Inauguration!

This is the beginning of something great. I can already feel it. It's right on the tip of my tongue! (Pun intended).

The last couple of days I've been struck with inspiration with regard to my experimentation in the kitchen. That might have something to do with the fact that I had a final exam this morning (yes, I know it's Sunday) and that I have a major presentation on Tuesday night; it's just speculation at this point. Last night I took a peek in my fridge and realized that I had a leftover green bell pepper that was rapidly ripening and a half-can of garbanzo beans that was probably nearing the end of its rope as well. So I plugged those two into allrecipes.com and came across something for garbanzo bean soup. Fantastic. Although the recipe for that didn't sound all too appetizing, since it involved blending my cherished beans into some kind of mush and then watering it down. I instead opted to boil everything directly, added a spoonful of garbanzo flour and reduced it down to a thick curry. Turns out I was on to something.

Ingredients:

• 1 green bell pepper, diced


• 1 clove garlic, minced


• 1/2 can garbanzo beans


• 1 tsp garbanzo/chickpea flour (Two names for the same bean)


• 1 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)


• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard (I used Sierra Nevada Stout mustard)


• 3/4 c. chicken broth (You can use water to make it veggie; I do it this way so I don't have to worry about salt)

Throw everything into a medium saucepan. It should look pretty soupy and milky at this point (see above). One word though, when you add the tahini, resist the urge to lick the spoon afterwards. It tastes like really bitter peanut butter, but sticks more.

Cook over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes, until it has the consistency of a curry. You'll know this by when you can push it against one side of the pot and it stays there for any measurable amount of time. Stir every 2-3 minutes to keep from scorching any flour that's stuck on the bottom.

And there you have it. Garbanzo curry.



So I ended up eating a little last night, but little did I know that it turned out to be the perfect complement to tonight's meal. I've had these salmon burgers from Whole Foods that I've kept in the freezer since maybe six months ago, and I had yet to crack into them because I'd also gotten tuna and mahi-mahi burgers as well, and you get four to a pack, and I just got to my salmon. I decided the best oil to go with the salmon would be olive oil, so I poured maybe two or three tablespoons worth into a small frypan. Heated it up to medium-ish, then tossed on my salmon patty. Browned it on one side for about five minutes or so, then flipped it over. Then, I had a stroke of inspiration! As it was, I had recently bought a dozen eggs and I was getting sick of hard-boiling them, so I was jonesing for some more creative ways to use them. Caught up in the moment, I decided to crack one over my salmon patty, turning it into a "French fish," if you will. I tried to snap a picture while the yoke was still on top:



Oh well. So much for artistry. I eventually had to shove all the egg back on top to keep it from overcooking, resulting in the glorious platter you saw at the beginning of this post.

So, just to recap:

• 1 salmon patty
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large egg

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.