Give (Split) Peas A Chance

I had a bag of green split peas begging to be used. But I wasn’t in the mood for soup. But searching for split pea recipes left me a bit despondent. For non-soup recipe, twenty were for some version of split pea soup. But then I saw it: split pea hummus! And then (since we were out of bread-like items to dip in the hummus) a recipe for a quick flat bread. (We were also excited because it meant we could use our pizza stone!) 

We were pleasantly surprised by the texture, flavors, and the color! (It also packs well for the next day’s lunch.)

Split Pea Hummus (adapted from myrecipes.com)

• 1 cup dried green split peas
• 4 garlics clove
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/4 cup olive oil (or more)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Bring 3 cups water to boil and add garlic and peas. Simmer for 30 min. Add 1/4 tsp salt and simmer for 10–-15 min longer, adding water as necessary to keep peas from sticking. When tender, drain excess water (if it looks like mush without too much excess water no need to drain). Transfer to food processor. Add remaining ingredients (except olive oil) and pulse several times (scraping down sides as necessary). With the motor running add oil in a slow stream until the mixture becomes creamy in appearance. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Makes about 2.5 cups

Rosemary Flatbread (slightly adapted from Eating Well)

• 1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1 teaspoon coarsely cracked pepper
• 1/4 cup greek yoghurt mixed with 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2-3/4 cup warm water

Thoroughly combine flours, chopped rosemary, baking powder, salt and pepper in a bowl of stand mixer. 

Pour yoghurt mixture over the flour mixture and quickly stir it in. While stirring, gradually add water  until the dough begins to come together into a soft ball (it will be sticky). Knead gently into a ball adding flour if it becomes too sticky.

Cut the dough into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion of dough into a round and place on oiled plate. Drizzle olive oil on the tops of dough to prevent sticking to plastic wrap. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 min.

Meanwhile, place a pizza stone or large cast-iron skillet on the lowest oven rack; preheat to the highest bake setting (500-550°F).

Lightly flour a small work area (we used a pizza peel). Roll out dough into a round roughly 6 to 8 inches in diameter (about 1/4” thick), dusting with flour as needed. Place the round onto the hot pizza stone (or skillet). Cook until golden brown on the bottom and light brown patches appear on the top, 6—8 minutes. Remove and slide the flatbread between two pieces of foil to keep warm.

These can be frozen and reheated in a 250ºF oven or for 30 sec in a microwave.

Makes 4 6” flatbreads. 

The science of a traffic ticket

Attention physicists, you can use math to help defend yourself in court:

After receiving a $400 ticket for allegedly running a stop sign, Dmitri Krioukov invoked the laws of physics to fight the charge. The University of California, San Diego physicist drafted a four-page paper in his defense, arguing that the police officer mistakenly thought he ran a stop sign due to a unique combination of effects.

(Source: physicscentral.com)

What would happen if we stopped walking?

I grew up walking or biking most everywhere. I lived in small towns that were walkable and never owned a car. Yet, hearing that “Americans now walk the least of any industrialized nation in the world” I am not surprised. Compared with my trips in Europe where pedestrians outnumber cars, in the States walking as a form of commuting is rare. 

“We’ve engineered walking out of our existence and everyday life,” Vanderbilt says. “I even tried to examine the word ‘pedestrian,’ and it’s always had sort of this negative connotation — that it was always better to be on a horse or something, if you could manage it.”

Though now I sometimes find myself looking for the easiest way to get from point A to point B. And apparently I am not alone.

And while Americans have cut down on walking, they’ve been putting on some pounds. A recent study found that about 35 percent of adult Americans are obese, as NPR’s Shots blog reported in January. That equals “more than 78 million adults and more than 12 million children.”

We are grateful to live in a very bikeable and walkable city. Whenever the weather permits we try to get most places without our car. It’s been a good practice for us to both save money and get some exercise. 

Read more or listen to the story at NPR.