Simply Spiced Salmon and Chickpea Salad AND....

My 3 year blog anniversary! That's right, Apron has come a long way. Now in addition to original recipes, you can sometimes find fun reviews here by my partner in blogging and soon-to-be partner in life, Luke. We've been all a-flurry with wedding planning, not leaving as much time as I'd like for cooking, and even less for blogging! Luckily, simple dishes like the one below have been sustaining me during this stressful but exciting time. Looking forward to the next year of Apron's Adventures!

Simply Spiced Salmon and Chickpea Salad
Based off Cooking Light's Cumin-Spiced Chickpeas and Carrots with Couscous

1 cup chicken broth
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 carrot, grated
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup steamed, chopped broccoli
4 cups warm cooked couscous
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound salmon, skin removed

Whisk together broth, lemon zest and juice and tomato paste in a small bowl and set aside. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and warm 2 tablespoons oil. Add chick peas a cook a few minutes until beginning to brown, then set aside on a plate. Heat remaining oil and add vegetables and saute 3 to 5 minutes. Add in cumin, salt and pepper, cayenne and toss to coat. Then add reserved broth mixture and simmer about 3 minutes. Stir in steamed broccoli and remove from heat.

While vegetables are cooking, heat oil in a medium non-stick pan. Combine chipotle powder, cumin and salt and rub over both sides of salmon. Cook salmon in hot skillet about 4 minutes on each side.

Place bed of couscous on each plate and top with chickpea mixture. Top with a piece of salmon and a few dollops of greek yogurt. Sprinkle with cilantro and enjoy!

Cooking Light's Market Salad

Thank you, Cooking Light, for providing the recipe for the most delicious salad I've ever had. And yes, this even beats out the bacon salads that are plentiful on my blog - well, most of them :)

Why oh why do I love thee, Market Salad? Here are the reasons:
1. Perfectly roasted beets
2. Juicy tomatoes
3. Delightfully tangy, satisfying and light vinaigrette dressing
4. Crisp green beans and chickpeas adding substance and texture
5. Did I mention the beets?
6. Fresh herbs (I used basil and mint instead of tarragon and mint, because that's what I had!)
7. GOAT CHEESE

Ok, if you're not convinced, read through the recipe below. Here's a link to the original, and below is my slightly tweaked version. Thanks again Cooking Light!

Market Salad with Goat Cheese and Shallot Vinaigrette
2 medium beets (about 3/4 pound)
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (CL's version calls for Heirloom tomatoes, but alas, I forgot to pick them up. The cherry tomatoes were fantastic, but try with heirloom if you have them!)
2 cups spinach
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Scrub beets with a brush and wrap in heavy-duty foil. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven; cool. Put on plastic gloves if you have them to avoid staining your hands. Trim off beet roots and stems; rub off skins. Cut each beet into 8 wedges. I did this the night before to make the salad assembly quick!

Cook beans in boiling water 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge beans into ice water; drain well. Combine beans and chickpeas in a large bowl and add in beets and sliced tomatoes.

Combine shallots and the next 8 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour half of dressing over beans, chickpeas, beets and tomatoes and toss to combine. Add in greens and goat cheese, then pour remaining dressing and toss.

Photo courtesy of John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Coq au Vin-Off

What do you do when Bon Appetit has a recipe for Quick Coq au Vin one month, and Cooking Light shares a recipe for Easy Coq au Vin the next month? Why - you try them both! Emily of Cooking Inside the Lines and myself often have similar tastes in magazine recipes, so we were tickled to find out that I had tried Bon Appetit's and she had tried Cooking Light's rendition. Naturally, we decided to flip flop and try the other and compare which coq au vin dish would reign supreme.

Quick Coq au Vin - courtesy of Bon Appetit

I made the Bon Appetit version with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and absolutely loved it for its depth of flavor and simplicity. I thought, how can a Cooking Light recipe match up against this?

Easy Coq au Vin - courtesy of Cooking Light

Although the ingredient list for Cooking Light's was longer, I enjoyed the added benefit and textures of veggies mixed in. Not to mention I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks.

In the end, Emily and I came to the same conclusion - we wish we could combine the two recipes! Either one you try, you'll be the hero of your dinner table - give it a shot!

5 Reasons...

...to get the March issue of Cooking Light. I tore through it last weekend, flagging about 15 recipes. Needless to say, every meal I made last week came straight from its pages. With that in mind, I wanted to share what I made last week since I didn't really create any of my own recipes!

1. Spicy Shrimp and Grits - this really was spicy and filling, and surprisingly good leftover. I think I went a little heavy on the parmesan, but it was worth it :)
2. Lamb and Chickpea Tagine - These were some unique flavors for me to use, and I even went a little heavier on the spice. Enjoyed with a zinfandel like they recommended, which was wonderful.
3. Pasta with Asparagus, Pancetta and Pine Nuts - Simple, delicious, and we ate too much. I crisped the pancetta in a skillet instead of the oven and then cooked the garlic in the drippings for extra flavor - yum :)
4. Maple and Soy-Glazed Flank Steak - this was great since I already had all the sauce ingredients in my pantry. Word of warning though, when you add the glaze, make sure not to get it on the pan or it will burn when you broil it! I'd recommend adding the glaze after the steak is done cooking.
5. Austin, TX! That's right, my sassy city has been featured in this month's Cooking Light. I haven't tried any of the recipes included on the featured restaurants yet, but I'll definitely be giving Hoover's Eggs Blindfolded over Garlic Cheddar Grits a try soon :)