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!

Veggie Wrap

Day one of the vegan experiment went well. I found that by being prepared with small snacks throughout the day, I was able to put off any hunger before it got so bad that I caved in for a non-vegan treat. Let's see if I can remain that strong for the reminder of the week.

I made this tasty and very filling wrap for dinner last night that satisfied my hunger and got me through an hour-long Body Jam session. Success!

Veggie Wrap

1 large whole wheat tortilla
2 tablespoons homemade hummus
2 tablespoons salsa of your choice
3 ounces salad greens
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup cooked black beans
1/4 cup couscous
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced
A few red onion pieces

Lay the tortilla out and spared the hummus over one half of it. Next spread the salsa over the hummus layer, then pile on the remaining ingredients. Wrap it up and enjoy!

Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

I accumulated a few acorn squashes during the end of October, and I decided that today they'd met their match. I've never actually prepared acorn squash before, so after some poking around online, I found a few recipes that inspired the concoction below. It was a great mix of flavors that you don't usually find on my table- the roommates loved it!

Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash
2 acorn squash
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 red onion
5 cloves garlic
2 cups couscous
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup parmesan, shredded

Half acorn squash and remove seeds. Place in a baking dish face down and cook in a 400 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and scoop out flesh and place in a large bowl, keeping shell in tact.

While squash is cooking, heat a large skillet on medium heat and cook beef until cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside in the bowl with the squash. Warm oil in the same skillet and cook onions and garlic about 5 minutes. Cook couscous to directions and add to bowl. Stir in pecans, basil, cilantro, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and pepper.

Add mixture into squash shells and top with parmesan cheese. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes. then serve.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

3 pounds sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt to taste

Place in inch of water in a large saucepan and place a steamer basket in it; bring water to a simmer. Peel potatoes and dice into 1 inch pieces. Steam about 20 minutes, then drain. Add potatoes back to warm pot and add in remaining ingredients and mash to desired smoothness. Enjoy!

I served with a grape salad that included about 4 cups red seedless grapes, 1 ounce crumbled feta and 4-5 torn basil leaves.