Ethiopian-Style Chickpea Stew

I made this for dinner tonight and I loved it. It was so flavorful, filling and very easy to make. We ate it as a stew, but I also think it would be very good served over rice. I found it on the Whole Foods Market website.

Ethiopian-Style Chickpea Stew

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 quart vegetable broth
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Flatbread

Method

Preheat oven to 450°F. Stir together paprika, salt, allspice, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cayenne, fenugreek (if using) and ginger in a small bowl; set spice mixture aside.

Toss chickpeas with a tablespoon of the oil in a large bowl then arrange on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Roast chickpeas, stirring occasionally, until somewhat dried out and just golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onions and chopped ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in reserved spice mixture and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until spices are toasted and very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and cook 2 minutes more.

Stir in broth, potatoes, carrots and reserved chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until potatoes and carrots are just tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover pot and simmer until stew is thickened and potatoes and carrots are very tender, about 25 minutes more. Ladle stew into bowls and serve with flatbread on the side.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 18oz/499g-wt.): 420 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1600mg sodium, 72g total carbohydrate (11g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 13g protein

Thai-Style Chickpeas

Thai-Style Chickpeas

Serves 4 to 6

The sweet potatoes in this authentic curry "melt" to create a thick and luscious sauce. Serve over steamed basmati or jasmine rice. If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can substitute canned chickpeas in this recipe and achieve equally satisfying results.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 18 minutes

3 cups "lite" coconut milk
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh or canned (drained) plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1/4 cup minced fresh coriander
1/2 cup minced fresh basil
1 to 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

1. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Combine chickpeas, coconut milk, garlic, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, curry powder and coriander in a pressure cooker. Lock the lid in place. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Lower the heat just enough to maintain high pressure and cook for 18 minutes.

2. Allow the pressure to come down naturally or use a quick-release method. Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to allow steam to escape. Add the basil and soy sauce to taste as you break up the sweet potatoes and stir to create a thick sauce.

3. To make this recipe without a pressure cooker: Combine 3 cups canned chickpeas, drained, with coconut milk, garlic, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, curry powder and coriander in a saucepan. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender, then stir in basil and soy sauce.

I got this recipe from

http://deliciouslivingmag.com/.
It was easy to make and everyone loved it.

Indian Spicy-Sour Chickpeas with Cauliflower

Here is another recipe from "Delicious Living". I wanted to make Indian food, but Spencer really isn't a fan of curry, so this recipe was perfect because it used so many spices, but no curry. We both really liked it.

Indian Spicy-Sour Chickpeas with Cauliflower

Laurie Gauguin, Mar 1, 2009 11:47 AM

Serves 8 / Used extensively in Indian cooking, anti-inflammatory turmeric and ginger enhance cruciferous cauliflower, vitamin-rich tomatoes, and high-fiber chickpeas, packing this dish with cancer-fighting potential. Prep tip: Use more or less jalapeno depending on your heat preference.

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups diced onion (1 medium-large onion)
1-2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 15-ounce cans low-sodium chickpeas (garbanzos), rinsed and drained
1 pound cauliflower florets (1 medium head, cored and trimmed)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Combine ginger and lemon juice in a small cup. Set aside.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil, then onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add jalapeno and continue cooking until onion is brown all over, another 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, and salt. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add chickpeas and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if mixture becomes dry.

3. Add cauliflower and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring carefully with a rubber spatula every minute or so, until cauliflower is tender, about 7 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring, to boil off any excess liquid. Stir in lemon juice mixture. Stir in cilantro and serve.

PER SERVING: 177 cal, 26% fat cal, 5g fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg chol, 7g protein, 26g carb, 7g fiber, 453mg sodium

Hummus

I took some homemade hummus to a party last night and people were asking me for the recipe. So often I refer people to just come to this website, that it made me realize that we don't have a hummus recipe posted yet--and we should because it's a kind of staple that's so dang easy to make, so delicious to eat, and soooo much cheaper than buying it from the store. (p.s. As a time saver, when I cook up dried chickpeas, I'll cook enough dried beans to make some hummus and a couple of other meals. The cooked beans will last refrigerated for about a week.)

Hummus is very flexible with seemingly endless variations--olive oil, roasted garlic, pine nuts, cumin, black olives, roasted red peppers, etc..... The blog Section 89 has a link to a nice tutorial here with some good variations. If you have any other variations, please share them with us! However, I usually start with this basic recipe from The Moosewood Cookbook :

Hummus

Humus is a chickpea pate of Middle-Eastern origins. It is a spicy and rich spread, full of protein. You can use it as a sandwich spread or an appetizer-dip. Scoop it up with pieces of pocket bread and sticks of raw vegetables. You can also build an entire meal around a plateful of humus, vegetables, and bread. It's filling enough.

1 1/2 cups raw chickpeas, soaked 1 1/2 hours and simmered for 1 1/2 hours until very soft
3 med. cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt dash of tamari (or soy sauce is an acceptable substitute)
juice from 2 med. lemons
3/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup (packed) finely minced parsley
lots of black pepper and a dash of cayenne
1/4 cup minced scallions

Mash chickpeas to thick paste using masher or food processor. Combine everything and chill thoroughly. Add some of the reserved juice from your chickpeas to achieve a desired consistency. Taste to correct seasonings--extra garlic, tamari, salt, tahini, etc.

Another Falafel Recipe

This is a pretty forgiving recipe and amounts are approximate.  I have made this three times.  The second time they were dry and awful, so I decided the next time to make sure the mixture was pretty moist (I added another egg).

Cook a bag of Garbanzo beans for a total of about 6 cups.  I soaked mine overnight and through the day and boiled them for about 20 minutes.  Then grind them up in a food processor and put in a large bowl.  Add the following:

3 beaten eggs

4 Tbs Tahini

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup minced parsley

1/2 cup minced cilantro

1/2 cup minced scallions

1 heaping teaspoon cumin (I buy cumin seeds and grind them with my mortar and pestil and it is much tastier)

1 teaspoon turmeric

3 Tbs flour or bread crumbs

S&P to taste (about a tsp salt and a few dashes of pepper)

4-8 cloves garlic.  Can you ever have too much garlic?

Mix it up using your hands.  From here you can fry or bake.  To fry heat up oil till good and hot and form into balls or flat round discs and fry until golden.  Baking is easier and healthier and less stinky.  To bake pour a bit of canola or olive oil in cake pan or jelly roll pan.  I baked mine at 400 for about 10 minutes on each side.  Basically until they started to turn a bit golden.  They were nowhere near as golden as when fried, but tasted great.  Better.

Serve them in a pita with tomatoes, hummus, tatziki, ranch, lettuce, parsley, or whatever else you can think up.  You can serve them without the pita too.  

Chickpea Recipes

Here are two great (easy & quick) recipes to make using your chickpeas:

Radiatore with Chickpeas, Baby Spinach & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Serves 4
from Quick Fix Vegetarian

1 10 oz. pkg fresh baby spinach
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained (oops, I didn't drain mine, it was fine)
1/3 c. oil packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. radiatore or other pasta (penne, rotini, etc.)

Put the pasta water on to boil in a large covered pot. Place the spinach in a bowl, cover and microwave for 2 minutes to wilt (I didn't do this-I cannot stand the taste of overcooked spinach, so I cook it as little as possible). Set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in both kinds of tomatoes, the wilted spinach (again, I waited until the pasta was almost done to add the spinach in so that it was barely cooked) and the chickpeas, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer to blend the flavors and heat through, 5-7 minutes.

When the pasta water comes to a boil, salt the water, then add the pasta and cook stirring occasionally, until it is al dente, 8-10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and toss gently to combine. Serve hot.



Chickpea-Quinoa Pilaf
Serves 4-6 as a side
from Veganomicon

2 T. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped finely (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 T. coriander seeds, crushed
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. tomato paste (I recently discovered the tube of tomato paste & love it for recipes like this)
1 c. quinoa
2 c. cooked or 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 c. vegetable broth

In a small stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil for about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.
Add the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, black pepper, and salt; saute for another minute.
Add the quinoa and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and broth; cover and bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to very low, cover and cook for about 18 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water; stir occasionally. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Dried Chickpeas

image from Flickr/glutenfreegirl

I've recently discovered how wonderful (and wonderfully easy) it is to cook and use dried chickpeas. Last week we must have had 3 different meals that used the beans I had cooked up at the beginning of the week. And now that I found that the local Indian food market sells 8lb bags for $7, I'm totally hooked!

I've read in some books and websites that you should soak the beans overnight, but other sources (including the back of a commercially packaged bag) have said nothing of soaking. And since I'm all about making things easy, I tried it without, and everything turned out fine--even soft enough to mash up for falafels.

So, sort the beans of any stones or impurities, rinse, and then put in a large pot filled with water leaving only about 2 inches at the top. Salt. Then bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. It will simmer about 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Keep an eye on the water level and when the beans are soft, you're done! 1 cup dried beans will yield approx. 2 cups cooked beans, etc. You can store in its liquid in the fridge and then use within a week. And just think of all of the money (and salt) you're saving by foregoing the store-bought cans. Awesome.

Moroccan-style Chickpea Soup

This soup is truly wonderful. Try it as the recipe says and you won't be disappointed, but it's also very forgiving when you are flexible with the ingredients. The other day I was completely out of ginger....different, but still tasted great. No saffron, no problem (I save mine for company--it costs an arm and a leg, you know!). Once I added a 28oz can of tomatoes, once I added tomato juice in place of some of the broth--we've liked it everytime. Besides, what's not to love about a recipe that takes only 30 minutes and helps you get through the abundance of garden zucchini that you'll soon be producing. Enjoy!

Moroccan-Style Chickpea Soup
from Cook’s Illustrated The Best 30-Minute Recipe book

Serves 6

This soup can be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth. You can also substitute yellow summer squash for the zucchini, if desired.

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (15.5 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 lemons, quartered (for serving)

MAKING THE MINUTES COUNT:
While the onion browns, prep the zucchini and cilantro.

1. HEAT BROTH MIXTURE: Bring broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, saffron, and ½ teaspoon salt to boil, covered, in large saucepan and set aside.
2. SAUTE ONION: Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook until softened and slightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
3. SAUTE AROMATICS: ADD BROTH MIXTURE AND ZUCCHINI: Stir garlic, ginger, and cumin into pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth mixture and zucchini, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook until zucchini is tender, about 10 minutes.
4. SEASON: Stir in cilantro. Off heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.

Chickpea Burger

We had this for dinner tonight and can I just say yum! It was really good. I loved the mint/parsley combination, much better than I expected. I was super excited to be able to get them out of my garden too. Yay! Now if those dang tomatoes would hurry up a little faster. Anyway, I liked the sauce on the burger, but would suggest cutting that recipe in half. Also, we just ate ours on buns.

This is from The Big Book of Vegetarian: More Than 225 Recipes for Breakfasts, Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Main Dishes, Sides, Breads, and Desserts by Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

CHICKPEA BURGER WITH TAHINI SAUCE
Serves 8

Tahini Sauce
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 green onions (white and light green parts), finely chopped
1/4 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Two 16-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and well drained
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons tamari or reduced sodium soy sauce
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
8 pita pocket breads
2 cups shredded lettuce

Make the tahini sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine the tahini, lemon juice, green onions, water, salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne. Process until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, thin with a little more water or lemon juice. Set aside.

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper, and process until finely ground. Add the lemon zest, parsley, mint, and tamari and process until just blended. Transfer to a medium bowl.

In a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cumin, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and garlic and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture and flour to the chickpea mixture and mix well.

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2 inch thick patty. If grilling, coat the grill rack with vegetable oil spray, then preheat the grill to medium. If sauteing, coat a large, nonstick skillet with vegetable spray and heat over medium heat. Lightly coat the patties on both sides with vegetable oil spray. Place the burgers on the grill or in the skillet and cook until golden brown and heated through, about 5 minutes per side. Fill the pita pockets with lettuce and a burger, drizzle with tahini sauce, and serve.

Falafel

Okay, I swear, I am not trying to take over the blog, but I have been trying out a lot of new recipes lately. Some are just too good to keep to myself. Here is another one. I got this from my aunt who got it from her friend who is from Jerusalem. They were sooo good. They had such a good flavor and were very moist in the middle. Here you go:

Falafel

1 bag garbanzo beans (8-12 oz.)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 loaf of bread soaked in water and squeezed of excess water
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
3 tsp. cumin powder
3 T. parsley, chopped
3 tsp. baking powder
salt & pepper to taste

• Soak garbanzos overnight (or for quick method, pour boiling water over beans and let stand for 3 hours)
• Do not cook
• Run beans through a meat grinder or food processor to make a pasty mix
• Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well
• Form into 1" balls (wet hands if mixture is too sticky)
• Deep fry in hot oil (350 degrees)

Tastes best when hot. You can serve balls in pita bread with finely chopped salad of tomatoes and cucumbers and season with hummus and salsa.

Here are my notes:
I used a heavy wheat bread (it was kind of wierd and slightly gross to soak the bread and then drain the water and it really does not take very long to soak up water) that is a little bit sweet. So, it made the falafel slightly sweet, which actually tasted really good.

Also, the food processor was almost too full with the bread and beans, but it still worked well.

I used a small cookie scoop to shape them and then I sort of flattened them out a little before I fried them. They are easier to stuff in a pita if they are a little flatter.

Enjoy!

P.S. The leftover dough freezes very well!

Chickpeas and Baby Spinach

I saw this recipe was in the NYTimes today and I thought it looked great--especially as a quick and healthy pantry meal.

Chickpeas and Baby Spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
Salt, preferably kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock, or water
Cayenne to taste
1 6-oz. bag baby spinach

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring for one to two minutes, until fragrant and the tomato paste has turned a darker color. Add the chickpeas, the stock or water, and the cayenne, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until each addition of spinach wilts. Add salt to taste and simmer uncovered, stirring often, for five minutes. Add lots of freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt and cayenne, and serve.
Note: Another way to make this dish is to blanch the spinach separately in salted boiling water for 10 to 20 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, drain and squeeze dry. Add to the chickpeas as in step 2, but stir together for only two to three minutes.

You can serve it on its own, with couscous or pasta, or over a thick slice of toasted bread rubbed with garlic.

Chickpea Soup

This is one of Jamie Oliver's recipes and it is so good! If you make it according to the directions it will be the consistency of mac and cheese, so you might want to double the stock. I also pureed more than half the beans leaving only about 1/4 of them whole.

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 stick of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
A sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 14-oz. cans of chickpeas
2 1/4 cups of chicken stock
3 1/2 oz. ditalini or other small Italian "soup" pasta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional: a small handful of fresh basil or parsley, leaves picked and torn

Put the finely chopped onion, celery, and garlic into a saucepan with a little extra virgin olive oil and the rosemary and cook as gently as possible, with the lid on, for about 15-20 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft, without any color.
Drain your chickpeas well and rinse them in cold water, then add them to the pan and cover with the stock. Cook gently for half an hour and then, using a slotted spoon, remove half the chickpeas and put them to one side in a bowl.
Puree the soup in the pan using a handheld immersion blender. If you don't have one, you can whiz it up in a food processor instead, then pour it back into the pan. Add the reserved whole chickpeas and the pasta, season the soup with salt and pepper, and simmer gently until the chickpeas are tender and the pasta is cooked.
At this point, if the soup is a little thick, pour in some boiling water from the kettle to thin it down, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve drizzled with good-quality extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley or basil.

I suggest serving with some good bread.

Chick-Pea Curry

2 cans chickpeas (garbonzo beans) drained and rinsed

1/2-1 cup chicken or vegetable broth (I added until it was as moist as I wanted it, to taste)

2 cloves minced garlic

2 small onions sliced long

2 Tbs lemon juice

Several Tbs chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbs sesame seeds

1 Tbs soy sauce

1-2 Tbs curry (to taste, I like lots)

Fry the garlic, curry, and onions.  Add some of the chicken broth as it cooks.  Add the chickpeas and some more of the broth.  Add sesame seeds and lemon juice.  Let simmer.  Add more broth if needed.  Add soy sauce.  Remove from heat and add parsley.  Serve over rice.  This meal takes about 5 minutes to throw together.  You can also mash the chickpeas up if you prefer a thicker curry.