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It has been a wintry week here in Knoxville.

After snow and highs below freezing for several days, last night we got hit with an ice storm too. The canopy over my outdoor kitchen was frozen solid and had icicles like this all the way around it.

So naturally, I was cooking inside, right? Kind of.

I still cooked my main course outside (Wood Fire Roasted Chicken Wings) after clearing an ice free path to our grills, but I wimped out and cooked my two side dishes inside.

Easy Saffron Rice

1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp saffron threads (don’t sweat it if you don’t have them)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 ea small clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 cup jasmine rice
1/4 cup frozen green peas

Bring all ingredients except rice to a boil over medium high heat. Add rice and peas. Cook for 15-18 minutes (or until done according to rice package directions).

Roasted Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Tony Chachere’s creole seasoning

Toss beans in oil and seasonings. Roast for 30-40 minutes at 350f, stirring every 10 minutes.

The chickpeas make for a great snack too! Kind of like “Corn Nuts” without the culinary guilt.