July Recipes - Week 2

It finally cooled off this week and we were all craving some cooked meals so I decided to make some of our family favorites, Crunchy Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon (posted previously) and Salsa Stuffed Muffin Meat Loves (posted previously). I did try out some new recipes though including a new dessert incorporating rhubarb! Yummy!

Chickpea and Black Bean Salad
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/chickpea_and_black_bean_salad.php
Preparation Tip: The green beans are the only thing that needs to be cooked for this dish so it is great for a hot day! I added about 1 c. of cubed, firm tofu to give the salad a protein boost, but you could also add a can or two of tuna. You can prepare the entire dish in advance, but store the green beans in a separate bowl until you are ready to serve.
Lilah's Take: Lilah tried the green beans as she always does, but spit them out as she always does. She particularly liked the cubed tofu (we call it tofu cheese because it seems to get her to eat it) and the corn.

Corn Bread Muffins
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/recipe-of-the-day-cornbread/
Preparation Tip: 
I used a slightly modified version of this recipe (from Mark Bittman's cookbook) using only enough butter to coat the muffin tin, 1 Tbsp of sugar, 1 egg, and sour milk (1 1/4 cup milk and 1 Tbsp white vinegar). I made these to serve with the Creamy Ham Salad, but ended up incorporating them into some of the other meals we had this week as well.

Creamy Ham Salad
http://www.recipe.com/creamy-ham-salad-with-corn-muffins/
Preparation Tip: This dish was incredibly easy to make and doesn't require any cooking. It can be made in advance and scoped into the red peppers when you are ready to eat.
Lilah's Take: Even though she won't eat raw pepper, Lilah thought it was fun to eat her dinner out of a "red pepper boat".

Rhubarb Banana Crumble
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/baking_and_desserts/rhubarb_banana_crumble.php
Preparation Tip:
This crumble takes a little longer than your average crumble because the rhubarb needs to be baked in the oven for 25 minutes before the crumble can be assembled and baked, but it is worth it if you are a rhubarb fan!

Sweet Chili Chicken
http://www.canadianliving.com/food/quick_and_easy/sweet_chili_chicken.php
Preparation Tip: 
I wasn't able to find sweet chili sauce so I used a couple of tablespoons of mild curry paste instead. If you want to save a couple of dollars, use chicken thighs with the bone in and skin on. It takes a little more work to prep them, but it can be done ahead of time.