In this weekly series we have been discussing the benefits of a vegetarian diet including: better health, animal rights, food safety, global food crisis, frugal living and the huge contribution of meat production to global warming/climate change.
I was inspired to create this series by former Beatle and vegetarian advocate Paul McCartney who partnered with the Meatless Monday campaign to promote less consumption of meat. We not only discuss the advantages of a vegetarian diet we also do some cooking, share recipes and listen to great Beatles/McCartney music!
As we approach Earth Day I am looking forward to celebrating with one of the most Earth friendly foods in the world. Chickpeas also called garbanzos, cecis, Indian pea and Bengal gram are high in protein, one of the earliest cultivated vegetables and a delicious addition to a vegetarian meal. They are used in most cultures and today I will show some familiar and some perhaps not so familiar recipes for chickpeas.
GARBANZO NUTS
These are great as an appetizer, a crunchy salad crouton or a healthy snack.
1 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less if you don't like spicy)
Dash of salt & pepper
What you'll do
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss beans with cayenne. Place beans on cookie sheet and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until they are firm and crunchy like a nut.
PANELLE
A world famous appetizer with wine and a popular street food in Sicily. You can also use the batter with most vegetables.
* 4 cups water
* 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet and for frying
* 1/2 pound chickpea (garbanzo) flour
Recommended Equipment:
* A heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan or deep sauté pan, about 10-inch diameter; a stiff wire whisk; a rimmed baking sheet, 9 by 13 inches (a quarter-sheet), or a shallow baking pan of the same size, bottom and sides lightly brushed with olive oil; a stiff metal spatula
Pour 4 cups water, the salt, and the olive oil into the saucepan, and gradually whisk in the chickpea flour until smooth. Set over medium heat, and whisk constantly as the batter slowly heats. It will thicken and eventually steam but does not need to boil. Cook and keep whisking, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan frequently, until the mixture is quite stiff and starts to pull away from the sides as you stir it, 15 to 20 minutes.
Turn the batter into the oiled pan, and spread it quickly with the spatula, before it cools and sets, so it fills the pan in an even layer. Wet the spatula with water, and smooth the top of the batter. Let cool for an hour or longer, until completely firm.
Cut pieces with a sharp knife, in whatever size or shape you like and in the amount you need. I cut 1 1/2-inch squares for appetizers and Sicilian-style sandwiches; 2-by-3-inch bars—at least two per person—to accompany a main course. Lift the cut pieces from the pan with a spatula (seal the remainder with plastic wrap and refrigerate for longer keeping).
To fry the panelle, pour enough extra-virgin olive oil into the heavy skillet to cover the bottom with 1/8 inch of oil, and set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, lay in the panelle, leaving plenty of space between them. Fry about 3 minutes, until the underside is crisp and golden, then flip them over and brown the second side, about 2 minutes more. Set the panelle on paper towels to drain and cool for a minute, but serve while they are still warm (though they taste good at room temperature too!).
SPLIT PEA SOUP
Not chick but split pea but good nevertheless....serves 8 And did I say how economical this is?...less than $.50 a serving for a high protein,healthy main dish soup.
* 3 cups dried split peas, rinsed and picked over
* 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* 7 carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick (3 cups)
* 2 green bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (2 cups)
* 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* Salt and pepper
1. In a large pot, combine split peas, potatoes, carrots, peppers, onions, garlic, thyme, and 4 quarts water.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peas have broken down and liquid has thickened, about 45 minutes. Add extra water as necessary and skim foam from the surface as needed. The consistency should be smooth and not too thick.
3. Season soup with salt and pepper.
CHICKPEA BURGER
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 15 ounce can garbanzo/chickpea beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
about 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley(I use italian flat leaf)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
milk or milk substitute
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large whole wheat pita bread or other bread, halved crosswise
some romaine lettuce leaves
sliced onion
1/2 small cucumber, thinly sliced
1 small tomato, thinly slices
1/4 to 1/2 cup plain yogurt or yogurt substitute
Place the bread crumbs in a shallow dish and set aside. Put the beans,onion,cumin and salt in a food processor, cover and process until mixture is coarsely ground. Stir in the parsley and flour
Shape the bean mixture into four patties about 3 inch diameter, brush with the milk, than coat both sides with bread crumbs.
In a nonstick skillet heat the oil over medium heat and cook the patties for about 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned turning once.
Fill the pita halves with the patties, lettuce, cucumber and tomato and drizzle with yogurt.
COUS COUS with GARBANZO BEANS, PRUNES and ALMONDS
Good with the Candied Butternut squash from below...serves 6
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 4 cups chopped onions
* 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
* 1 cup chopped pitted prunes (about 6 ounces)
* 3 cups canned low-salt vegetable broth
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 2 cups couscous (about 12 ounces)
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
* 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until very tender and beginning to brown, about 25 minutes. Add garbanzo beans and prunes and stir 1 minute. Add broth and cinnamon and bring to boil. Mix in couscous. Cover pot; remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes.
Using fork, fluff couscous. Mix in mint and half of almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Mound couscous in bowl. Sprinkle with remaining almonds.
CANDIED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
* 1 2 1/4-pound butternut squash, halved, seeded, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
* 3 tablespoons butter, melted
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place squash in 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Drizzle with butter; toss to coat. Blend sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper and cloves in small bowl; mix into squash. Bake until squash is tender and syrup bubbles thickly in dish, stirring gently every 15 minutes, about 50 minutes total.
LEMONY BROCCOLI and CHICKPEA RIGATONI
One 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (use Meyers'lemons if you have them)
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into florets
1 pound rigatoni
5 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese..or use vegan grated cheese
1. In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the broccoli until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to a colander and rinse under cold water until cool. Add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
3. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chickpea mixture and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute.
4. Drain the rigatoni, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the broccoli and chickpeas along with the reserved cooking water and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the rigatoni is coated with sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Transfer the pasta to a bowl, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and serve.
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
Yummy and gluten-free....12 Servings
* One 19-ounce can garbanzo beans (AKA chickpeas), drained and rinsed
* 1 ½ cups chocolate chips, melted
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 4 large eggs (organic,free-range)
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Place the beans, melted chips, sugar, eggs and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and process until super smooth.
3. Pour the batter into a 9-inch springform pan and bake 40 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a rack. Remove from the pan, slice and serve.
"Give Me Love...Give Me Peace On Earth" George Harrison
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" George Harrison
What have you all been cooking? Will you go green for Earth Day? Please share your recipes and fave Beatle/McCartney music here.