Hello Dal-y: Broccolini and Chickpea Dal

Last year I started a subscription to Sunset. Yes, I am my mother, and I've accepted that (to be honest, she is a pretty cool lady). Anyway, I didn't quite know what to expect when I got my first issue in the mail. I knew there were going to be a lot of articles about gardening (have I not mentioned my rather brown thumb?), home renovations (although drool-worthy, can't use them), and travel (okay, that fits into our life a little more). I had a feeling there would be some recipes involved (I mean, what else are you going to do with your perfectly grown summer squash in your homemade redwood raised beds?), but I wasn't sure what kind. I didn't want a repeat of Mario Batalli, in which he goes on in a pompous manner about how readily available he finds monkfish at his local fishmonger's and how his father owns his own charcuterie (or the Italian equivalent) and makes his own salumi and other dried meats and sausage. Oh--you don't have these things available? Too bad, no substitutions for you, peasant! *ahem* Where was I? Oh, right... I was pleasantly surprised to find that Sunset's recipes were easy to follow and were, of course, delicious. Plus, since Sunset is all about the seasonal availability of everything, the recipes coincide with the seasons and use fresh ingredients, which you can find in abundance at your local store, in my case Whole Foods (anyone who follows me on Twitter will know I have a bit of a Whole Foods addiction). 

One of the first recipes I tried from Sunset was this one, Broccolini and Chickpea Dal. Alright, pun aside, I love a good dal. As I've established a number of times before, I cannot get enough of legumes. I think I could easily go vegetarian, as long as I subsisted on nothing but legumes (and, of course, pairing them with the right grain as to ensure I'm getting my complete protein). Of course, this would mean no meat and that would make me a very sad omnivore. Nonetheless, I have been known o make a vegetarian meal every so often and this has become one of my absolute favorites. I also love anything that starts with "brocco-", whether it's plain ol' broccoli or perhaps its bitter cousin broccoli rabe or its sweeter and more tender brethren broccolini, I love it all. I've been known to live off of broccoli (okay, it was broccoli and baked potatoes, but still, my college dorm's mini-fridge wasn't complete without a few bags of already prepared fresh broccoli florets). This dish is perfect: it's spicy, tender, creamy, and perfect for all occasions. I'm sure if you can't find broccolini, you can simply use regular broccoli. Although, I would recommend just trim up the stems a bit more so that it cooks in the time allotted without overcooking the chickpeas. Seriously - this is a meal I would easily make year round. Who cares if it's the middle of summer and you can't get off the couch because your thighs are stuck to it? This will make you sweat just enough to loosen things up and off you go!

No excuses! Okay, some excuses...

So, here's the deal, I could run off a litany of excuses as for why I have seemingly abandoned my food blog. It certainly isn't for lack of eating, although I did spend the majority of the past year submerged in Weight Watchers (my love of butter had caught up with me and I had to do something about it). Of course, this doesn't mean that I stopped cooking while on WW; in fact, I did more cooking, since going out on WW isn't the best option. Who knew you had so much control over your own food in your own kitchen!? /sarcasm I could cite school as being a huge obstacle in my way of cooking and blogging about my cooking. Truth be told, I'm not the only one in school in our household anymore. The husband started his MBA program last fall, which has thrown a wrench in our otherwise routinized evenings. Him being in school for a few days each week has led to the "cooking for one" dilemma. I love myself, but sometimes I just don't have the energy to cook for just myself.  In the last few months our weekly schedule is even more crammed as the hubby and I have both started attending classes at our local gym (Smash Fit is pretty darn awesome; check it out if you're in the area). This meant I had less time to cook on the evenings my husband and I were together, thus leading to more grabbing something to eat on the way home from the gym. When your class ends at 8, it's tough to cook a complete meal without finding yourself eating at 9:30 at night. So, while I could do the thing I just said I wouldn't do, but quite easily did, I will instead say that I am back to writing and cooking and doing all manner of things to keep this blog active. While I cannot promise future hiatuses won't happen (the upcoming fall semester is my portfolio semester, which means finalizing my masters degree and attempting to graduate), I will do all I can to make sure they don't last a full year.

Deal?

OK, deal.

Now that all that's sorted, I'd encourage you to stick around for some upcoming dishes and posts. I'll have some new favorites, like Broccolini and Chickpea Dal, and some incredible expressions of love and fandom, such as my Mass Effect themed Spicy Chocolate Cupcakes I made for the husband's 30th birthday, plus much more as the summer progresses! Seriously, it'll be great.