Anne Can Cook

I like hummus. It's one of those things I never thought I'd like because I don't like beans or bean dip, really. Since hummus doesn't bring either of those things immediately to mind, I find I like it quite a bit.
I've made my own hummus a few times. Well, maybe "chickpea puree" is more appropriate, since I don't use tahini. I don't have anything against tahini, I just don't happen to have any in my pantry. So. Here is my hummus recipe. It should be pretty easy to alter if you want to add tahini or season it differently.

CHILI LIME HUMMUS
1 can of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained
a splash of chicken broth
2 Tbsp. lime juice
Several cloves of garlic (I like garlic a lot, so 4-6 is modest for me)
Salt and pepper to taste
Approximately 1 Tbsp. chili powder (I used Chili 3000 from Penzeys)

Dump everything into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Eat.
Adjust flavors and texture as desired.

I find, too, that it's better after being refrigerated overnight. The flavors marry yadda yadda it's tastier.

The last few weeks have been kind of insane. I haven't spent much time in my apartment and even less time cooking.
I've been ogling the turkey in the latest Penzeys Catalogue (http://www.penzeys.com). I love turkey and chicken a lot, and I happen to have the Bangkok Blend that they recommend as a turkey rub.

It is equally good as a chicken rub. This is what I did:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Tbsp olive oil (approximate)
Penzeys Bangkok Blend (or similar Thai-style seasoning)
I washed the chicken breast and cut off anything that looked questionable (fat, etc). Preheat the oven to about 400F. In a small baking pan, place the chicken (Note: I did not grease the pan because the excessive olive oil was sufficient. It probably wouldn't hurt to grease your pan, however). Pour 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil on the chicken, rub in, sprinkle with seasoning until coated, rub in, flip chicken, and repeat.
I baked the chicken for nearly an hour, flipping about midway through. Use your best judgment. I am a little paranoid about chicken, so I almost always cook it longer than necessary. Regardless, this chicken is flavorful and juicy. The Bangkok Blend is just a little spicy and very tasty.

I also made up some jasmine basmati rice with basil, garlic chives, and a little bit of Thai red curry sauce.

Fabulous dinner and TONS of leftovers. I have missed cooking, but I'm back with a vengeance!

My favorite food in the entire universe is mashed potatoes. I love them even more if they are garlic-y, and I love them most when I make them from scratch. The problem with mashed potatoes is that they are time consuming to make, so I cheat a lot and buy instant. Not a terrible substitute in my estimation, but they really do not compare to the ones I make from scratch.

I had poached chicken again this week (with lemon thyme, rosemary, and lots of smashed garlic), and I did some quick instant mashed potatoes to go with it. Those packets of instant mashed, though, provide enough potato to feed a small army (aka a family of four). I always end up with leftovers that I'm never entirely sure what to do with, as they get sort of stale tasting when I leave them in the fridge.

I am of the opinion that you can make soup out of anything. All you need is some liquid (stock of some kind is preferably, but in a pinch you can season some water or do a bouillon cube), and some other stuff. Voila! Soup! It's also been getting colder here, and so soup weather is upon us.

I had never thought about mashed potato soup until one Thanksgiving, when my grandma said something about turning the leftover mashed potatoes into mashed potato soup (although I find it incredulous now to even think there were leftover potatoes). It seemed like this really brilliant idea, and I kept it filed away in the back of my brain until this week.

This is a really informal recipe. As I said, you can make soup out of anything and you can make it in any proportion. I made enough soup for two bowls full, which was perfect for hungry me. Here are the rough estimations:

1 cup (or more) organic chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen broccoli
5 or 6 roughly chopped cloves of garlic
A dash of soy sauce
A dash or two of hot sauce
1 cup (or more) leftover instant mashed potatoes
Cheese
Pepper to taste
Paprika for garnish

Boiling the chicken stock. Toss in the broccoli and garlic, until they're cooked through. Season with soy sauce. Add the potatoes and stir until incorporated. I found this took a little while, since my potatoes were stored in the fridge. Let the soup bubble and thicken. Season with hot sauce and pepper. Grate on a little cheese (I used a marbled jack). Garnish with paprika--do other families do this? At holidays, my family always garnishes potato anything with paprika.

Turn burner down to low, ladle your soup in a bowl, and enjoy. I think I made some garlic toast to dip in the soup as well.

It turned out souper (haha) well. It was flavorful and potato-y and seemed to obliterate that stale flavor instant mashed taters get when left in the fridge.

I love mashed potatoes. I love soup season. I love the marriage of the two.