Day 5...My Flavorite Chickpea Stew

Day 5...

OMFG, Oh My Fairy Godmothers! This Chickpea Stew recipe that I threw together was divinity.

Yes, I'm still surviving, thank you very much. Oven is still mocking me. I want cupcakes and she won't get hot for me. Ha! reminds me of the Rolling Stones lyric, and I quote, I'm so hot for her. I'm so hot for her, and she's so cold, close quote.

Been visiting family and friends, thank you Jesus, I still have some of both who haven't completely abandoned me for my big mouth.

I'm not fit for public consumption!

I'm just so insensitive these days. I blame it on my loving husband. He doesn't sugar-coat a thing for me. Everything is so cut-and-dry, as the idiom goes, with him. I have had many years developing a colossal backbone that I'm afraid I step on pretty, lacquered toenails, wherever I tread.

That, and I'm post-partum from a high-risk pregnancy. I was on confinement for nearly 9 months. Self-induced of course. Read too many books. Now I can't speak to adults properly.

Alas.

We live 25 miles away from civilization. I don't get out and about on the reg. And, we grow our own veggies and fruits during the summer months so there's no need to go to the market every other day. You know, and see people. People of average height and intelligence. Or just people in general. Maybe talk to them too.

I have to routinely remind Christopher, my cut-and-dry-General-Patton-in-the-rough husband, to speak comfort to me at the end of the day. I remind him that the only people I talk to are under the age of 7 years. I do like to talk on the subjects regarding Star Wars, Mario Kart, bathroom habits and high-sugar/high-fat comestibles, but my socio-intellectual needs are not fulfilled with these hot topics.

Le sigh, as the French say, or sigh, in my imaginings.

But, I did make a tasty stew the other day in my, actually Christobelle's, Dutch-Oven.

I must have the Dutch Touch, as I like to call it. Everything I toss into the blessed DO turns into a melodious symphony of food.

I actually made this tasty number on the stovetop. Yes, the stovetop works just fine but no dice when it comes to baking--and cupcakes, nominatively.

Without further ado, I give you:

Chickpea Stew:
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup green peas
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
1 (14 oz.) can of coconut milk
1 (14 oz.) can of water
2 tsp. Bangarang! or seasoned salt
2 tsp. Garam Masala
1 tsp. turmeric

Toss all of the above ingredients into a Dutch Oven. Lid. Place on a big, medium-heat stovetop burner or on a bed of coals and cook one hour. Remove from heat and carefully remove lid with heat proof gloves.

I served mine over rice and tossed some fresh jalapenos and basil on top.

It was OMFG-Oh My Fairy Godmothers! some kinda good.

Day 3 & 4...The DO drew First Blood

Day 3...

Was a catastrophe.

It was a multi-tiered failure.

Crumbs! Day 3 Disaster

I managed to burn my seasoned tofu steaks. 

I incinerated my fresh picked veggies that had come straight out of our gardens: fatty carrots, turnips the size of baseballs, zucchini and young, tender squash.  All grown with L-O-V-E. Washed and cut with care.  Charred beyond recognition. Ash.

And, to add insult to injury, I had labored over a batch of cinnamon rolls for the boys which were of course, you know the chorus by now, BURNED.

I even managed to burn my finger and am sporting a classy TMNT Band-Aid, (that's the acronym for the legendary Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for those of you with daughters or sons over 18 years of age) over the flesh wound.

I'm okay, thanks for asking. But I swear to Fairy Godmothers! that I was miffed.  My Dutch Oven drew first blood. I nearly threw the bally DO into the woods and let it do the Old Testament thing: the ashes to ashes and dust to dust bit.

The campfire did its job, turned the wood to coals and what-not, but it was just Too Darn Hot, as Cole Porter put it best.

I ate leftovers: lentil soup and cornbread but I wanted fire-roasted veggies, tofu steaks and cinnamon rolls by God.



My favorite Yeast Rolls recipe that I make into all sorts of yummy junk.
Including Cinnamon Rolls.

I vowed right then and there that I would try again.  I would make cinnamon rolls every day until I got it right.  That's the difference between me and most humans.  I revel in doing things over and over and fail and fail so I can climb on stepping stones of my dead self and rise to new heights.

I went to bed.  The sun went down on my anger.

Day 4...

I woke up, thank the Lawd.

And made a fire. 

Let it burn to coals while making another batch of cinnamon rolls.

Raw Dawgs

I decided to do a few things differently so they wouldn't escort me to a clinic as a case and point to the broad category of insane in the membrane (I think I remembered seeing that term in my Medical Terminology class).

I put the beastly, sweet rolls in a 9-inch cake pan instead of directly in the Dutch Oven for starters.  Maybe the Dutch Oven is Too Darn Hot, I thank you again Cole, for direct contact.  I dunno. I was just trouble-shooting.

Placed the lid on the DO.  Took a gander at my cardinal rules and made sure I used 8-10 coals on the bottom as a bed for the DO to rest its weary body on.  Then, carefully laid about 14 coals on top.  Way less heat than Day 3.  I actually put on a timer as I nestled my DO into the fire.

I cleaned and cleared the coals and ash from my DO.
Checked on the sweet buns at 12 minutes. 
They weren't burned! 
They actually needed more time. 
Gave it thus.
5 minutes went on the clock.
Checked for doneness and Oh My Josh! they were done. 
Perfect. 

I championed that MF, Mother Fairy or course, and had cinnamon rolls for dinner!  They were wondrous to behold.  I even thought about naming the rolls, Beloved.



my Beloved. ;)

 

They were indeed loved by all.

my Beloved cinnamon rolls:

Ingredients

1 cup warm, plain soymilk

2 Tbsp. Earth Balance Butter

¼ tsp. sea salt

3 ½ cups AP Flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 ¼ tsp. (or 1 packet) yeast

Directions

If you have a bread maker, now is the time to use it to make the dough.  Toss in the warm soymilk, butter, salt, flour, sugar and yeast into the bread maker. Set it on the dough cycle and happily walk away while it does the magic.    After the little timer goes off go and fetch the dough and toss it on a floured surface.

OR, measure out the warm soymilk, add the yeast and sugar, stirring well.  Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes in order for the yeast to dissolve. In a big bowl, whisk together the flours and salt. Get out another big bowl.  Pour the yeast mixture into the big bowl, add the oil, and whisk.  Stir in the flour, one cup at a time until well incorporated and forms a dough ball.  Flour a working surface.  Knead the dough ball for about 10 minutes.  Until the dough is smooth, elastic and supple. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl and turn it once so it is nice and shiny all over.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and place in a warm draft free place to rise for an hour.

 Pat the dough down with floured hands and a floured surface.  Use a rolling pin and flatten out into a 9 x 13 inch rectangle or there abouts.  Melt 2 tbsp. of Earth Balance butter and slather on top.  Mix about a half a cup of cinnamon and sugar.  Sprinkle over the butter. Cut lengthwise into 8 strips.  Roll up each and place on an oiled 9-inch cake pan.

 

Pop the pan into the DO. Set lid securely on top and cook over and under coals for about 18 minutes or so. 

 

Ice if you like.

 

Me likey.