honey (or agave) and oil. Pour this into the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon until the dough forms a ball and all the flour is absorbed. The dough will be very soft.
2. Knead the dough for a few minutes on a well-floured surface, adding more flour as needed until the dough forms a smooth ball and feels soft and supple but not sticky, like modeling clay.
3. Heat the oven to just below 300 degrees. Line three baking pans with baking parchment or a silicone baking pad. Divide the dough into three pieces and form each into a ball. Set two of the dough balls aside and roll out the third. Dust the counter with flour and also the top of the dough, pressing it with your hand to flatten it. Use a straight rolling pin (not a tapered pin) to work the dough to a thin oval or rectangle less than one-eighth-inch thick. Every few seconds lift the dough and dust under it with more flour and dust the top as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter or the pin. If the dough resists and shrinks back, let it rest for a few minutes and move on to one of the remaining dough balls. Repeat the rolling process with each piece of dough.
4. Combine the egg with one-half cup water to make an egg wash. Brush the top of the dough with egg wash and lightly sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Cut the dough into desired size for crackers with a pizza cutter or with a knife or pastry blade (you can also use a small biscuit cutter). Transfer the crackers to the pans, placing them very close together (they will not rise or spread). Place the pans in the oven (you can bake them all at once or one at a time). Rotate the pans after 8 minutes (if baking multiple pans, switch shelves). After another 8 minutes, rotate again. Bake an additional 6 to 8 minutes until toasted and light golden-brown, 22 to 24 minutes total. If not brown, increase the temperature by 25 degrees and continue baking until the crackers are golden brown and stiff, not flexible. Remove from the oven and leave on the pan until cool and crisp.

Each serving: 32 calories; 1 gram protein; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams fiber; 2 grams fat; 0 saturated fat; 5 mg. cholesterol; 39 mg. sodium.

From the Los Angeles Times.
Note: Adapted from "Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor" by Peter Reinhart. For sweeter crackers, eliminate the egg wash and sea salt, and instead lightly brush the crackers with equal parts honey (or agave syrup) and water. Continue to bake as described. The crackers can also be baked plain.

Chicken Marbella

Matt's mom made this for us and it was absolutely delicious. It is a well-known dish from the classic and timeless book, The Silver Palate Cookbook. She served it with couscous with pine nuts and currants.

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:
½ cup olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup pitted prunes
½ cup pitted Spanish green olives
½ cup capers, with a bit of juice
6 bay leaves
1 head of garlic, peeled and puréed
½ cup fresh oregano, chopped, or ¼ cup dried oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 chickens, 3 ½ to 4 pounds each, quartered
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan; spoon the marinade over it evenly. Pour in the wine and sprinkle the chicken with the brown sugar.
3. Bake until the thigh pieces yield clear yellow juice when pricked with a fork, 50 to 60 minutes, basting two or three times with the pan juices once the chicken begins to brown. (When basting, do not brush off the sugar. If the chicken browns too quickly, cover lightly with foil.)
4. Transfer the chicken pieces to a warm serving platter and top with the prunes, olives and capers; keep warm. Place the roasting pan over medium heat and bring the pan juices to a boil. Reduce to about ½ cup. Strain into a heatproof bowl, add the parsley and pour over the chicken.

From The Silver Palate Cookbook by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso