#francisfoodblog

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Chickpea and Kale Ricotta Bowl

For years, cooking has been a source of joy for me - something that I look forward to, regardless of anything else. The balance of flavors, textures, colors, and smells has always been something that has stricken passion inside of my heart and stomach alike, a passion I would never want to fade. Through the continuous nature of life, my love for cooking did not disappear - but it was allowed to slip to the wayside. Making meals went from creating something exciting and fun to yet another source of stress, the version of me that always wanted to eat at home becoming someone who was eager to order out instead. Today, and in the coming days, I've decided to make a change. That desire to produce recipes that are purely my own has returned - and, one step at a time, I'm determined to reinvigorate the person I used to be. This recipe is the beginning. A mixture of smooth ricotta, perfectly cooked kale, and crispy chickpeas topped with the bright zest of a lemon and the pure umami of grated Parmesan, I couldn't think of a better place to start. Besides - I'll eat anything that can be scooped onto slices of fresh bread. Chickpea and Kale Ricotta Bowl: serves 2

Crispy Chickpeas: -1 cup of cooked chickpeas, drained -1 teaspoon of cumin -2 tablespoons of cornstarch -salt and pepper to taste -flavorless oil such as vegetable or avocado for frying Sauteed Kale: -2 cups of raw kale washed, dried, and chopped into bite-sized pieces -2 cloves of garlic -hot pepper flakes and salt to taste -1 tablespoon of olive oil for sauteing Whipped Ricotta -1/2 cup of ricotta -one handful of fresh cilantro -salt and pepper to taste Top with: -lemon zest -parmesan cheese Serve with (optional): -fresh bread, naan, pita, or crackers Start by placing ricotta, cilantro, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until the cilantro has been incorporated fully to the ricotta, and the cheese has become fluffy. Set aside. For sauteed kale, add olive oil to a pan over medium heat alongside garlic and hot pepper flakes. Once the garlic has become fragrant, add raw kale and salt to promote wilting. Stir and cook until kale is tender, about five minutes. For crispy chickpeas mix chickpeas, salt, pepper, and cumin in a bowl. Mix until the chickpeas are evenly coated, then add the cornstarch. Mix once more until all of the chickpeas are well coated by the cornstarch. Then, using a sieve, remove any excess cornstarch from chickpeas. Once done, add flavorless oil to a pan over medium heat until the oil is warm. Add coated chickpeas and cook until crispy and light brown, stirring occasionally to avoid burning, about 10 minutes - chickpeas may stick together at first, but with some stirring and patience will detach from one another as they become crispy and browned. To assemble, add half of the whipped ricotta mixture to a bowl, followed by half of the sauteed kale, and finally half of the crispy chickpeas. Top with microbladed lemon zest and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with bread, or your favorite dip-scooper.

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The Best Egg Salad

When morning comes around and it's time for breakfast once more, I rarely find myself reaching for something sweet. Though commonplace breakfast items like cereal, pastries, and oatmeal will always have a place in my heart, it's also true that I never quite feel satisfied until I've had something savory to start my day. Considering that I am also someone who enjoys consistently switching up the foods that I'm eating, I've had to delve into eating a wide range of foods for my first meal of the day - including items that many would not consider 'breakfast foods'. After years of eating a wide variety of saltier items in the morning - and, admittedly, getting tired of eating the humble egg in the same few, breakfast-y ways - I decided to delve into something that has since become a staple of my breakfast routine: egg salad. And, after tweaking my recipe time and again, I do believe I've finally found it. The perfect egg salad recipe. Using jammy eggs and fresh basil alongside Kewpie mayonnaise, this egg salad is a burst of flavor that is, admittedly, good for any time of day. The Best Egg Salad serves 1 Jammy Basil Egg Salad: -two eggs -one tablespoon of Kewpie mayo -one teaspoon of fresh, minced basil or 1/2 teaspoon of basil paste -salt and pepper to taste

Toast: -one slice of sourdough bread -one teaspoon of olive oil Start by making the perfect jammy eggs. After much trial and error, here is my process. Bring enough water to cover the eggs to a boil, about six cups. Gently place cold eggs in boiling water, and maintain a rolling boil for seven minutes. Remove eggs from boiling water and immediately place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process, and to aid in peeling. Peel eggs under a stream of cold water before placing in a bowl with the Kewpie mayo, basil/basil paste, salt and pepper. Gently mash together the ingredients with a fork, leaving some smaller pieces and some larger pieces of egg for textural intrigue. For the toast, heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Spread oil in an even layer over the skillet using a paper towel before placing the slice of sourdough in the middle. Cook two minutes on each side, or until the bread has reached your preferred level of toasty. Assemble by piling the toast high with the egg salad. Optionally, top with a finely sliced basil leaf for extra flavor and freshness.

[francisfoodblog]

Lentil Ginger Soup

As the start of Spring is officially upon us, most people would agree that soup season has come to a close. With many memories of cold, winter nights wrapped up with a warm, inviting bowl of soup fresh in our minds, everywhere I look recipe influencers, food bloggers, and home chefs alike are putting down the ladle and turning towards the bright flavors offered by the change of seasons. While I'm beyond excited for the oncoming of new seasonal produce and their vivid tastes, it wouldn't feel right leaving the winter behind without one last celebration of one of food's greatest pleasures: soup. Free from countless minutes of chopping a multitude of vegetables, this simple, hearty lentil ginger soup is set to satisfy. Boiling vegetables whole and blending them into a thick broth in which lentils can be cooked directly makes this one-pot recipe an easy choice for busy weekday nights. If you're clinging to soup season just like I am, then this recipe might just be your next dinner. Lentil Ginger Soup: serves 2 -two carrots, peeled -two stalks of celery, cleaned and trimmed -half of a sweet or yellow onion, peeled and trimmed -three cups of water -half a cup of red lentils, washed -half a tablespoon of minced ginger (or to taste) -one teaspoon of cumin -one teaspoon of dried coriander -half a teaspoon of turmeric -salt and pepper to taste Begin by boiling carrots, celery, and onion in three cups of water. Add salt to taste, remembering that more salt will be added alongside pepper later on in the cooking process. Boil these vegetables until they're super tender and the carrots break apart easily with a fork. Allow the vegetable and water mix to cool slightly before blending into a smooth, thick broth. Return to medium heat. Once the broth has come to a gentle simmer add washed red lentils, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the lentils are tender and the soup has thickened. If the soup is too thick for the lentils to finish cooking, add water, vegetable broth, or dairy-free milk (for extra creaminess) until the lentils cook completely and the soup has reached your preferred consistency. Serve with crusty bread or rice and a dollop of Greek or dairy-free yogurt for an additional flavor boost.