Creamy Curried Chickpeas (gluten free, vegan)

Creamy Curried Garbanzos (gluten free, vegan)

We are always looking for a new way to prepare chick peas (garbanzos). They are loaded with iron, protein and fiber, and if you buy the dried beans to cook yourself, are cheap and low in sodium.  We are into quick meals, too!

Creamy Curried Chickpeas can be prepared as a tasty filling for tacos or with abundant sauce to pour over rice or quinoa. The sweet and mildly spicy sauce got a thumbs-up from G-man and the Cadet. One of these days we'll triple all the of spices to crank up the heat!

For four generous servings or eight side portions:


1 large red onion, peeled and diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp chili powder (mild or hot is up to you)
1 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp salt
3-4 cups cooked chick peas (or two cans, drained)
1 tbsp parsley flakes
1 cup canned coconut milk (or the whole can if you plan on making the dish saucy enough to pour over rice or quinoa)

On low heat, gently simmer the onion in the olive oil, Add the spices and salt and stir together until the onions are translucent. Add the chick peas and simmer for another five minutes. Add the coconut milk and until bubbly, stirring occasionally. Serve right away with soft tortillas, rice, or quinoa.


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G-BOMBS Stew (gluten free, vegan)

G-BOMBS Stew

Ever hear of the G-BOMBS diet? Dr Joel Fuhrman recommends eating certain micronutrient-rich "superfoods" every day. Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds. For the last couple of weeks, ever since seeing his show during a public television fundraiser, we have been trying to include these foods in our usual "Five a Day" fruits and vegetable goals. How could it hurt?

For fun, I put them all together. This stew could be called "G-BOMBS Plus" because it includes servings of carrots, celery, and cabbage, too, all enveloped in a rich sweet and sour broth. Garbanzos and a sprinkle of raw kale just before serving give it a bit of crunch.

For four generous servings or eight appetizers:

2 cups carrots, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup cabbage, chopped
1 cup kale, stem removed, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cups cooked chickpeas, frozen or canned and rinsed
2 tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp coriander
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup sesame seeds
salt (1 tsp, adjust to taste just before serving
6 cups water

1/2 cup kale, stem removed, chopped

Stir the carrots, celery, onions, and olive oil together in a soup pot. Gently sauté until the carrots are softened, about ten minutes. Layer the cabbage, kale, and mushrooms on top. If the garbanzos are frozen, just dump them out of their container and let them thaw as the other ingredients cook. If you use canned, rinse them well and place them on top. Put the lid on the pot and allow all of the ingredients to cook for another ten minutes. Stir in the parsley, coriander, raspberries, lemon juice, sesame seeds and six cups of water. Stir in half of the salt. Place the lid back on the pot and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add the other half-teaspoon of salt to taste.

Prior to serving, garnish each bowl with a small handful of the chopped, raw kale and a couple of raw berries.

For more natural recipes visit the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop,  Fat Tuesday,  Healthy 2Day Wednesdays,  Real Food Wednesday,  HomeAcre Hop,  Simple Lives Thursday and Empty Your Archives.

www.stealthymom.com

Warm Winter Salad (gluten free, vegan)

A colourful pick-me-up for mid-winter. This warm salad combines sweet purple cabbage and nutty garbanzos over a bed of mixed greens. Cheery and sweet, this salad can give you a boost:

Purple cabbage is chock full of vitamin C, which we need so badly this time of year, and cooking it minimally retains as much as possible while still sweetening up the dish. Cabbage is rich in anti-inflammatory compounds, while the anthocyanins (which make it purple) may fight certain cancer cells. More points for cabbage come from fibre, potassium, and vitamins A and K.

Garbanzo beans also contain dietary fibre and protein, potassium and thiamin (B1.) What is interesting about garbanzos is that a serving contains as much iron, if not more, than a serving of lean beef. Tossing the the cabbage and garbanzos in olive oil provides another anti-inflammatory agent, and the mesclun mix adds a host of trace minerals and vitamins.

For two meals, or four sides:

1/4 head purple cabbage
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped green onion or leek
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans, precooked or canned and drained
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt or lite salt
1/4-1/2 tsp coriander powder
2 tbsp parsley
mesclun salad mix

Chop the cabbage and toss it with the olive oil and green onion in a pan. Gently heat until the cabbage is softened, then add the beans, lemon juice, salt, coriander and parsley. Toss with tongs or a spatula until the ingredients are hot. Turn off the heat.

Place mesclun mix on serving dishes, and top with the cabbage and beans mixture. Serve.




I shared this recipe with the Hearth and Soul Hop, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Healthy 2Day Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday,  Simple Lives Thursday,  Gluten Free Friday,  Fight Back Friday and Fat Tuesday.

www.stealthymom.com

Hummus Enchiladas (gluten free, vegan)

Hummus Enchiladas (gluten free, vegan)

Creamy hummus and tangy kale stuffed into fresh corn tortillas, smothered with seasoned tomato sauce, and baked together. Hummus? Kale? Enchiladas? Blasphemy! (but yummy all the same.)

To save on time, the components- tortillas, sauce, and hummus- could be purchased. To reduce salt and food additives you can make them yourselves. That's how we roll. It will take at least an hour to get everything made and ready to bake. Thankfully, you can make most of it ahead and assemble the enchiladas as the oven is preheating.

Groovy Garden Sandwich (vegan)

 Groovy Garden Sandwich (vegan)

Sweet crunchy apples, salted almonds sautéed in olive oil, a hint of green onions, kale, and warm hummus all folded into a fresh flour tortilla. That's good. Really good, and I am hooked.

For four servings, or a serious meal for two:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp chopped green onion
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4-1/2 tsp salt of your choice
2 crisp apples, cored and sliced (peeling is optional)
2 large or 4 medium kale leaves of kale
hummus (recipe follows)
Vegan flour tortillas or gluten free tortillas

Gently heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the green onion and almonds slices, stirring. As soon as the almonds brown, turn off the heat. Sprinkle with salt.Toss in the apple slices and kale to warm and coat with the oil.

Spread hummus onto four medium-sized, soft tortillas. Add a quarter of the mixture from the pan. Fold over and enjoy.

For fresh hummus, blend or mash these together:

2 cups cooked garbanzos/chick peas
1/2 cup tahini (or unsweetened peanut butter)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt (omit if you used canned garbanzos)
1 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves peeled, fresh garlic



I shared this post with the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop.

www.stealthymom.com

Grilled Falafel (vegan, gluten free)

Grilled Falafel  in a Grilled Pita with Easy Coleslaw

Falafel could be the original "veggie burgers." A tradition from Middle Eastern cuisine, falafel are generally deep fried to give them a crispness outside while staying tender inside. You can achieve that on the grill, too, making this a fun burger for cook-outs. I adapted this falafel recipe to make it gluten and egg-free.

Our boys really enjoyed these. The Cadet helped mix the seasonings and blended chickpeas together. G-man, who often claims to dislike chickpeas, dug into the final product with enthusiasm. When the older brother exclaimed that he liked these "burgers," the little brother declared that he liked them too. Thumbs up!