Veggie-Chickpea Curry

 I got a fistful of "what the heck?" today. 

 

I recently started volunteering at my friend Francesca's Ceres Project in Sonoma. The Ceres Project is a beautiful non-profit that teaches teens to cook, and then takes the meals that they prepare and delivers them to cancer patients and their families.  Francesca was a student of mine in culinary school, and graduated with the idea of opening a restaurant.  But after a year of volunteering for Ceres, she decided to open a new branch of the program in her home town of Sonoma.  A brave and selfless move, and one of the reasons I love this lady.

 

Another one of her classmates, Lorrine, volunteers on Tuesdays, too.  When I showed up today she took one look at me and said, quite passionately, "Why aren't you blogging?!"  She told me how she loved reading my blogs and making my recipes.  I was shamed!  I realized that I've been working for other people so much that I've left behind my beloved blog.  So this is for you, Lorrine and Francesca.....

 

My new favorite one-pot meal is Veggie Chickpea Curry.  I was inspired by a recipe I found that included browning chickpeas for a stir fry.  A lot of times it takes just one little thing like that, that I find interesting, and a dish just kind of evolves.

 

 onions, cremini mushrooms, red bell peppers, baby spinach, broccoli, and zucchini

 

 jalapeno, ginger, garlic

 

 

 The key to this dish is getting the chickpeas completely dry.  I popped them in the oven for about 10 minutes to dry them out (I've tested this recipe A LOT and this is the best way to be sure they are dry, and therefore brown appropriately).  Heat a little olive oil in a skillet and add the chickpeas, tossing occasionally until lightly browned.  Removed them from the skillet and add the onion to the skillet. When the onions started to soften, add sliced mushrooms and let them do their thing, too.  "Let them do their thing" means "don't stir them all the time."  I notice in my classes that people loooove to stir.  We think we're not cooking if we're just standing there.  But if you want to get a nice brown on these mushrooms (and you do), you have to let them sit on the heat.  Stir them only occasionally to brown them evenly.  Next, create a little opening in the center of the skillet and add chopped garlic, ginger and jalapeno pepper.

After a few minutes, make another hole and add Madras curry powder (my fave curry) and let that toast for a minute or two to bring out the smoky flavor.  Now we need some color..... sliced red bell pepper, broccoli and zucchini - use whatever veggies you like.  And then we need some yumminess.....coconut milk.

Cover the skillet and let it simmer for 5 minutes, then throw in the chickpeas, a handful of baby spinach and a good pinch of salt.  So pretty, right?  Even more delicious than pretty.  Serve it over brown rice and your taste buds will love you.  OK, technically that makes is a two-pot meal, but.....

Feel free to add any veggies you like. The combo of chickpeas and rice creates a complete protein, but chicken, shrimp or pork are a nice addition if you're needing more.  And why not?

Go ahead, give it a try.  Fast and fabulous....just the way I like it!

Veggie-Chickpea Curry
Serves 4

1 cup short grain brown rice
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo), rinsed and drained

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 cup thinly sliced onion

8 ozs. cremini mushrooms

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon Madras curry powder

1 15-oz can coconut milk

2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 cups baby spinach, stems removed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Sea salt and pepper to taste

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cook brown rice according to package.  Set aside.
• Place chickpeas on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until dry.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chickpeas until lightly browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoon oil in skillet and add onions and mushrooms. Saute 5-10 minutes until crisp-tender.
• Move veggies to sides of skillet and create a well.  Add jalapeno pepper, ginger and garlic and cook 1-2 minutes.
• Mix jalapeno mixture into the veggies, stirring to combine well.
• Create another well and add curry powder.  Let toast 1 minute and then stir into the rest of the ingredients.
• Stir in coconut milk.  Add broccoli, zucchini and red bell pepper, stirring to combine.
• Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, until broccoli is crisp-tender.
• Stir in spinach, basil and chickpeas, tossing until spinach is wilted.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over brown rice.

 

Get cookin'......you can thank me later!



 



Cooking Without......

I feel so fortunate, for so many reasons.  But today I feel especially fortunate because it was one of those days when I get to cook therapeutically for a client.  I have a couple clients that I cook for who just don't like cooking.  I have a couple clients who want to feed their families healthy meals and just don't have the time to do it themselves.  But I also have a couple clients who need "healing" meals.  One is a single mom going through chemotherapy for breast cancer.  The other had a heart attack and has had to drastically change his diet.

I cooked for the latter, and his family, today.

I love cooking.  I love cooking for other people.  But I get a special kind of joy when I cook for someone who needs and wants "therapeutic" meals.  When I went through the Natural Chef program at Bauman College, I never intended to cook for people suffering from heart disease, cancer or any other chronic disease, even though that's what the program is designed to teach you to do.  That was just a beautiful bonus of my learning there; and now that's what I love doing the most. 

Here's the thing.....for my client today, I cannot use any oil, any sweetener, any salt, or any animal protein.  When I told my students at Bauman College this, the first (obvious) question was, "how do you make food taste good?!"  I mean, these are the things that we chefs rely on to make food taste delicious.  But it can be done.  You can cook" without" and still make great-tasting food.  This particular family requests certain dishes again and again.....and three out of four of the family members don't need to be on this kind of diet, and are probably used to eating food "with."

So what do I use?  Well, I saute veggies in stock instead of oil.  I use lemon juice and zest at the end of cooking to bring up the flavors, like salt does.  When some sweetening is needed, I use dates.  I also add lots of herbs and spices, ginger, garlic, onions, etc.  It can be done, people.  Just give it a try one night....

I made roasted spaghetti squash with a homemade mushroom marinara, vegetable green curry and brown jasmine rice, carrot-ginger soup (with roasted cashews to "cream" it up), and roasted beets with fennel, orange segments, mint and walnuts.  Easy Peasy.  Did I mention...no oil, no salt, no sweeteners, all vegan.  and yes, family approved!  In fact, the eldest son came in as I had just packaged it all up and put it away.  I said, "All your faves are in the fridge."  He went immediately to it and scooped up a bowl of spaghetti squash and sauce....didn't even heat it up.  Then he moved onto the beets and said, "I don't know what you do to these beets, but they're the best thing I've ever eaten."

And I walked out to my car one happy girl.....so thankful, so lucky, so fulfilled.

Try to cook "without" tonight...trust yourself; you can do it.  Here's a start....

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

·         Preheat oven to 375°.

·         Cut squash on half and remove seeds.
·         Place on baking sheet and bake rind side up for 30-40 minutes.
·         Remove from oven when softened and when cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape out the flesh.

 

Marinara Sauce

3+ tablespoons vegetable stock

1 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, including juice
1 8 oz can tomato paste
1 medjool date, cut in half, pit removed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon pepper
Lemon juice to taste

• Heat stock in a saucepan over medium high heat. 
• Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. 
• Add garlic and sauté2- 3 more minutes, until lightly browned. Add more stock if necessary. 
• Add remaining ingredients (except lemon), bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes. 
• Remove date halves.
• Add lemon juice to taste.

Happy Cooking!