Recipe: Vegetable Chickpea Soup

This soup is perfect for the transition between winter and spring. It's on the lighter side of things, but is still comforting and warm while you wait for the weather to make up it's mind. It all comes together quickly without any sacrifice in flavor thanks to homemade broth. If you still haven't tried to make slow cooker stock, you gotta do it! It's super easy, requires very little active time, and is a great way to stretch your food dollars. Plus, it tastes amazing and gives this fast dinner the flavor of something that's been cooking away all day long.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, diced (avoid onion tears with this tip)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb carrots, sliced on a bias

4 large ribs of celery and their greens, chopped

28 ounce canned diced tomatoes

1.5 cups cooked chickpeas

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

10-12 cups homemade vegetable or chicken broth (I usually end up with around 11 cups when I make slow-cooker stock)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add garlic to the pot and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
3. Add carrots and stir to incorporate. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Repeat with celery.
4. Add chickpeas, thyme, salt, pepper, and tomatoes and stir to distribute all of the ingredients evenly. Add vegetable or chicken broth to the pot and cover.
5. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to simmer until the vegetable are crisp tender, about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir the soup well when serving, so all of the chickpeas don't end up at the bottom of your pot.

If you make this, be sure to send me a picture on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! And don't forget to share it with your friends!

Banana Muffins and Experimenting with Chia Eggs

We don't always have extra bananas in our house (Jasen has a serious addiction), but if there are a few leftover at the end of the week that are on their way to being compost, I always make sure to turn them into banana bread. My favorite recipe comes from 100 Days of Real Food because it's whole wheat and doesn't include tons of sugar. Instead, it has just a 1/4 cup of honey. This week, for a little twist, I made banana bread muffins instead of a loaf. Who can resist food that is cute and individually wrapped? Not me! When it was muffin making time, I realized that we were all out of eggs. This minor catastrophe soon became an opportunity to try out something that's been on my list for a couple years now: chia seed eggs.

Chia eggs are a vegan egg substitute for baking. Now I'm not vegan, but when a lady is in a pinch, this is a great solution. I've read it can also be done with flax seeds, but I haven't tried that version.

It all starts by grinding up chia seeds in a coffee or spice grinder until you are left with a fine powder.

Next, you mix 1 tablesppon of ground chia with 3 tablesppons of water for each egg. I doubled it for the 2 eggs needed for the banana bread. Mix these together and let it sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes.

When you take the mixture out it will be thick and sticky. Now you simply add it in as you would the eggs in your recipe. Don't forget it in the fridge, like I did, and realize it after half of your muffin tins are filled. Then you would have to dump the batter back into the bowl and remix to add the chia. Oops.

And here is the finished muffin! It doesn't brown as nicely without the egg, but they still taste good. I'll still stick with eggs when I have them on hand, but this is definitely a viable option if you're interested in vegan baking or just run out of eggs.

Would you ever bake with a chia or flax egg? Let me know in the comments below!

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Butternut Squash and Chickpea Soup

Goodness knows I love the slow cooker. Every time I come home to a house full of delicious smells and dinner ready to eat, I'm in heaven. However, I never use it as much as I should. In my effort to better utilize this incredible tool, I came up with this soup that is perfect for warming up on a fall or winter night. Ingredients can be prepped the night before so, in the morning, you can just toss everything in the pot before you head out the door. Use it as a side dish/first course or as your main meal.

Slow-Cooker Butternut Squash and Chickpea Soup

makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1.5 cups dried chickpeas or approximately 2 cups cooked

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

28 oz canned diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon tumeric

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable stock

Directions

The night before!

1. If using dried chickpeas, place in a bowl, cover with water, and soak overnight in refrigerator.

2. Heat coconut oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until browned. Remove from pan and refrigerate.

3. Prep all other ingredients, including chopping and measuring, and store accordingly overnight.

In the morning:

1. Add all ingredients to slow cooker and cook on low heat for 8-12 hrs, or until chickpeas are soft. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe: Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Stew (and an update!)

Today's recipe celebrates some of the best veggies of summer that won't be around much longer. I figured it's time to give them a nice farewell as we start to move closer to fall. But, first things first, I wanted to give a little update about what I've been up to. Over the past few weeks I've been in the process of preparing, moving, and getting settled for my dietetic internship. Yippee! I'm super excited for what the year has in store and know that I'm going to learn so much during that time. I just can't wait to get started! Also, I somehow misplaced my camera in the move, so, until I find it, we're going to be working with cell phone pictures. Not the best, but do-able. Now, back to the recipe. First, I have a confession: I messed up when I made this. You see, I am a severe onion-crier. I've read that cold onions don't make your eyes tear up as much, so I usually put however many onions I need in the freezer when I start cooking and save them to chop last. Well, this time around, I totally forgot the onions in the freezer, so I had two frozen onions and no onions in the oven. Oops. However, the end product still tasted incredible and I'm sure it tastes even better if the onions are included! This veggie packed, vegan dish uses flavor packed basil and cilantro to season some summer super stars, including eggplant and tomatoes. They all bake together to create a delicious dish that has definitely made itself a place on my list of favorite recipes.

Roasted Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

adapted from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison

serves 4-6

Ingredients

1.5 pounds of waxy potatoes sliced 1/2-inch thick

2 large red or yellow bell peppers

Olive oil

1 cup packed basil leaves

1 cup packed cilantro leaves

3 large cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 large onions, peeled and cut into eighths

1 pound eggplant cut into 3-inch x 1-inch wedges

2 or 3 large meaty red tomatoes, seeded and diced

1.5 cups cooked chickpeas

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler. Prepare a steamer basket by bringing water in lower-pot to a boil. Steam potatoes until fork-tender.

2. Halve the peppers lengthwise, press to flatten them, then brush with olive oil. Broil, cut side down, on a baking sheet until blistered but not charred. Stack them on top of one another and set aside to steam. When cool, remove the skins and cut the pieces in half, Set the oven temperature to 350°F.

3. Coarsely chop the basil, cilantro, and garlic, then puree in a small food processor with the olive oil, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4. Toss all the vegetables with 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, and herb mixture. Using your hands, rub the herb mixture into the vegetables, especially the eggplant, then add the chickpeas and toss once more. Transfer everything to a large casserole dish. Rinse out the herb container with 1/2 cup water and pour it over all. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1.5 hours. Remove the foil, brush the exposed vegetables with the juices, and bake for 20 minutes more. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve alone or over brown rice, whole wheat couscous, or quinoa.

Recipe: Tabouleh, A Family Favorite

While I love creating my own recipes, I'm equally enthusiastic about finding great recipes from others. Today I want to share a favorite at my house, tabouleh. This  is a dish from the Middle East which highlights an herb often relegated to a garnish, parsley. I love this dish because it is quite versatile. It can be served warm or cold (as suggested in the recipe) and can be upgraded to a main dish with the addition of chicken or chickpeas. Even better, it is my 15-year-old brother's favorite meal. This would also be a great option to take to a cook-out or picnic.

Tabouleh

from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

1 cup bulgur wheat

1.5 cups boiling water

2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)

1 large cucumber, diced (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup diced red onion

2 cups finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Place the bulgur in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the boiling water over it, stir, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the bulgur is tender. Drain any excess water from the bulgur. Stir in the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, parsley, and mint.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice and zest, cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour the dressing over the bulgur mixture and toss well to combine. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to a day stored in an airtight container. Serve chilled.