AFR Chickpea/Quinoa Salad

I love to mispronounce quinoa. Quin-oa gets lots of people correcting me.

This salad is awesome and lasts forever in the fridge (well not really forever). I don't add lettuce until it is time to eat it because I am eating it all alone... FEEL SORRY FOR ME!

Make some extra dressing and use it on steam veggies or on a lettuce salad. It's lovely.

Upcoming and the mighty bean.

So I am going to make the Appetite for Reduction chickpea/quinoa salad tomorrow. It's one of those things that gets better as it sits in our fridges. (Oh, we are alone!!!Sadness!!!)

I thought we would discuss chickpea nutrition. According to the mighty Wikipedia, they have about 163 calories per 100 grams. They are a good source of zinc, folate and protein. They also contain about as much phosphorus as milk. Not bad for our friend, the garbanzo bean.

If you are worried about your diet and if you are getting enough of the various nutrients, talk to your doctor or a registered dietician from The American Dietetic Association. As an organization, they support vegetarian and vegan diets including for children and infants. Your mileage may vary with any one RD so ask questions make your goals clear.

Garbanzos - sexy and good for you.

The Truth About Chickpea Cutlets from Veganomicon

...I don't knead them until strings of gluten appear. I toss the entire mess into my food processor. Before I discovered the top secret cheater method, I could not get a decent cutlet to save my life. Apparently, I am too lazy to make cutlets the proper way.

The recipe is amazingly forgiving. I once tossed some stale bread in because I could not be bothered to actually make bread crumbs. It was fine.

If you don't already have Isa and Terry's Veganomicon, you need to get it.

Served with kale and mashed sweet potatoes. I made the sweet potatoes ala Cooks Illustrated by peeling, cubing and then simmering the potato in almond milk until tender. Then you mash and add some maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice.  See Panda with Cookie for your brown food needs.

Bloody Chickpeas!

So, I finally decided to make curried chickpeas ala Desdemona on the Elizavegan blog. Funny thing is I decided to use some curry powder stuff I was given as a gift. Damn label fell off but it's a pretty color so we are going to use it.

The chickpeas are bleeding!

Is this still vegan?

We will return to regular blogging tomorrow...

You know, I have read many blogs which are just one sentence long. So today you get bonus sentences. Have you roasted garbanzos yet? Well get on it!

I just made hummus tonight because I am tired.

Not quite all-day minestrone

I love Robin Robertson's Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. There are so many lovely recipes in the book. I didn't have exactly the right vegetables for her minestrone recipe but she is unlikely to pop over to check and see if I am making it exactly as written. I don't understand why anyone would worry about substituting. It's a soup, not a cake. Robin will forgive me for not having celery. I'm also going to make this at night because I need lunch tomorrow. It's going to be okay.

Slow cookers/crock pots are awesome. You can make beans, seitan pilaf and cake in them. (Not at the same time. That would be sort of gross.) Check her book out from your local library and start with stuffing. It's easy and tasty.

Ingredients with owl from the Blue Ridge Mts. That is NOT a medium onion. It will be okay. Also, more that 4 oz of green beans Still okay.

Her recipe is great because she has you soften the veggies in the crock pot. Less to clean is always good. I have two slow cookers - large and small. Don't overfill yours because it will not cook correctly. (They actually come in sizes measured in quarts.)

Also, I didn't put all of those green beans in the pot. Chickpeas, cooked of course, are added along with green beans, tomatoes, zucchini and stock. Leave about 2" space at the top of the cooker.

She has a lovely pesto recipe that she recommends stirring in right before serving.

Pasta is part of the recipe. You can either add it about an hour before it is finished or add cooked pasta to the soup and let it heat up.

Edit: I added pictures here.

Chickpea Salad

Once a week I work late so I don't toss together a three course, complicated meal. I eat things like this:

Leftover chickpeas, vegan mayo and ...stuff. You can follow Isa's recipe for chickpea hijiki salad in Vegan With a Vengeance if you want something that is sort of like those animals who live in the sea. Personally, I don't bother tarting up my salads to taste like something else because for me it's all about the mayo and the extras anyway.

Mash leftover chickpeas.

Add enough mayo to make it a salad and then add...stuff. I added pickle relish and grated carrots. I love tarragon and sliced almonds or grapes and walnuts.


Mmmmm glopy.

Add salt, pepper and some tomatoes. I am eating it on wee tortillas but you use what makes you happy. Scoop it up with your hands.

Ta!