Whip it up Wednesday: Chickpea-Tahini Patties

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chickpeas, cooking, food, quick meals, recipe, recipes, tahini, vegetarian, whip it up wednesday

I’ve tried many recipes for bean burgers and patties. I like some, I think some are OK, and I hate some. (One time I made chickpea burgers that were so dry that they crumbled when I tried to scrape them off the pan…)

And for a while I’ve laid low on the bean burgers, but I think my subconscious has been telling me to do something amazing with chickpeas, because I bought 3 cans of chickpeas in the past week as well as a can of tahini. And these ingredients were not on my shopping list.

So I looked up recipes for chickpea tahini burgers, and after examining several of them, I settled on this one from FatFree Vegan Kitchen. It has tons of spices in it as well as a few cloves of garlic, so I knew it would be flavorful. Plus, the tahini would give it a subtle hummus undertone as well as provide the moisture many of my chickpea burgers have lacked in the past.

And the recipe was spot on. I’m in love with these patties!

Chickpea-Tahini Patties (Adapted slightly from FatFree Vegan Kitchen)
Prep: 10 mins Cook: 20 mins 

>> Click here for printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp dried)
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• a few shakes of salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
• buns or pita pockets for serving (optional — I served them on a bed of lettuce and tomato)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor until thick and pasty. Alternatively, you can mash them by hand if you don’t have a food processor, but the food processor is key here — it’s easier, and it gives the chickpeas a more even consistency.
3. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, tahini, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and baking powder to the food processor. Pulse until well combined, then add the breadcrumbs to the food processor. Pulse again until the mixture is smooth.
4. Test the batter’s stickiness by pressing some between your finger and your thumb. If it holds together without crumbling, you’re good to make them into patties. If it doesn’t hold together, add one tablespoon of water at a time to the food processor and process until the mixture holds together well.
5. Mold the chickpea mixture into 4-6 patties (depending on how big you want them), and place them on the greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on the bottom.
6. Serve on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes with mayo, or serve as a burger with your favorite toppings.

My Two Cents: Like I said, I was thrilled with how these came out — as bean burgers and patties are usually a hit or a miss.

Hit

And this is a great option if you’re trying to go meatless a few days a week. Chickpeas are surprisingly filling. I brought these to work for lunch the next day. Usually I bring a sandwich and am looking for a snack two hours later, but these held me over until almost dinnertime.

Enjoy!

Whip it up Wednesday: Chickpea Tomato Stew

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chickpeas, cooking, food, recipe, stew, vegan, vegetarian, whip it up wednesday

Do you ever crave something hearty? Specifically with chickpeas?

I do.

Unfortunately I also often crave chocolate, peanut butter, and Nutella. But chickpeas and tomatoes definitely even things out, right?

On the weekends I often make the mistake of over-eating Fridays and/or Saturdays, so Sundays I’m looking to detox from the trans fats and high doses of sugar from the past two nights. I was scanning The Six O’Clock Scramble Sunday night (this cookbook is currently the biggest lifesaver right now), and came across something simply called Chickpea Tomato Stew. My eyes widened. This meal could not have been more simple to prepare—yet it was hearty and healthy. I instantly wanted it. And 25 minutes later, it was already digesting in my stomach.

Chickpea Tomato Stew (Adapted from The Six O’Clock Scramble)

Serves 5-6

Prep: 10 min Cook: 15 min

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 large onion
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes (plain, or Italian seasoned)
• 1 can (8 oz) plain tomato sauce (or 1 cup your favorite tomato pasta sauce)
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and suate until they start to sizzle, about 3 minutes. Add curry powder and cumin and cook, stirring for 1 more minute. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato or pasta sauce, and Italian seasoning and simmer the stew for 10-15 minutes.
2. Serve over couscous, rice, bulgur, or pasta with a spoonful of sour cream if desired.

My Two Cents: I personally love chickpeas. I could eat them plain straight out of the can, but I know some people aren’t huge fans. If that’s the case, it’s a shame, but I would push you to give ‘em another try. The addition of the sweet and punchy curry and cumin really amps them up.

I had all of these ingredients in my pantry. So this is a great pantry recipe you can make if you have no time and nothing else on hand.

The Scramble also suggests stuffing these into pita pockets. But hey, why not make it into a chickpea sub? Add some cheese…and…double yum.

I also love that this is not only vegetarian, it’s vegan. But if you need meat in your life, this would also taste great with ground turkey or lean ground beef mixed in.

Happy Eating!

Whip it up Wednesday: Bulgur with Chickpeas, Mushrooms, and Zucchini

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bulgur, chickpeas, food, grains, recipe, recipes, vegetarian, whip it up wednesday, whole wheat

Before I started reading cookbooks and cooking blogs, I didn’t know what bulgur was. The name itself intimidated me. And I think that’s what it’s like with a lot of new or inexperienced cooks. If they see an ingredient they’re not familiar with, they’re immediately turned off by the recipe.

But bulgur is something you need to add to your pantry. Immediately. It’s a type of wheat, a whole grain, but it cooks quickly. Think of it as the medium between couscous and brown rice. It has a bit more of a bite to it than couscous, but it’s smaller than rice. It cooks in 10-15 minutes and you can literally add anything you want to it. Your favorite veggies. Cooked chicken. Tofu. You name it. Perfect Whip it up Meal!

Bulgur with Chickpeas, Mushrooms, and Zucchini (Based on a recipe from The Good Housekeeping Cookbook)

Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 20 minutes

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

• 1 can vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup medium-grind bulgur
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 (8 oz) pkg pre-sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. In 2-quart saucepan, combine broth, water, and thyme. Heat to boiling. Stir in bulgur. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and zucchini; saute 5-6 minutes longer until mushrooms give off their liquid and zucchini is tender. Stir in 1/4 tsp garlic powder and chickpeas until heated through. Then stir the bulgur into veggie and chickpea mixture until combined. Serve immediately.

My Two Cents: This is the perfect meal to make after a long day at work. And it’s the perfect lunch for the next few days. The chickpeas acted as my protein in this, but like I said above, you can easily sub in chicken or tofu, or even sausage if you want. Other veggies that would work well are broccoli or green beans. I can see wilted spinach working beautifully in this as well.

If you can’t find bulgur at your supermarket, try going online to get it—it can be ordered through Amazon. Or if you live near Watertown, they have it at Arax!

Enjoy

Whip it up Wednesday: Spicy Honey Chicken Thighs with Sauteed Chickpeas

Tags

broccoli, chicken, chicken thighs, chickpeas, cooking, dinner, easy, easy dinners, easy meals, food, quick meals, recipes, whip it up wednesday

Today I give you not one, but two recipes you can whip up in under 30 minutes.

Up until Tuesday afternoon, I actually didn’t know what to do for today’s Whip it up Meal. Shh…don’t tell anyone I hadn’t gone food shopping yet for the week. And every recipe I was looking at required one or two ingredients I didn’t have. I was  in a pickle…until I remembered one of my own tricks that I use for cooking.

I looked at what I had to cook with.

I stock my freezer and my pantry well, so I thought, “Gee willikers, there must be something I can whip up in under 30 minutes!” I scoured the freezer. I had 4 chicken thighs, 8 drumsticks, several bags of frozen veggies, 1 pie crust, and some frozen nutella brownies. I decided I wanted to use the chicken thighs. But what to have for a side? Rice seemed bland. No potatoes or sweet potatoes on hand. No fresh veggies. I didn’t want pasta. So I looked through my cabinets. I had a can of chickpeas. I looked in the freezer again. I had a bag of frozen broccoli florets. I had some onions.

I wanted something out of these ingredients.

So I typed in “chicken thighs” into Google–I clicked the recipe tab and up popped Cooking Light’s Spicy Honey Chicken Thigh recipe. Looked divine–and qualified for under 30 minutes. Then I typed in “chickpeas and broccoli” thinking that nothing could possibly come of that, but low and behold, another Cooking Light recipe popped up for Sauteed Chickpea and Broccoli. Cook time 15 minutes? Hell yes.

I was beaming, I tell you. Beaming.

So I preheated the broiler, took out the ingredients, rolled up my sleeves, and got to it.

Spicy Honey Chicken Thighs (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Serves 4

Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper
• 4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken to bowl; toss to coat. Place chicken on broiler pan coated with cooking spray OR baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil chicken 5 minutes on each side.

3. Meanwhile, combine honey and vinegar in a small bowl. Remove chicken from the oven after the 10 minutes. Brush the honey mixture on the chicken. Broil for 1 minute. Remove chicken from the oven and turn over. Brush the other side of the chicken with the rest of the honey mixture. Broil 1 more minute or until chicken is done. (Chicken is done when the juice runs clear when pierced with a fork. Thighs are darker meat than breasts, so sometimes it’s hard to determine if the meat is pink or not. Go by the juice test for this one.)

Sauteed Chickpeas and Broccoli (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Serves 4 (side dishes)

Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 1/2 cups frozen broccoli florets
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. After you put the chicken in the oven, take out a large skillet. Warm the oil over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring often until onion becomes soft and transparent, 4-5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the broccoli in a microwave safe container for 3 minutes on HIGH. Add the broccoli to the pan; saute for 1 minute. Add chickpeas, broth, and red pepper flakes. Stir once, cover and cook for 3 more minutes.

3. Uncover, season with salt and pepper and stir in Parmesan cheese.

My Two Cents: OK, now if doing two recipes intimidates you for Whip it up Wednesday, it shouldn’t Both of these recipes are incredibly simple if you follow them as directed. For example, if you plan on making this recipe, buy the chicken the day before–or make it early in the week after your shopping trip and don’t freeze the chicken. That way you won’t have to thaw it–because that will take an extra 10 minutes and can fudge up the cook time of it.

If you don’t want to chop onions to save you even more time, you can buy a package of prechopped onions. I’ve never bought them, (because I have a weird obsession with chopping onions), but I hear they’re lifesavers.

If you want to forgo the sauteed chickpeas and broccoli (it does add some extra pans to clean up) and stick with the chicken, that’s acceptable, too. (And I’ll never know.) Other good sides to pair with this would be a spinach salad, orzo, potatoes (the instant kind if you’re really whippin’ it up), and anything else your heart desires.

Oh yeah, and everything was amazing. The chicken had a sweet and spicy combo, and the basting in the honey cider mixture made it incredibly moist. The chickpeas and broccoli saute also had a little kick from the crushed red pepper–and the Parmesan cheese paired well with it. I used the kind in the jar–to cut down on the shaving/shredding.

Enjoy!

Whip it up Wednesday: African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

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chickpeas, cooking, easy meals, food, peanut butter, quick meals, recipes, slow cooker, slow cooker recipes, sweet potatoes, whip it up wednesday

Slow cookers can be lifesavers if you’re short on time. You simply mix up some ingredients, throw it in a pot, turn it on before you head out the door, and come home to a beautiful meal at the end of the day.

So for this week’s Whip it up Wednesday recipe, I’m featuring a hearty slow cooker meal–African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew. I picked this meal not only because it’s simple to make, but also because its flavors are so complex. When I saw this in the new Good Housekeeping Cookbook, I can honestly say I swooned. Sweet potatoes, peanut butter, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, chickpeas, and green beans? It sounded amazing, and it was

NOTE: This picture below might look like a pile of mush, but it’ll be one of the best tasting piles of mush you’ve eaten in a while. Like I said, slow cooker recipes are lifesavers if you’re short on time, but I never said they were pretty

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew (From The Good Housekeeping Cookbook)

Serves 6

Total Prep: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems (about 1 bunch at the store)
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup water
• 3 lbs sweet potatoes (4 medium), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 pkg (16 oz) frozen cut green beans

Directions:

1. The Night Before: In a blender or food processor, blend garlic, cilantro, tomatoes (with juice), peanut butter, cumin, cinnamon, ground red pepper, and salt until pureed.

2. The Day Of: Peel and cut the sweet potatoes. In your slow cooker, pour in the peanut-butter mixture and stir in the water. Add sweet potatoes and chickpeas; stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours until potatoes are very tender.

3. Ten Minutes Before Serving: Cook the green beans according to package directions. Gently stir into stew. Serve hot with a fresh loaf of bread, rice, or simply in a bowl by itself.

My Two Cents: Don’t be afraid of the preparation for this dish. I used to be turned off to blenders before I got into cooking, but they are such great gadgets. Because of the blender, the only chopping involved is the chopping of the sweet potatoes, and that only takes 10 minutes before you walk out the door for work. It’s incredibly easy to throw together, and it’s definitely worth it.

This is a vegetarian dish, but the end product almost fools you into believing that there’s meat in it because it’s so filling. The sweet potatoes literally fell apart at the end–which is why it looks like mush But that made it all the creamier. The chickpeas also ended up with a silky texture.

Chris loved this dish, too (which is a sure sign the recipe is good.) He kept taking heaping bowls of it throughout the week and every time he ate it said “it’s like eating butter.”

But do you see butter in that ingredient list?

Enjoy!

Pasta Shells with Garlic Chickpea Sauce and Grape Tomatoes

Tags

beans, chickpeas, cooking, easy, easy dinners, food, food processor, gift, pasta, recipe, recipes, vegetarian

First of all…

HELLO GORGEOUS.

This beautifully crafted piece of plastic and metal was given to me for my birthday by my dear boyfriend Chris.

I have wanted a food processor ever since I saw the phrase “pulse in a food processor until smooth” written in a cookbook last year. They are a wonderous thing. And now I assure you I will be making sauces, dips, hummus, and everything else that calls for a food processor left and right. Never again will I have an excuse not to make a recipe that calls for a food processor because now I’ve got one

And this isn’t just any old food processor–it comes with a cheese grater attachment. (What!) And it comes with a small bowl that fits inside of this large 15 cup food processor for mini processing jobs. It’s like a 2 in 1! Heck, it’s like a 3 in 1! It’s like magic!

I opened this yesterday at around 9 PM, and wouldn’t you know–I didn’t waste any time finding a recipe that called for using a food processor

I made a wonderful pasta dish (I am certainly eating way too much pasta lately…) that calls you to make your own garlic chickpea sauce. And it took no time to whip it up. Such a simple recipe, and wonderful way to break in the new food processor. (Can I come up with a name for her? Glinda sounds fitting–I’m going to refer to my food processor as “Glinda” from now on.)

Pasta Shells with Garlic Chickpea Sauce and Grape Tomatoes (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• dash of salt
• few shakes of crushed red pepper
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups uncooked small or medium shells
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Parmesan cheese for serving
• Fresh parsley for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil.

2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over  medium heat. Add crushed garlic; saute 1 minute. Add salt, pepper, chickpeas, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

3. While chickpea mixture simmers, cook pasta for 9-10 minutes until al dente.

4. Place chickpea mixture in a food processor and process until  smooth. Combine chickpea mixture, pasta, tomatoes, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley if desired. Serve with a vegetable, such as wilted spinach or steamed broccoli.

My Two Cents: First of all, I hadn’t seen a picture of this dish before I made it, but I must say, it’s almost spot on with Cooking Light’s. That means a few things:

a.) Their instructions are very clear and easy to follow.

b.) I’m getting better at cooking.

c.) I’m getting better at food photography.

Bravo!

As for the dish itself, I loved it. The chickpea sauce mimicked hummus. It wasn’t nearly as thick as hummus, but the garlic and lemon mixed in with the chickpeas basically made my tastebuds say, “This is hummus’ creative little grandkid, just saucey-ing up pasta dishes left and right. Oh, he’ll be famous someday!” Aka, now. This sauce should be famous now.

However, if you do not like chickpeas or hummus, you probably won’t like this dish. So don’t go trying it and come back with a sour face saying you didn’t like it when you knew chickpeas weren’t “your favorite” in the first place

Please pile on the grape tomatoes. I can’t get enough of those sweet vegetables (or are they fruits? Someone please help me get this right. They definitely are sweet enough to be a fruit!) Regardless, the more tomatoes the better. The original recipe called for 1/2 a cup. And that is just not right.

The lemon juice is a key ingredient, as is all of this garlic. But I promise you won’t get garlic breath–the lemon juice mellows it out. But if you leave out either of those ingredients this sauce will turn out sad and unloved.

More good news: This is good for you! Chickpeas are a great source of fiber. And tomatoes are a good source of vitamin A and C.

Plus, this is so easy to whip up on a weeknight. Most of these ingredients are in your pantry already. All you have to do is buy a lemon, one head of garlic, and a pint of grape tomatoes. Cheap, healthy, delicious dinner on the table in minutes.

And a big thanks to Glinda for making this dinner possible