FYI: Chickpeas

Picture courtesy of http://www.elements4health.com/chickpeas.html

What is it?

Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are from the legume family. They are a small round bean.

There are two main types:

• Kabuli is lighter colored, larger size, and smoother coat.
• Desi is darker colored, smaller size, and rough coat.
  

Why should I eat it?

Chickpeas...

• are a good source of protein
• are low in fat
• are a good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber
• are a slow burning complex carbohydrates.
• can increase your energy by helping to replenish your iron stores. (Iron is an integral component of haemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism.) http://www.cai-sa.pt/graodebico.en.html
  
• are also an excellent source of the trace mineral manganese, which is an essential cofactor in the energy production and in our antioxidant defence. http://www.cai-sa.pt/graodebico.en.html
• are a source of zinc and folate
  

What should I know about using it?

• They can be bought canned or dried.
• When cooking with dried chickpeas you will need to soak, rinse, and cook the beans. May take some planning to use in a meal, but it's worth it!
• You can use them cold or hot, in salads, soups, chilies, blended into hummus, etc.
  

Information from Wikipedia and http://www.cai-sa.pt/graodebico.en.html

Curry & Coconut Vegetable Stew

This recipe comes from Kim (of Kim's Kitchen Concoctions). Her recipe is adapted from thekitchn.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 medium white or red potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced (for milder curry, I used a 4 oz can of mild green chiles)
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 2 (16-ounce) cans beans, drained and rinsed (originally chickpeas, but I used a combo of chickpeas and pinto, you can use any beans you like)
• 1 bell pepper, diced (I used red)
• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices
• 8 ounces baby spinach (most of a 10 oz package)
• 1 cup coconut milk (I used my imitation recipe here)

Directions:

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion with one teaspoon of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and another teaspoon of salt, and sauté until just translucent around the edges.

Stir in the curry, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and chili and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in 1/4 cup of broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Pour this onion-potato mixture into the bowl of your slow cooker.

To the slow-cooker, add the rest of the broth, beans, pepper, cauliflower, and the tomatoes with their juices. Stir to combine. The liquid should come half-way up the sides of the bowl; add more broth as necessary. Cover and cook for 4 hours on HIGH. (Kim's Note: At this point, if you'd like a thicker sauce, remove some of the liquids, wisk them with 1 Tbs cornstarch, then return them to the slow cooker, stirring to incorporate.)

Slice spinach into thin strips, then again into chunks. Reduce heat to warm, stir in the spinach and coconut milk. Cover with lid for 1 minute to allow the spinach to wilt. Serve, or leave in the warm slow cooker until ready to serve. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and other seasonings as needed.

Serve on its own or over cous cous, rice, or quinoa.

Sweet Potato Chili with Cornmeal Dumplings

This recipe is adapted from the recipe Sweet Potato Chili Bake, found on my friend, Whitney's, blog. The original recipe is from the Taste of Home.

Ingredients:

Chili:

• 2 cups cubed peeled sweet potato
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 4-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cornmeal Dumplings (from Better Homes and Gardens):

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
• 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• dash of black pepper
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 Tbs milk
• 2 Tbs cooking oil

Directions:

• In a large stew pot, saute sweet potato and red pepper in oil until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, broth, beans, brown sugar, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Meanwhile, prepare cornmeal dumpling batter. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, cheese, cornmeal, baking powder, and pepper. In a small bowl combine the egg, milk, and cooking oil; add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until combined.
• Drop cornmeal dumpling batter into simmering chili (about 6-8 dumplings). Cover for 10-12 minutes, and do not open until the time is up. Dumplings are done when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Serve with optional toppings, if desired.
  

If you want to do it the according to the original recipe, cook your chili in an oven-proof Dutch oven. Prepare 1 package (6-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix according to the package and stir in 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional). Drop by tablespoons over chili. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 min. or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Notes about this recipe:

1. I like to cube my sweet potatoes pretty small, but that's just my preference.
2. I didn't have vegetable broth, so I opted for chicken broth this time. It turned out fine, but would be more veggie friendly with the vegetable broth.
3. I didn't plan ahead enough for my dried black beans to be used, so I used a can of red beans instead. Tasted great. I have a feeling you could use any kind of your favorite beans and it would still be yummy.
4. Whitney notes that she didn't have chili powder, so instead she used 1 1/2 tsp of ground red pepper. She said it was good but spicy.

FYI: Quinoa

Each week I will be posting an FYI on different foods.

This week: Quinoa

(Uncooked quinoa picture courtesy of Wikipedia)

What is it?

• Quinoa (pronounced kee-n-wa) "is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds" and originated in South America. (Wikipedia)
  
• There are different varieties, but the most common are white quinoa, red quinoa, and black quinoa. (http://chetday.com/quinoa.html)

Why should I eat it?

• It "contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it a complete protein. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest." (Wikipedia)

What should I know about using it?

• Specific directions for cooking are on the package, but you basically cook it in water as you would rice.
  
• "As it cooks, the outer germ around each grain twists outward forming a little white, spiral tail, which is attached to the kernel. The grain itself is soft and delicate and the tail is crunchy which creates an interesting texture combination and pleasant "crunch" when eating the grain. Quinoa has a fluffy consistency and a mild, delicate, slightly nutty flavor that borders on bland." (http://chetday.com/quinoa.html)
• "Due to the relatively high oil and fat content of quinoa, the grains and flour should be stored in glass jars in the refrigerator. Use the grains within a year and flour within 3 months." (http://chetday.com/quinoa.html)
• Some suggest that you rinse the quinoa before using it, but in my research I have found that it is rinsed before packaging. I haven't found anything saying it is bad if you don't rinse it before using it.
• Cooking it in a broth helps reduce the bland flavor.

Pancakes, Potatoes, and Smoothies

Around here we enjoy eating breakfast foods for dinner.


Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes (adapted from BHG)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (1 cup milk with 1 Tb. lemon juice, let sit for about 5 min.)
• 2 tablespoons applesauce

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture; set aside.
2. In another medium mixing bowl combine the egg, milk, and applesauce. Add egg mixture all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just till moistened (batter should be lumpy).
3. For standard-size pancakes, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. For dollar-size pancakes, pour about 1 tablespoon batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or heavy skillet. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes on each side or till pancakes are golden brown, turning to second sides when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and edges are slightly dry. Serve warm. Makes 8 to 10 standard-size (4-inch) or 36 dollar-size (2-inch) pancakes (8 servings).

You can serve them up with jam, fruit, syrup, or yogurt on top.

I made some Oven Fried Potatoes to go with our pancakes. The amazing thing about these potatoes is that if you put these in the oven before starting anything else they will be finished by the time the rest of your meal is done, and you don't have to worry about stirring them in a frying pan. I love them!

(before and after cooking)

Oven Fried Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3-4 potatoes, sliced as thick or thin as you would like--I usually do about 1/4 of an inch or smaller.
• 1 Tb. olive oil, plus about 1/4 tsp for the pan.
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. seasoned salt or regular salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread 1/4 tsp of olive oil on a baking sheet.
   
2. Slice the potatoes and lay them in one layer on the baking sheet.
3. Combine olive oil, pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush spread the oil mixtures all over the potatoes.
4. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until desired tenderness (or crispiness) is reached.

And to top off our meal we drank fruit smoothies.

Fruit Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 9-10 oz. of orange juice
• 1 banana
• about 1 cup of frozen strawberries
• 1 small strawberry yogurt

Directions:
Put all the ingredient in the blender, starting with the juice. Blend until smooth. Makes enough for 3 small adult servings.

Notes about the recipes:
1. The crispier you make the potatoes the harder it is to get them off the pan.
2. You can get creative with the potatoes and try other spices or herbs. If you do please add a comment and let me know how they turned out!
3. If the pancake batter is too thick for you just add a little bit of milk to thin it out.
4. Sometimes we like to add oats and/or flax seed to our smoothies.

Portabella Mushroom Fajitas

This recipe and picture comes from Good Life Eats.

Ingredients:

For the Fajita Filling:
8 ounces small portabella mushrooms
1 yellow red bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 large purple onion
4-6 flour tortillas, warmed
For the Portabella Marinade:
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
For the Garnishes:
Restaurant Style Salsa
homemade guacamole
shredded cheddar, Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese
fresh cilantro leaves
sour cream

Directions:
Remove the stems off the mushrooms, reserving for a later use. Slice the mushrooms in 1/3 to 1/4 inch thick slices. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and whisk until well mixed. Add the portabella mushroom slices, tossing to coat, and let marinade for 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the peppers and onions into strips half inch strips, discarding the seeds, stem and ribbing from the peppers and the skins from the onion.
Heat a large saute or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and peppers, cooking until the onions are slightly translucent - about five minutes. Stir frequently.
Then, add the mushrooms and half of the marinade. Cook until the marinade is absorbed and the mushrooms are tender, about 3-5 minutes.
Fill warmed tortillas with vegetable mixture, cheese, sour cream cilantro, salsa, and guacamole.
Serves 3-4

Notes about this recipe:

1. I've never cooked with portabella mushrooms before, and didn't see any "small" ones. I used 2 large portabella mushrooms instead. Next time I'm going to try regular mushrooms (which are cheaper) to see if it alters the taste. I have a feeling they will still be tasty.
2. Instead of using red wine vinegar I used chicken broth. You could probably also use vegetable broth as well.
3. After eating this for dinner, I kind of smelled garlic-y, so you may want to reduce the amount of garlic.

Tofu Spinach Lasagna

The recipe is from The Vegan Table Cookbook. It is meatless and cheese-less, which is good news for our lactose-intolerant or milk allergy friends out there. Unfortunately, I can't post it here because of copyright laws, etc.

It's your basic lasagna, but instead of using cheese she blends up her tofu with milk (or milk substitute), garlic powder, lemon juice, and some other stuff---making a tofu "ricotta."

Please go check out the book from your library and try it out! If you do, I've added some notes on what I did.

A few things about this recipe:

1. When I used my 2.2 qt dish only 2 lasagna noodles fit per layer, and by the time I was done I had used 6 noodles.
2. If you aren't used to eating tofu, or have some tofu-phobia in your family use this recipe because you can't even tell you are eating tofu!

3. My layering got a bit off and I didn't end up with sauce on top, but it's lasagna and it doesn't really matter how you do your layering as long as it's not noodles on top.

4. Make sure you chop that spinach before blanching it! I tried using whole spinach once and chopped is much better (smaller pieces, not as stringy).

Southwest Pasta Salad

This recipe was submitted by Sarah. She found it on Our Best Bites.

Southwest Pasta Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 lb bowtie pasta
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced or about 3/4 C or halved cherry tomatoes
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 C sliced green onions
1/2 C frozen fresh corn
zest from 2 limes
optional: 8 oz diced cooked chicken (this is fantastic)
1/2 C Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese (or you could sub grated jack, cheddar or pepperjack)

Dressing:
6 Tbs fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)
3/4 C canola oil
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro

To prepare dressing place Boil pasta in salted water until cooked. While it’s cooking, prepare dressing.

First zest your limes and place the zest in a large salad bowl.

Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender. (Basically everything except the cilantro and oil) Process until smooth. With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated. Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool. Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest. Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn (no need to thaw the corn), and chicken if desired. Toss with dressing. Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste. For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving. Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top. Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.

Makes about 4-6 dinner sized servings or 10-12 side servings

Notes about the recipe:

You can serve it with bread to make it a bit more filling. Costco's garlic bread goes great with it.

Quinoa and Black Beans

This recipe was submitted by Sarah. It's a recipe from her mother's friend.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 c. vegetable or chicken broth
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. frozen corn (not canned)
2 cans black beans, rinsed
1/2 c. chopped cilantro

Directions:

Cook onion and garlic in oil until slightly browned. Mix in quinoa and broth. Season with cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer 20 minutes. Add corn and beans. Cook 5 more minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Notes about the recipe:
It can be used as a side or as a meatless filling for tacos/burritos...tastes great with guacamole.

Lentil & Veggie Tostadas

This recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups water
• 3/4 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 to 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 tostada shells
• 2 cups chopped fresh vegetables (such as broccoli, tomato, zucchini, and/or yellow summer squash)
• 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese (3 ounces)

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan stir together water, lentils, onion, cilantro, garlic, salt, and cumin. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until lentils are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to mash the cooked lentils.

2. Spread the lentil mixture on tostada shells; top with the vegetables and cheese. Place on a large baking sheet. Broil tostadas 3 to 4 inches from the heat about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition facts

Calories269; Total Fat (g)9; Saturated Fat (g)3; Monounsaturated Fat (g)0; Polyunsaturated Fat (g)0; Cholesterol (mg)16; Sodium (mg)595; Carbohydrate (g)34; Total Sugar (g)3; Fiber (g)8; Protein (g)16; Vitamin A (DV%)0; Vitamin C (DV%)0; Calcium (DV%)22; Iron (DV%)13; Starch (d.e.)1; Milk (d.e.).5; Vegetables (d.e.)1; Lean Meat (d.e.).5; Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Notes about this recipe:

1. I was able to stretch it to make 6 tostadas.
2. I liked it better when I sauteed the veggies before putting them on the tostadas, and I thought the summer squashes tasted better than the broccoli.
3. Still delish even if you need to omit the cheese.
4. Watch them close under the broiler, they burn fast!

Quinoa Tabbouleh

This recipe comes from allrecipe.com

Prep Time: 15 Min Cook Time: 15 Min Ready In: 30 Min

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 2 bunches green onions, diced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature; fluff with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, carrots and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving Calories: 354 | Total Fat: 16.6g | Cholesterol: 0mg

What is a Vegetable Collaboration?

For the last 2 months my husband and I decided we wanted to try eating more meatless dinners.

Why?

Our main reason was our personal interpretation and application of modern day revelation regarding health. Plus, it leads to healthier eating habits, and according to my dear friend, Katie (a plant and wildlife expert, in my book, and PKU mom), "the less meat we all eat the more food there is to go around (it takes a lot less land to produce a pound of non-meat protein than meat protein)." (See more of her blog post here.)

Then, after talking with multiple friends, I realized there are a lot of people trying to eat more meatless dinners. The main trip-ups were feeling like they couldn't find any good recipes to use, or just repeating the ones they had found that were tasty and getting sick of eating them.

The wheels in my head began turning and I decided to host a collaborative blog where we could share recipes we found, tested, and decided they were delicious.

So here comes the collaborative part. If you find a delicious, non-meat dish send me the recipe and I will post it on the blog for everyone else.

In your emails please include:

• a picture (if you can)
• any changes you made to the recipe
• where you found it (web link or recipe book title)
• what part of the meal you would use it for (main dish, side dish, etc)
  

Life would be really hard if we all relied on our own efforts in everything that we did, which is why collaborating is so important. Hopefully this will make dinner planning a little easier and keep your family interested in eating veggie meals!