Day 2 of the longest week, ever!

Good news guys, I'm surviving.  Well, kind of anyway!  Once the evening shift rolls around I am starving but supper is not quite ready.  I picked this recipe for today because I was quite sure that I wouldn't like it anyway... turns out I was wrong.  It was DELICIOUS and the kids loved it apparently, even though it has tomatoes in it.  Definitely a keeper.  It was a chickpea/cheese/spinach casserole served with a baked potato and steamed broccoli.  I didn't follow the recipe exactly (when do I, really?) so here is my version.

Chickpea Casserole

 1 chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1+ tsp paprika

4 cups cooked chickpeas

1-28 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained (but keep the juice!)

7 oz fresh spinach

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

*Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.

*Add cumin, oregano, and paprika, cook 1 more minute.

*Add half of the chickpeas, tomatoes and spinach, cook another 5 minutes.

*Mix 1/2 cup yogurt with reserved tomato juice and remaining chickpeas.

*Add yogurt mixture and stir in the cheese.  Remove from heat.

*Transfer to a large casserole dish and top with remaining yogurt and paprika.

*Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Chickpea Burgers!!

Chickpeas with salsa burgers

3 cups cooked (and mashed) chickpeas

1 chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 cup of prepared salsa

3/4 cup shredded cheese

1 tsp chili powder

juice from 1 lime

2 tbsp flax seed+2 tbsp water (mixed together and left to stand for 10 minutes)

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

salt and pepper

*Mix together all ingredients and let stand for 10-15 minutes.

*Saute in olive oil for 5-6 minutes per side.

*Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes to allow burgers to firm up.

Camping Weekend :)

Curried Chickpea Salad sandwiches

3 cups cooked chickpeas

3 stalks thinly sliced celery

1 diced red pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp curry powder

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

3 cloves minced garlic

salt and pepper

juice from 1/2 lemon

*In a large bowl, mash together the chickpeas and mayo.

*Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

*Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cream Cheese and Bean Spread  for fist-pump vegetable wraps

1 cup of softened cream cheese

1 cup of pinto beans

1/2 head of roasted garlic cloves

salt and pepper

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

*In a food processor, pulse together all ingredients until smooth

*Spread on a wrap and top with veggies (we used spinach, cucumber, red onion, carrots, and red pepper)

Grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches.  We used these awesome double toasters that I picked up at Canadian Tire to make these AWESOME sandwiches and the vegetable and cheese ones that are pictured next.  Best purchase I have made in a long time!

These black bean burgers are one of our favourite meals so when I had to pick a burger to bring along this was a no brainer.  We paired with a baked potato made in the fire and a green salad for a super easy and delicious camping meal.

I heart summer!

I have spent almost no time inside my house this week.  Well, that isn't entirely true... I have spent almost no awake time in my house this week.  The kids and I have been to the beach, the wading pool, the park, camp, the backyard... It's been a really good time.  Meal times though have consisted mainly of picnics, leftovers and very quick and easy meals.  Today was only slightly different in that we had a southwestern rice casserole from last week that I never posted the recipe for and some chickpea burgers that I literally threw together.  It was nice to have a heartier meal :)

Southwestern Rice Casserole

1 chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 chopped red pepper

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup milk

4 cups cooked (brown) rice

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

1 cup salsa

2 cups shredded tex mex cheese mix

*Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, add pepper and cook 5 more minutes

*In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients.

*Transfer to a 9x13 casserole dish and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

What to do with a can of leftover artichoke hearts...

I hosted my sister's bachelorette party this weekend and I was left with a lot of leftover snacks as well as some ingredients that just never got used.  I make a mean spinach and artichoke dip and had originally planned on doubling the recipe but never got around to it.  That left me with a can of artichoke hearts  that I just couldn't let go to waste!  I ended up finding a couple of recipes for artichoke pasta sauce and figured that I could fine tune my own crockpot recipe in no time.  This was what we ended up with, we all liked it but my oldest and youngest daughters LOVED it.  I served the sauce on some bowtie pasta with chickpea nuggets and a green salad!

Tomato Artichoke Pasta

Olive Oil

1 chopped onion

5 cloves minced garlic

2-28 oz cans of diced tomatoes, one can drained of juice

2 tsp basil

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp thyme

2 tsp brown sugar

2-14 oz cans of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1/2 cup vegetable stock

red pepper flakes

*Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft

*Transfer to slow cooker and add tomatoes (along with juice from only one can), and remaining ingredients

*Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Yet another Monday.

When you wake up Monday morning thinking that it's Friday you know it's going to be a long week.  The day just dragged on from there and by dinner time, I was done!  I was so thankful that I had planned this low-prep meal; even with the chickpea nuggets I think the whole thing took less than 1/2 hour.   We literally ate every last drop of the entire meal though, and were fighting over the remaining nuggets.  I keep saying that I'm going to have to start doubling the recipes but now I think I really have no choice now!  Can you imagine when the kids are teenagers?  Tonight we had a simple cream cheese pasta dish, with chickpea nuggets and a spinach salad.  Our favourite 2 year old did not enjoy this meal but next week we are having Boon Burger... so maybe then?  Cross your fingers!

Cream Cheese Pasta

1 box spaghetti prepared according to package instructions

1 tbsp butter

1 finely chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 chopped red pepper

1-1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli

1 cup plain cream cheese

1 cup milk

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic and herb seasoning

salt and pepper

*Saute onion and garlic in butter until softened.  Add red pepper and broccoli and cook until tender.

*Break cream cheese into chunks and add with remaining ingredients.

*Stir frequently for 5 minutes until everything is well blended.

*Serve over pasta <3

Gong Show!

Today we had my daughter's 8th birthday party.  8!  I can't believe that she'll be 8 soon, but that is another post entirely.  We had 15 children at the pool and then back to our house for pizza, fruit, veggies and cake pops!  It was an exhausting (but wonderful) day and I can hardly put two words together tonight.  I had plans to write a very good FAQ post but now I think I can save that for another night.  I took a photo of our meal from last night so I'm going to share that very simple recipe with you.  My husband found a similar recipe many years ago and has never been able to find it again so here is our version ;)  It's an easy way to use up leftover rice on a lazy day.

Chickpeas and Rice

 1 chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp grated ginger

3 cups cooked brown rice

3 cups cooked chickpeas

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup vegetable broth

salt and pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

*Saute onion, garlic, and ginger in olive oil until soft

*Add rice, chickpeas, cumin, cayenne pepper, broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil

*Lower heat and simmer until liquid is reduced

*Add parsley and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring often

Chickpea Salad and baby-food-making :)

I spent the afternoon making what is hopefully my last big batch of baby vegetables.  Baby is 10 months now and transitioning to table foods so I'm hoping this will tide us over!  You should have seen my kitchen at the end of the day!  It was quite a sight and I'd have been very embarrassed if anyone had seen it that way.

I talked recently with a friend about how most baby foods in the stores (and homemade by some) is pretty boring.  Carrots, sweet potato, peas, and green beans.... it's like they don't think babies can handle anything different.  Not so here!  I am an admittedly very picky eater, especially when it comes to veggies so I try hard to ensure that my children do not follow in my footsteps in that way.  This baby eats everything: red pepper, cucumber, spinach, avocado, turnips, parsnips, beets (big favourite!), broccoli, cauliflower, and of course all the regulars as well.    Most vegetables just have to be steamed and then blended for any baby to enjoy.  I took a picture of the red pepper to show you how 2 red peppers makes very little food! 

Tonight we had a family favourite: baked macaroni!  I've shared this recipe before so I won't bore you all with the details but you can find the recipe here.  Even the baby loves this recipe as I just used the mini food chopper to make it a little more baby friendly.  It was served with some green peas (leftover from baby food making) and a chickpea salad.  My kids are not crazy about tomatoes and I don't usually serve them because everyone is allowed some dislikes, right?  Tonight though I thought I'd suggest (strongly) that they try them and they didn't go over as badly as usual.  My oldest daughter even asked to have the salad in her lunch tomorrow so I consider that a win! 

Chickpea Salad

salad:

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cucumber, seeded and chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 chopped red onion

1/2 cup feta cheese

any chopped peppers you might have

dressing:

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

*Mix together salad ingredients

*In a food processor pulse together dressing ingredients several times, until well mixed

*Pour dressing over salad and let chill for at least 1 hour

Chickpea Potpie!

I love casserole Sunday.  It is so great to be able to make something in the early afternoon and then spend the rest of the day relaxing (you know as relaxing as 4 kids + 2 play date kids can be!).  My pretending it's spring idea is just not working out, we had rain/snow all day and I'm pretty sure the sun never came out to play.  It really was the perfect day for a chickpea potpie, some roasted baby potatoes and some steamed broccoli.  I started out with this recipe from Vegetarian Times, but I just couldn't stick totally to what it said.  I skipped the noodles, added more chickpeas, and put it all in a pie crust.  It was a little runnier that I would have liked, I think I just needed to leave out a bit of the stock but it tasted fantastic!

Chickpea Potpie

2 batches of pie crust

2 onions

4 cloves of garlic

3 stalks chopped celery

4 chopped carrots

3 cups cooked chickpeas

3 cups vegetable stock

2 cubes "chicken" bouillon

2 cups water

2 cups corn

1 tbsp parsley

2 1/2 tbsp sage

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

4 oz cream cheese, cubed and softened

 1/2 cup parmesan

1 1/2 cup peas

*Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft

*Add carrots and celery and cook 5 more minutes

*Add in chickpeas, stock, bouillon, 1 cup of water, corn, parsley, sage, and bay leaves

*Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes-covered

*Whisk together cornstarch, flour, and remaining cup of water

*Fold into chickpea mixture, along with cream cheese and parmesan

*Remove from heat and add Peas

*Pour into 2 pie crusts and bake at 375 for 45 minutes

*Allow to cool slightly before serving

Game Night!

My kids have been really into games lately (mostly cards but any board game will do).   After spending most of the day running around and snacking, a big supper would not have gone over well, so we had a snacking kind of meal while we played many (many) games!  Homemade pitas, roasted red pepper hummus, raw veggies, black bean dip, artichoke and spinach dip and chips.  It was as delicious as it sounds :)

Black Bean Dip

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

 2 tbsp olive oil

juice from 1 lemon

*Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until you've reached desired consistency

*Chill before eating

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus 

 3 red peppers, roasted and blended

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 cloves of minced garlic

1/3 cup tahini

2 tbsp olive oil

juice from 1 lemon

salt and pepper

*Pulse all ingredients together several times in a food processor

*Chill before eating

Pitas!  from Leora

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1+ tbsp olive oil

*Combine water and yeast and set aside for a few minutes

*In a large bowl mix together flour and salt, add yeast mixture and oil, mix well.

*Knead for several minutes on a lightly floured counter top

*Place in well oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 2 hours

*Divide into 10 pieces

*Flatten each piece into a disk and roll quite flat

*Bake at 500 for 3-5 minutes

The recipe for this spinach and artichoke dip can be found here. 

Spinach-Chickpea Burgers

Burger Wednesdays are quickly becoming my favourite day to cook.  I can't wait for the weather to change so that we are able to bbq more often!  It seems like that will be a long time in the future though, since we are still buried under many (many) feet of snow.  I got this recipe from (SURPRISE!) Veggie Burgers Every Which Way and have made a few small adjustments for personal taste and also because I didn't want to use any eggs.  I served the burgers with rice stuffed red peppers and a few raw vegetables.

Spinach-Chickpea Burgers

Olive oil

2 tsp toasted cumin seeds

2 cloves of minced garlic

11 oz spinach

2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, divided

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chickpea flour

*Heat olive oil in pan, add cumin, garlic, and spinach.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.

*Squeeze out as much liquid as possible and let cool.  Chop finely.

*Combine 1 1/2 cans of chickpeas, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor and pulse several times.

*In a large bowl, combine spinach, and all chickpeas.  Fold in Chickpea flour.

I didn't have chickpea flour so I blended up some dried chickpeas.  Aside from scaring the baby it worked super well!

*Shape into 10 patties and cook for 5-6 minutes on each side in a little oil in a frying pan.

*Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Switching up my menu plan?

I'm as shocked as you are!  Don't worry...I'm still going to be making the spaghetti and lentil balls but probably not until Monday when I have a chance to make a giant pot of sauce.  Life got in the way of that today so I had to make something a little less time consuming.  I first had this casserole at a baby group that I go to, I couldn't believe that I actually liked it (I'm not a fan of cottage cheese).  I've modified the recipe since then but the bones of it are the same.  I also added Veganomicon's chicken cutlets (done as nuggets) and an arugula salad.  Very filling and delicious <3

Cheesy Vegetable Pasta Bake

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped broccoli

1 chopped red pepper

3/4 cup frozen peas

1 onion

1/2 cup cottage cheese

2 cups plain yogurt

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I like to add a little more!)

1/2 cup milk

 2 tsp salt

1 tsp basil

1/2 tsp hot sauce

1 box whole wheat fusilli pasta

2 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

*Saute vegetables in olive oil until soft

*Cook pasta according to package instructions

*In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese, milk, salt, basil, and hot sauce

*Add vegetables and pasta and turn into large casserole dish

*Mix together butter and bread crumbs and sprinkle on top of dish

*Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes

Chickpea Nuggets

2 cups cooked chickpeas

4 tablespoons olive oil

  1 cup vital wheat gluten
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
 1/2 cup "chicken" broth
4 tablespoons braggs
4 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

 

*Pulse together in a food processor chickpeas and oil
*In a large bowl combine all ingredients and knead for several minutes
*Form into nugget (or cutlet) shape and pan fry in olive oil for 5-7 minutes per side

Falafel Balls

Every night when I sit down to write my blog, I ask my husband how I should start.  He's a writer so I assume he can come up with something better than I can.  Every night he says something ridiculous but somehow I haven't learned yet not to ask.  We're all fala-"full" here.... Yup, that is my husband.  Try not to be too jealous...

Last week at bootcamp someone suggested I make falafel balls.  It was quickly added to the menu for the week.  I always find it difficult to find a recipe for them that doesn't include deep-frying.  Besides not having a deep fryer, I don't really want to take something healthy and turn it into a heart attack ball!  Although it would be a delicious heart attack ball.  I decided to kind of wing it tonight and combine a bunch of different recipes together.  Here is the end result, served in a pita with tahini, mayo, cucumber and lettuce with some raw veggies on the side.

Falafel Balls

2 (20 oz) cans of chickpeas, rinsed

3 chopped onions

6 cloves of minced garlic

4 tsp cumin

4 tsp coriander

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp olive oil

salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (to taste) 

*Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it looks like a thick paste

*Form into balls and place on a greased baking sheet

*Spray lightly with olive oil

*Bake at 400 for 40 minutes, turning once midway through

Tomato Chickpea soup

I've only made this soup a couple of times now but its quickly becoming one of my favourites.  I served it with some fresh cheese biscuits (modified from a great recipe from my friend Michelle) and an avocado salad that I found online a few days ago.  Very filling!  I got the recipe originally from the Savvy Vegetarian website, it has the best vegetarian slow cooker recipes.

Tomato Chickpea Soup

1 chopped onion

4 cloves of minced garlic

a little bit of grated ginger

3 stalks of chopped celery

3 chopped carrots

7 chopped roma tomatoes

3 tsp cumin

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp sugar

1 can of tomato paste

1 tsp basil

2 cans of chickpeas

4 cups vegetable stock

*Saute onion, garlic, ginger, celery, and carrots until soft

*Mix in slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 8-9 hours

*Use an immersion blender or food processor and blend until slightly chunky

Cheese Biscuits

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup unbleached flour

4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp garlic and herb seasoning

*Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl

*Cut butter in with pastry cutter and add milk

*Fold in cheese and form into balls

*Bake at 400 for 15 minutes

Slow Cooker Tuesday!

Tuesdays are a busy day in our house.  With 4 kids going in 4 different directions and only one vehicle to take them in, there isn't usually time in the afternoon to prepare a healthy meal.  Today I decided to make one of my favourite recipes, Chickpea Curry!  Served with some brown rice and samosas (from India Palace) that I had my husband pick up on his way home from work.

Chickpea Curry

Olive oil

1 chopped large onion

4 minced cloves of garlic

1.5 inch grated ginger

3 carrots

3 tsp cumin

3 tsp curry powder

2 tsp coriander

2 tsp turmeric
dash of cinnamon
salt and pepper

1 chopped green pepper

3/4 cup green beans (cut into 1 inch sections)

28 ounce can of diced tomato in juices 

1/4 cup vegetable stock

2 cans of chickpeas (rinsed)

3 cups spinach

1 cup coconut milk

1 tsp garam masala

*Saute onion, garlic, ginger, and carrots in olive oil, put into slow cooker

*Pour can of tomatoes into large bowl and use immersion blender to make it slightly less chunky (more than crushed, less than diced seems to be popular with my kids)

*Add tomatoes and all ingredients except, spinach, milk, and garam masala to the crock pot

*Cook on low for 7-8 hours

*Add spinach, coconut milk, and garam masala - cook for another 20 minutes