In this weekly series we have been discussing the benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet including: better health, animal rights, public health, food safety, frugal living, global food crisis and the staggeringly huge contribution of meat/livestock production to climate change/resource depletion.
It takes up to 16 lbs. of grain to grow 1 lb. of meat
We feed almost half the world's grain to livestock, returning only a fraction in meat...while millions starve
According to the United Nations, raising animals for food (including land used for grazing and land used to grow feed crops) now uses a staggering 30 percent of the Earth's land mass.
Macca's Meatless Monday/Meatless Advocates is a solution-oriented activist group, with solutions for some of the most pressing issues of our time, including: climate change, global food/water insecurity and public health. Here we don't just talk about the severity of the crisis. Armed with knowledge about how our actions can contribute, we become part of the solution.
I was inspired to create this series by former Beatle and vegetarian advocate Paul McCartney (Macca) who partnered with the Meatless Monday campaign to promote less consumption of meat. We not only discuss the advantages of a less meat diet, we also do some cooking, share recipes and listen to great Beatle music!
There are many plant based protein meat substitutes available on the market but my diet usually consists of the more traditional plant based protein choices of legumes, beans and grains. It seems that there is an endless variety especially if you look into the flours that are made from those products. My favorite is garbanzo bean flour (also called ceci, gram and besan) It's a mainstay at my house and today I will share some of my ceci flour recipes.
SOCCA
Also called farinata in Italian. This is street food in Nice, France and truly one of the world's great iconic foods. Fantastic with wine as appetizer.
1 cup chickpea flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced (optional)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Heat the oven to 450. Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven. (If you have a socca pan, obviously that will work well also.)
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Put the chickpea flour in a bowl; add the salt and pepper. Slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. (An immersion blender is ideal for this.) Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and let sit while the oven heats, or for as long as 12 hours. The batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.
Remove the pan, pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into it and swirl. Add the onions return the pan to the oven and cook, stirring once or twice, until they’re well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the rosemary. Stir the onions and rosemary into the batter, then immediately pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pancake is firm and the edges set.
Heat the broiler and brush the top of the pancake with 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil if it looks dry. Set the pancake a few inches away from the broiler, and cook just long enough to brown it in spots. Cut it into wedges, and serve hot or warm.
Note: you can also use a stove top method utilizing a non stick pan
Socca Pizza Crust with Caramelized Shallots and Kale
Socca makes a great gluten free, delicious pizza crust
1 TB olive oil
2 1/4 cups shallots, halved and thinly sliced
1 TB rice vinegar
1 TB raw agave syrup
1/2 cup lacinato kale, sliced chiffonade
Daiya shreds, mozzarella style
6-8 oil cured olives, pitted and roughly chopped
To caramelize the shallots, heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the shallots, then distribute them evenly across the surface of the pan. Do not touch or stir them for about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium low, then stir the shallots. Sprinkle with a little rice vinegar, then allow the caramelize a bit more for about 10 minutes. Drizzle the raw agave over the top, then stir a bit more to distribute. Add the rest of the vinegar and allow to caramelize a bit longer, until a nice deep golden color is achieved. Remove from the heat.
Remove socca about half through baking with a pot holder, and sprinkle half of the shallots on top, then the half of the kale, then the Daiya, and top it off with the olives.
Bake for an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
TOMATO and BASIL PIZZA with SOCCA CRUST
CHICKPEA CURRY with SOCCA WRAP
Just make socca with recipe above and wrap around your favorite filling.
5 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped or less to taste
1/2 Tsp of Ginger Powder
4 Tsp of Ground Cumin
4 Tsp Ground Coriander
2 Tsp Curry Powder
6 Tbsp of Canola Oil
14 oz can of Diced Tomatoes
5 fl oz of Vegetable Stock
2 large Onions, finely chopped
2 x 15 oz cans of Chickpea, rinsed and drained
4 oz of Creamed Coconut
5 Tbsp of fresh Cilantro/Coriander
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large skillet/frying pan gently fry the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin and ground coriander in 2 tbsp of oil. Take care not to burn. Add the diced tomatoes and the vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 2 minutes.
Blend in a food processor or liquidizer to create a paste. Keep to one side.
In the same skillet used before heat the remaining oil and fry the onions for 3 mins.
Pour the curry paste over the cooked onions, add the chickpeas and chopped cilantro/coriander. On a gentle heat cook for 15 mins.
Stir in the creamed coconut. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
CREAMY HUMMUS
You can make extra-creamy hummus using chickpea flour instead of whole chickpeas. Simmer 2 3/4 cups salted water. Whisk in 3/4 cup chickpea flour to make a paste and cook 2 minutes. Puree with 1/4 cup tahini, 3 tablespoons olive oil and the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Toast 1/4 teaspoon each cumin and fennel seeds in a skillet; add some red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook 30 seconds. Serve warm, drizzled with the spiced oil and topped with parsley.
COCONUT CURRY SOCCA CRACKERS
These crackers are awesome and make for a great snack, salad topper, or dip scooper.
H/T gluten free Dee and healthfulpursuit.com
2/3 cup chickpea flour
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1/2 cup filtered water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp Himalayan rock salt
1/4 tsp lime zest
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
pinch ginger powder
pinch cayenne
Preheat oven to 375F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk all dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
Add the coconut milk, water, olive oil and garlic to the flour mixture and stir until all the lumps are gone.
Pour mixture into prepared pan, pushing the mixture to the sides so that it’s evenly spread across the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes or until dough begins to crack and corners brown.
Remove from the oven and slide the dough to a cutting board. Cut dough into desired cracker size.
Place cut crackers on a cookie sheet [I used a pizza pan and it worked perfectly!] and place back in the oven.
Bake for 4-6 minutes, flip and bake for another 4-6 minutes. Watch them closely so they don’t burn!
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Makes 35-40 crackers.
CHICKPEA FLOUR COOKIES
Yummy, addictive, healthy cookies!
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature but not melted (I use Earth Balance)
1/2 cup+ 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt [recommended]
2 cups chickpea flour [besan]
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons silvered almonds, toasted [optional]
1/8 th Pinch of baking soda [less than tsp]
chocolate for dipping (optional)
1
Set your oven to pre heat at 375 F /180 C degrees.
2
In a bowl, thoroughly mix the all-purpose flour, chickpea flour, baking soda , salt and cinnamon.Set aside.
3
Add butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk for two to three minutes until light and fluffy using your egg beater.Do not over whisk.
4
Add the flour mix to butter and sugar mixture and fold softly just to bring everything together.Do not knead.
5
Divide the dough into about 24 equal parts and make them into balls.
6
Line your cookie sheet with wax paper/aluminium foil and lay the cookies on the sheet about 1/2″ apart from each other.Lightly press each ball to about 1/2″ thk. Put few almonds [if using] press them on to the balls gently.
7
Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 to 14 minutes or until cookies are lightly gold brown..
8
Remove the sheet from the oven. Let the cookies cool down for two to three minutes before taking them off the cookie sheet
Dip in chocolate if using, let dry before serving
"Power to the People" John Lennon
"Working Class Hero" John Lennon
What have you all been cooking? Please share your recipes and fave Beatle music here!
