Coconut Collards with Spiced Chickpeas

Collard greens. Not something I tend to think of as a go-to green. If anything, collard greens make me think of a greasy-spoon, down-home Southern cooking restaurant we used to go to in New York called Mama's. They aren't something I'd really go out of my way for, usually. But they do work beautifully in my black bean very veggie soup. And now, I have another great recipe they shine in: coconut collards, complemented by spiced, nutty, hearty chickpeas. A filling side dish or meal.

Rosemary Socca with Roasted Eggplant

Since our anniversary dinner, I've been wanting to make socca at home. If you haven't ever had or heard of socca, it's just a chickpea "pancake," almost is a little like polenta in texture and consistency. Socca is simple to make, and can be varied in a bunch of ways, so it's a great addition to quick weeknight meals. Perfect for enjoying a restaurant-style dinner, right at home in your warm & cozies.

Artichoke & Chickpea Salad

Oh.My.Goodness.This.Is.So.Yummy.

Golden chickpeas with a slightly sweet flavor, rich artichoke hearts, and a hint of lemon. It's like a nutty lemony bowl of goodness. I serve it over a bed of fresh greens without any dressing, and it makes for one kick-ass lunch. Or, actually, 2-3 kick-ass lunches.

Broccoli, Chickpea, Tomato & Bean Salad

I've posted the recipe for this salad previously here: Broccoli, Chickpea & Tomato Salad

I changed the original just a tad by adding black beans for more protein! Filling, refreshing, delicious, and sooooo easy to make!

Dressing is a Dijon mustard/olive oil/vinegar mix (I use 1 Tbsp of each- slight change from the original). Onion may be omitted (as done in these pics- didn't have one and didn't miss it!).

Wrapping: Hummus, toppings, and kale salad

I was so inspired by this summer vegan kale wrap that I found the recipe for on Friday that I had to make it immediately. I spent nearly half my day on Saturday gathering all the ingredients and making all of the items that went into it, but the result was the best wrap I've ever had; also the most expensive (when you count buying all the ingredients), time consuming wrap I've ever made. But worth it for all the new recipes I know now!

Here is the original recipe, (complete with videos!) from Gena at ChoosingRaw.com and Kathy at Healthy Happy Life.

I started with the hemp hummus for the wrap.


It was my first ever batch of hummus!Good flavor & consistency. And not that hard or time consuming to make, either (once I figured out what tahini was, and where to find it and shelled hemp seeds). Here's the recipe (from Gena @ Choosing Raw):

High Protein Hemp Seed Hummus:
Makes 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
• 1 can chickpeas, drained, or 2 cups freshly cooked (heat before blending for ideal consistency)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp tahini (optional)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Water

Steps:

1. Place the hemp seeds in the bowl of a food processor and grind till powdery.
2. Add the chickpeas, salt, lemon, garlic, tahini, and cumin, and begin to process. Add water in a thin stream (stopping to scrape the bowl a few times) until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
3. Garnish with hemp seeds and serve.

Next came the trio of bruschetta toppings that go into the wrap (or, not surprisingly, onto bread to make bruscetta) (from Kathy @ Healthy Happy Life):

Avocado Jalapeno Lemon topping:

• Mix 1 avocado cup into small cubes, 1 Tbsp diced jalapeno, 1 lemon juiced, lemon zest, and salt & pepper.

Balsamic Shiitake Mushroom topping:

• Saute sliced shiitake mushrooms in olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Cool and add chopped fresh thyme, and a few pinches of truffle salt & pepper.

Mango Basil Lime topping:

• Peel & cut 1 ripe mango into cubes. Add 2 Tbsp chopped basil, 1-2 limes juiced, and lime zest.
  

And then the kale salad and dressing (again from Gena):

Miso Sesame Dressing:
Makes nearly 2 cups. Half everything if you don't need that much- it is a pretty rich dressing.
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mellow white miso
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 3-4 tbsp tamari
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger, or 1/2 tsp dry
• 1 and 1/4 cup water

Blend all ingredients together on high.

Kale Salad
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch curly kale
• 1 large vine ripe or beefsteak tomato
• 1 large bell pepper (or if you're like me and don't like peppers, just omit it- still tastes great without it!)

Steps:

1. De-stem the kale by holding them stem and simply pulling the leaves off by sliding your other hand from the stem to the tip. (You want the leaves and not the hard stem part). Wash & chop the kale.
2. Add about 1/3-1/2 cup of the miso dressing to the kale. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the salad- it will help break down the kale so it's a bit softer when you eat it.
3. Add the tomatoes (and pepper if preferred) and serve.

Watch Gena's video for the de-stemming and 'massaging' techniques if you aren't sure!

Here are the finished products:


And finally, the wrap with everything in it!


It was YUM.

Some tips:
-Don't forget to warm the wrap for a few seconds first before putting things in, so it doesn't crack when you wrap it.
-I made the mistake of buying small rather than extra large wraps. Go big instead: there's a lot to put in this filling, delicious, healthy wrap!
-Tamari is very similar to soy sauce, and tahini is similar to peanut butter (I'd never used either one so didn't know!)
-The ingredients are all just as good (if not better?) the next day!
-The miso dressing recipe makes a TON of dressing, so unless you're looking to store about 2 bottles worth, I'd halve it.
-Check out Gena and Kathy's blogs for more useful information.

Broccoli, Chickpea, and Tomato Salad

From: Great Food Fast

Ingredients:

• 1 pound broccoli
• 1/2 small red onion, minced
• Coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved (note: grape tomatoes also work, but the cherry ones taste better!)
• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Dressing:

• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp red-wine vinegar (note: Apple cider vinegar works here too!)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

Steps:

1. Cut the broccoli florets from the stalk. Steam in large pot until crisp but tender, about 5 minutes (the book recommends using a steamer basket with 1 inch of water beneath). Rinse with cold water in a strainer after cooking to cool.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and onion. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and broccoli. Toss to coat ingredients with the dressing. May be served at room temp or chilled.

Notes: This is very easy to make! I usually don't add the full amount of dressing, as I prefer it very light, but the recipe is not heavy as is, so just add slowly to your preference. And if you are looking for a good cookbook, I highly recommend Great Food Fast- it is filled with simple, quick recipes that don't require a lot of ingredients but that still taste great. But it's not a vegetarian cookbook, so if you are veggie, be prepared to pick through or do some substitutes.

Pictures and a variation: here.

Chickpea and Spinach Saute

This recipe comes from my friend Lindsay, who got it from a Kronos class. It is yummy and filling, easy to make, and healthy too! Very good if you need to make a good-for-you meal quickly.

Ingredients: (serves: 2)

• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes - finely chopped (buy the olive-oil pack)
• 4 tsp oil - can use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup onion or shallot - finely chopped
• 2 medium garlic cloves - minced
• 1 cup (canned) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• dash freshly ground pepper
• 6 cups spinach - coarsely chopped (fresh spinach is best)
• 2 tbsp pine nuts or chopped blanched almonds (optional)

Steps:

1. Increase heat to medium and add oil. Cook the onion and garlic about 4 or 5 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, dried tomatoes, 2 tbsp. water and pepper. Heat through.
2. Add spinach; cover and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until spinach is just wilted.
3. If adding nuts: Toast nuts in ungreased skillet over low heat one minute, stirring to avoid over browning. Remove and set aside, add to dish when finished and ready to serve.

Nutrition information (per serving):
344 calories, 14g protein, 17g fat (7g polyunsaturated- the good kind of fat!; 6g monounsaturated; 3g saturated fat; 0g trans fat- the really bad kind of fat!), 41g carbohydrates.