Recently I have started cooking and experimenting more with healthy vegetarian food. I love learning new recipes and decided that after my detox last year that I would eat vegetarian for at least 2 meals a day and sometimes 3 meals. This is called a Flexitarian Diet because I am still eating chicken, fish and some grassfed beef although much less of it than before. And I still get a hankering for BBQ ribs every once in awhile. I am from Texas after all. The Flexitarian Diet is a way to stay healthier and prevent disease. As I told you last week, I am taking an online plant certification cooking course called Rouxbe. These recipes were all inspired by my course.
I have always loved chickpeas There are many names for these small beige beans that many call Garbanzo beans. They are a staple in Middle Eastern cooking and your favorite hummus is made from chickpeas. Chickpeas can be bought dried, or in cans. They are so healthy for you!
The intake of 2 cups is equal to an entire daily value of FIBER! They can lower your blood sugar and can help you with digestive problems. After whipping up many different dishes I picked my favorite three for you to try out. Here is a hearty Italian chickpea stew, tuna-less salad, and chickpea snacks.
Ingredients
Chickpea Stew
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cans (15oz) chickpeas, drained
- 4 cups onions, diced
- 2 1/2 cups plum tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup leek, diced
- 2 cup carrots, peeled, and diced
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated
- 1 cup porcini mushroom liquid
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup chopped mixed olives, pitted
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, ground in mortar pestle
- 2 cups fennel bulb, chopped
- 2 sprigs of rosemary, chopped
- 2 sprigs oregano, chopped
Italian Couscous
- 1 cup Italian Couscous
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons parsley, roughly chopped
Instructions
Chickpea Stew
- Start off by cooking the onions in the extra virgin olive oil, on low heat, until translucent and have reached a golden color.
- Add leeks, fennel, carrots, and garlic and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato paste, and crushed fennel seeds and stir for 2 minutes until the vegetables are covered with the tomato paste
- Add wine and let it cook on high heat until you start seeing a glaze on the vegetables about 5 minutes
- Add the remaining vegetables porcini mushroom, tomatoes, chickpeas and mushroom liquid, and the herbs & spices rosemary, oregano and red pepper flakes
- Taste and adjust seasoning
- Stir everything together and let it simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes
- Finish with olives and capers
- Make sure you adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Garnish with fresh basil
Italian Couscous
- In a medium size pot, add vegetable stock and a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer
- Throw the Italian couscous in and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed about 15-17 minutes
- Take off the heat and fold in extra virgin olive oil, and parsley
- Serve the chickpea stew on a bed of couscous. With a side of red wine this would be a perfect supper.
Ingredients
- 2 cans organic chickpeas
- 3 tablespoons red onion
- 3 celery stalks
- 3 pickles
- 2 tablespoons dill
- 2 scallions
- 2 tablespoons nori seaweed flakes
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 dash Tabasco
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 Sea salt
- 2 Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Tuna-less Salad
- Drain chickpeas and place into a large bowl.
- Use a potato masher to mash the chickpeas, and break them up.
- Next, finely dice the onion, celery, dill, scallions, and pickle and add them to the chickpeas.
- Add the nori flakes, salt and pepper and mix to combine.
- Lastly, add mayonnaise, lemon juice, and Tabasco
- Mix to combine and taste for seasoning.
How to serve
- There are many ways to serve the tuna-less salad.
- Tuna-less sandwich with toasted bread, lettuce, tomato, and avocado.
- Tuna-less salad with bib lettuce, cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 cans, garbanzo beans
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon aleppo pepper
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 Salt
- 2 Avocado oil, or oil of your choice
- 1 Lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Drain all the liquid from the garbanzo beans and rinse thoroughly
- Most people will tell you to pick off the skin from every bean, but not for this recipe
- In a large bowl mix the chickpeas with curry, garlic powder, aleppo peppers, and enough oil to coat the beans.
- Lay out parchment paper on a large sheet tray.
- Coat the sheet tray with olive oil
- Spread chickpeas evenly on the sheet tray. Do not over crowd the sheet tray, giving the beans enough room to brown, instead of steaming
- Sprinkle salt on the beans, and roast in oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let chickpeas cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.
- Enjoy!!
