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Moroccan Chickpea Stew
Surely I can’t be the only one that randomly craves stews and soups in the summer, right? There is something about a meal that requires you to just dump everything into a pot and walk away, that’s just so enticing about the busy, summer months. Obviously, I really love comforting warm meals like this in the winter month, the perfect hearty meal in a bowl, but there is also something about enjoying them in the summer, maybe on an unseasonably cool or rainy day or maybe just because those are the flavors I am currently wanting. I say give into the cravings, who cares if a hot stew seems like a crazy idea! It never is.
You guys know that most times when cooking, I opt for fresh, but when you plan to cook with beans just before mealtime and you just don’t have the time or energy to soak, cook or sprout them, good quality organic canned is always an amazing, quick option. A well stocked pantry, in my mind, is having those staple canned goods, the ones you know always work for you in a pinch. There is comfort in knowing you can always go to the pantry, grab a few items, perfect for making a wholesome, healthy and nourishing meal. Pair them up with whatever is in the fridge that needs to be eaten up and voila! If a few canned goods now and again means you actually opt for a healthy meal versus take-out, hitting a drive-thru or opting for a microwave meal, I am all about it.
Safeway and Albertsons have an amazing initiative, “Cans Get You Cooking“. Delicious recipes and meal solutions to nutrition and sustainability information, Cans Get You Cooking showcases the nutrition, freshness and flavor canned foods offer. With a well-stocked pantry —or “Cantry” (see what we did there?) — you can get through the week with creative healthy, homemade meals.
This Moroccan Chickpea Stew is a perfect weeknight meal. You can walk through the door and dinner will be on the table in just about 30 minutes. This stew has so many deep, rich aromatic flavors going on without any spicy heat. I always have homemade preserved lemons on hand, these, in my opinion are a must anytime you make Moroccan-inspired food, bringing a beautiful tangy, bright, zesty citrus flare. I also recommend adding golden raisins, when serving, their sweetness is a beautiful compliment to the spices and the tart preserved lemon. You can serve this stew over rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice, or just as is. This makes a great meatless weeknight meal, but you could also serve it as a side dish with roasted chicken, lamb, beef or some baked fish.
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Beans and Greens Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Loaded up sweet potatoes are my jam! Stuff all that good stuff up in there and then proceed to stuff your face. What could go wrong? Nothing. Promise. This particular version, is a great way to combine a salad right into your sweet potato. Done and done. I like to bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time, many weeks I batch bake a bunch for meals, then you can assemble just before serving. They make a great summer BBQ, picnic or potluck side dish, just heat up the already baked sweet potatoes, quickly make the filling, stuff and serve.
These Beans and Greens Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are so simple to make and will quickly become a favorite of yours, too. Best part, as with many of my recipes, switch up the ingredients to you or your guests particular liking. Not a fan of garbanzo beans, opt for white beans, black eye peas, black beans or whatever tickles your bean fancy. Not a fan of beans, opt for toasted nuts or seeds instead. You could even add your favorite sausage or some bacon on top, if you are a meat eater looking for a complete meal. Like your cheese? A little sprinkle of feta or parmesan would be epic on top of these. Truthfully though, these need nothing added at all. They are incredible just like this.
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Roasted Spiced Chickpeas
I like salty snacks. Many people crave sweets, but I crave salty, crunchiness. There is nothing like a good quality crispy potato chip (the kettle cooked are the best). Since I try not to eat that stuff these days, I am always looking for a healthy alternative. Spicy and/or salty nuts are always great, but I get bored with nuts. These roasted chickpeas are just as delicious as any potato chip or nut (if not more) and they have the perfect amount of crunch. The perfect toss in your mouth snack, great with cocktails and beers. I could sit down and eat so many of these. It’s nice they are so low in calories and they are a great source of fiber. I decided to make a big tray of these to have around during the holidays since the nibbling and munching is so much more prevalent this time of year. Now when I have that urge, I can just grab a handful of these and be totally satisfied.
You can play around with spices and flavors on these, there are so many possibilities. Curry flavors would be great, as would garlic and rosemary, cinnamon and honey, wasabi and soy, sage and garlic, etc. etc. etc. The combinations really are endless. Have fun and if you are like me, once you’ve made these, you will always want to have them on hand. I plan to have a batch of these in the pantry at all times, they are a great healthy snack option for us salty craving nibblers.
Roasted Spiced Chickpeas
makes about 4 cups1 – 25 ounce can organic chickpeas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black and red pepper mix (I used a mix of Tellicherry black pepper and hot cayenne red pepper)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
juice from 1-2 limesPreheat the oven to 400º F.
Pour the chickpeas in a colander, rinse with running water, drain very well and pat dry. Toss the chickpeas in the olive oil, pepper mix, salt and lime juice. Make sure they are well coated.
Spread the chickpeas out evenly on a large baking sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until browned and crispy. Turn and toss with a spatula every 10 minutes so they don’t burn or stick. Taste and add more salt or peppers if needed.
Serve warm or let cool.
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Brown Rice & Garbanzo Stuffed Green Peppers
Growing up in a Greek family, there was no shortage of delicious, traditional and Greek inspired dishes at mealtime. My mom has an amazing recipe for greek style rice and ground beef stuffed peppers and tomatoes that are one of my favorite meals. Her recipe calls for the rice to be added to the stuffing uncooked and then it’s baked for a long time, to where the peppers get very soft. I came across this recipe and was excited to try it as it sounded very similar but without the meat, and it adds in garbanzos and feta. It cooks a short time, so I figured the peppers would retain some of their crunch, which I prefer.
This was so tasty and quite filling, I couldn’t finish my two halves. The garbanzos bring an almost meaty texture and the chunks of tomato are so sweet and they burst in your mouth. Of course, the feta was a perfect addition as my mom always serves feta on the side with her stuffed peppers, which I like having with almost every bite. I am for sure going to make this again, playing around with the different filling elements and possibly stuffing tomatoes with it as well. I was thinking that some chopped kalamata olives would go great in the stuffing as well. Yum.
Brown Rice & Garbanzo Stuffed Green Peppers
serves 3-6
Adapted from Fresh3651 c brown rice, cooked
3 large organic bell peppers
2 t olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup of baby bella mushrooms, chopped
2 t fresh thyme leaves
1/2 t salt
1 c plum tomatoes, quartered
3 T tomato paste
15.5-oz can organic low sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 c crumbled feta cheesePreheat oven to 350F. Cook your brown rice according to package directions. While rice is cooking, cut the peppers in half length-wise, remove the stems and scoop out the seeds. Place peppers cut side up in a non-stick baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and roast for 25 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat oil and add onion, garlic, mushrooms, thyme, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, chickpeas, cooked rice and feta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill roasted peppers with the vegi-rice mixture. Bake 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle remaining feta on top.
Serve 1 half as a side or 2 halves as a main course.
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Chipotle Hummus
I have been making this hummus for years and it is always a hit at parties. There is just the right amount of spiciness with a smokey heat that sneaks up on you from the chipotles. I try to buy low or no sodium organic garbanzo beans (chick peas) when they are available, so I can control the salt myself. Garbanzos are naturally high in fiber and low in fat so this is a perfect snack with carrots when you have the munchies.
Chipotle HummusMakes 3 cups2 cans (15.5 ounces each) garbanzo beans (chick peas)1/3 cup fresh lemon juice1/4 cup tahini2 cloves garlic, chopped (I used 1 this time since it was HUGE)1 1/4 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt1 T olive oil1 or 2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo, chopped*
* sometimes I just put a tablespoon or two of the adobo sauce instead of the peppers – go easy with this if you don’t like spicy, it can get spicy quickReserve 1/4 cup liquid, rinse and drain 2 cans of chickpeas. Place chickpeas and reserved liquid in a food processor. Add 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/4 cup tahini, well stirred, 2 garlic cloves, chopped, chopped chipotles, and 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt. Process until smooth. I drizzle in just a bit of olive oil while its processing, it makes it even smoother and gives it a bit of a better taste. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week.
Sprinkle a bit of cayenne or smoked paprika and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top when serving. Serve with pitas, tortilla chips, crackers, raw veggies, on a sandwich and more.
Other variations:
Try making with roasted garlic instead of raw garlic.
Add roasted red peppers.
Substitute cumin for chipotle.
Blend in 1 cup of roasted vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and garlic for a roasted vegetable hummus.
For olive hummus, fold in 3/4 cup of chopped green or black olives.
Try adding some lightly toasted walnuts or pine nuts for a yummy nutty hummus.Do you have any other hummus variations you would like to share?
**The beautiful bowl above is a handmade pottery bowl made by a good friend of mine, Karen Felicetta. I love the way this hummus looks served in this bowl.
