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.

Italian Chickpea Stew

 

 

Italian Chickpea Stew
Italian Chickpea Stew
Print Recipe Italian Chickpea Stew
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6

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.

Tuna-less Salad

Tuna-less Salad

 


Tuna-less Salad
Tuna-less Salad
Print Recipe Tuna-less Salad
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people

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.
chickpea snacks

chickpea snacks

 

Chickpea Snack
Chickpea Snack
Print Recipe Chickpea Snack
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 people

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!!