Chickpea Salad Stuffed Bell Pepper

      After an adventurous three month vacation in California tasting culinary delights from Bouchon to Tartine, the wife and I have arrived back home to Montreal fattened and hungry still. We may have had too good of a time eating in California (not to mention the feast that was the Northwest) this summer. So the wife started speaking of a cleanse, something a friend told us he did for twenty-one days. When hearing the suggestion of a cleanse my initial thoughts were "Oh great, here comes the honeyed lemonade." But fortunately it is not one of those types of cleanses. It's actually outlines foods that are not that different than what we normally consume--well, that's not exactly true. . .

Here's what's excluded:

Dairy / Animal products of any kind (honey, gelatin, etc. )
Meat
Alcohol
Caffeine
Sugar
Gluten

I would also argue that most of these things should be excluded at all times, so why not go along with the wife and try this cleanse. The weak spot for me is gluten, I love bread and cannot be fully convinced of the damage a whole wheat loaf might inflict. Yet like undergoing any such diet it is important not to think about the can't haves and more about what the regiment will force you to explore. With this type of thinking I do not simply bump wheat off the list but instead add something like quinoa, a grain I typically do not get enough of.

I want to share a dish that Hollin found and adapted a bit from the ever delicious Smitten Kitchen. I loved this stuff. Light, refreshing and somewhat creamy, and reminiscent of potato salad.  And it is not only because it's vegan and gluten free that it is something to get excited about, it's tremendously flavorful.

The Ingredients:


1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons pitted, halved and very thinly sliced black olives
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or basil
zest and juice from half a lemon
couple good pinches of salt
a few grinds of black pepper
3-4 tablespoons of Olive Oil
2-3 red bell peppers, halved (for serving).


1. Simply mix all ingredients mashing up the chickpeas slightly with a fork or potato masher, just enough to form a texture similar to that of potato salad.

2. Dish into the bell pepper boats. Enjoy.

Southwestern Quinoa

I often find myself stuck in a rut with quinoa. Most of the dishes I have prepared with it are too similar to my standard and most simplest quinoa dish.  And while this southwestern variation still does not break out of the my typical usage of bell peppers and onions, the difference lies in the base of this dish: black beans and some spice. Lately I have been interested in trying to incorporate all food groups in one dish, and I think this one about does it.


Remember, the beans and quinoa are the base for just about anything you have lying around in your fridge and pantry. Here's my mix:

Ingredients:

2 Cups of Vegtable Broth or Plain Water
1 Cup of Quinoa

1 large tomatoe, quartered
1 Carrot
1/2 Red Onion
1-2 Red or Yellow Bell Peppers (an assortment of colors is nice)
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1/2 a lime.
1 Can of Black Beans, liquid drained
1 Cup or so of finely chopped spinach. (I used frozen chopped spinach)
Garlic (as little or as much as you would like)
1 Sprinkle of Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Tablespoon of Cayenne Powder
1/2 cup (or so) of Olive Oil
1 Cup of Water
1 Dash of Salt

To Make Quinoa:

In a medium pot, bring broth to boil. Add quinoa, return to boil - then reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until liquid is fully absorbed.

Meanwhile Prepare the Veggies

First get 1 cup of water heated in a medium saucepan add: Bay Leaf, Cayenne, Red Pepper Flakes, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers and Carrots until they are tender.

Put pan on medium to high heat.

By this time the water should be soon evaporated - remove bay leaf at this time and then add olive oil. Once olive oil heats up, add onions garlic, spinach, and salt. Sauté vegetables until onions become tender.

Stir in Black Beans. Add lime juice. Let beans heat and mingle with other flavors.

Serve vegetables upon a bed of quinoa. 

You may also consider adding cheese on top (cheddar or mozzarella) or stir in yogurt if dish is too spicy.


Also optional and recommended is a few squeezes of mustard, preferably a whole grain mustard.

Tahini Quinoa Salad

      I'm always on the look out for recipes that involve quinoa. This small grain is rather neutral and is packed full of protein. Good for the vegetarian. I came across this recipe in Sophie Dahl's new book, Miss Dahl's Voluptuous  Delights: recipes for every season, mood, and appetite. At first glance it may look like a repeat of my previously posted quinoa recipe, Les quinoa avec les legumes. And while it does contain some of the same ingredients, the flavor is very different thanks to the tahini dressing. This recipe is relatively inexpensive also. Tahini will be the most expensive ingredient and could be hard to find. I found mine next to the peanut butter in the nutrition area of the grocery market.


Serves 2


For the Dressing:
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Juice of One Lemon
2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons of Tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 clove garlic, peeled & chopped (or crushed garlic from the jar)
Honey (to taste and optional)


Salad: 
2 Cups vegetable broth
1 Cup Quinoa
1/2 Peeled Cucumber, chopped
2 Scallions, finely chopped
1 Plum Tomato, finely chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, de-seeded & chopped
Fresh mint leaves to garnish (optional)


Instructions:::


1. Bring Vegetable broth to a boil, add quinoa and cover and let simmer 10-15 mins. Or until broth is absorbed.
2. Meanwhile blend dressing ingredients until smooth.
3. Prepare salad ingredients.
4. When quinoa is finished, mix in salad ingredients. 
5. Top with dressing upon serving.


It may be preferred to let the quinoa come fully to at least room temperature before serving. Feel free to serve it right from the refrigerator as well. 

African Peanut Stew

      I eat peanut butter nearly every day on toast, however, I have very rarely extended the use of peanut butter in main dishes especially stew. And after trying to find a good curry recipe, I'm very pleased to find this recipe for African Peanut Stew. This recipe is very alluring thanks to its nutritionally packed ingredients.

If you're like me and have been wanting to get more greens into your diet- this is a simple way.

Please note that this recipe yields a rather large quantity. You may cut recipe in half- or grab a large pot! It is reccommended to use a dutch oven, but our 2.5 Qt. Staub couldn't handle all of it. So go for something that is around 5 quarts.

Serves 6
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
2 tablespoon garlic, minced (or a tablespoon or two of crushed garlic works fine)
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced (optional if your market doesn't have it (like mine didn't))
1 tablespoon curry powder (I add an extra teaspoon of cumin as well)
1 (14-ounce) can low sodium diced tomatoes with juice
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/4 cup crunchy natural peanut butter, organic preferred
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch of kale, chopped (about 5 cups)
*hot red pepper flakes or freshly ground pepper to taste


1. Heat up olive oil in dutch oven over medium heat. When oil is hot, toss in the onions and carrots and sauté until they are soft. This will most likely be at least 5 minutes. You may choose to cook the onions longer to achieve a caramelized state.

2. Add garlic and curry powder and cumin (if using). Sauté some more, about 1 minute.

3. Add full can of tomatoes (including juice) Let eveything cook a bit so the liquid is reduced. (2-3 min)

4. Add broth and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to simmer for about 8 mins.

5. Add garbanzo beans and peanut butter. Stir.

6. Add cilantro and Kale, cook until the kale is wilted. (about 2 mins).

Serve.


thank you, Katie's Healthy Bites at blog.healthyeats.com for this recipe. 

Mom's Lentil Slowcook Delight

     In honor of labor day, I thought I would share with you a nearly laborless dish. Here in Portland, it is starting to feel like Fall already, the leaves are starting to change and cooler temperatures are here. This  lentil dish will surely warm you up on a cold gloomy day.  As you can imagine, I eat this a lot during Portland's long gloomy winters.
     The best part of this dish is that you can prepare it in the morning by cutting up all the ingredients and throwing them into the slow-cooker. When you get home after work,  you'll have a hot pot of lentils that have slow-cooked to perfection.

The base of this dish is just regular brown lentils, but I encourage you to throw in whatever you like. I almost always use an equal mix of split green peas and lentils. In the picture on the left, I tried a second type of lentils (red lentils) to give the dish another dimension in taste.

Here's my take on my mother's classic recipe:

1 Cup Lentils

1 Cup Split Green Peas

5 Cups Water

1 Bay Leaf (optional)

6-8 quartered cut Potatoes

Handful or more of frozen mixed veggies (carrot, peas, corn, green beans)

1/2 Onion chopped

 Pinch of Salt and Pepper- Optional: Garlic Powder, Basil 

2 Tea Spoons of Olive Oil

Place in crockpot in this order, no need to mix ingredients. Set the temperature from low to high depending on when you want to meal to be finished cooking.

Low- All Day

Mid – 5 Hours

High- 4ish hours

5-10 minutes before serving

Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes (14 oz.) (I recommend trying the various seasoned quarter cut stewed tomatoes).

Realize that this recipe serves probably, about 6 people. It can be cut in half easily. When I was living alone, I would cut this recipe in half and eat it over a couple days. Don't be afraid to make the full recipe, because the dish becomes even tastier after it the flavors have marinated in the fridge for a day or so. The left-overs will not let you down!

La quinoa avec les legumes

      This is such a simple dish. I typically make a variation of this at least once or twice a week. In this recipe I used quinoa. Quinoa is super rich in protein - making this an invaluable food for vegetarians. Variations can be made with other grains. My favorite is a 8-grain blend from Trader Joe's. For either variation I feel that it is important to prepare the grain in vegetable broth instead of water. Personally for me, quinoa prepared with water is a little bland.

The Recipe:

serves about 2

1 Cup Quinoa

1 Cup Vegetable Broth

2 Red Bell Pepper

1 Onion, White or Walla Walla Sweet Onion preferred.

Seasoning of any type, such as, Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Minced Garlic, Oregano

Handful of Basil (optional)

Some Olive Oil for Sauté

Directions:

In a medium pot, bring broth to boil. Add quinoa, return to boil - then reduce to simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until liquid is fully absorbed. Meanwhile, chop onion and bell pepper into bite-sized pieces. Heat oil to medium high heat and then add in first the onion and when onion becomes slightly translucent add in bell pepper. Sauté until tender. Season and toss with basil (if using). Serve over a bed of quinoa.

Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free