Chickpea Salad 3-Ways

I absolutely LOVE chickpeas!  Making them from scratch is simple and easy so I usually avoid using canned chickpeas.  Did you know that Chickpeas are Garbanzo Beans?

Start by Cooking your Dry Garbanzo Beans.  This is a healthier, more cost-effective option than canned beans.


Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

This is probably the most simple recipe!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
sea salt (optional)

Preheat over to 400 degrees.
Place chickpeas in a large bowl.  Add oil and spices.  Toss (mix) to coat. Place spiced chickpeas on a large pan or casserole dish.  Bake for approx 25 minutes.

Once these delicious little nuggets cool down I usually top my spinach salad with a handful.

Tangy Chickpea Toss

In a bowl, combine 1/2 cup chopped tomato, 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, 1/4 cup chopped red onion, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp salt, and black pepper to taste.  Allow everything to marinate in the fridge for approx 3 hours.

This is great as a salad topping or over brown rice.


Veggie Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
1 bag Broccoli Slaw
1 zucchini, sliced or chopped
1/2 white or yellow onion, sliced or chopped
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:
I use a large wok for this recipe.  
Turn the stove to high and add the coconut oil.  Place the broccoli slaw, zucchini and onion in the pan and stir coat with coconut oil.  
After approx 5 minutes turn the heat down to medium and add spicy chickpeas.
Cook on medium for approx 5 minutes.  Serve hot.
This is great as a meal or over brown rice.

Tweaked recipe for Eggless Oatmeal Cookies

Tomorrow is the start of Our Real Food Challenge.  For some this will be a walk in the park.  For others it will be a challenging experience.  Doc wasn't feeling all that well yesterday so I thought I'd make his favorite Oatmeal Raisin cookies (with a healthy tweak).

BUT...We were out of eggs AND raisins!!!  What!?!  So a quick search of the web and I scored several great recipes which I kinda mixed and matched to make a brand new creation.
The BEST part...It's kinda healthy!  BONUS...They're Vegan!

Doc's Tweaked Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup organic apple sauce

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
11/2 cups unbleached, organic flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup boiling water
2 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup unsweetened coco powder

½ cup coconut flakes
½ cup almond slivers
cinnamon

Directions:

Melt coconut oil and add in apple sauce. Add brown sugar and mix thoroughly. Add vanilla, flour, coco powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. Dissolve baking soda in boiling water and blend into sugar mixture. Stir in rolled oats, coconut flakes and almonds. Roll into balls and flatten with fork on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Our 7-Day Real Food Challenge begins tomorrow... July 21st!
At the moment we are ?? bloggers participating in this challenge:
Joyce @ It's Your Life 
Lydia @ Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen  
Maureen @ It's All Connected
Melinda @ Auntie Em's Guide    
Courtney @ The Crunchy Deliquent  
Kristina @ Mother's Niche   
Taylor @ Mama has Pink Hair 
April @ WhyTheSimpleLife 
and me...Mary @ Mary's Kitchen and Back to the Basics 

*If I missed anyone PLEASE let me know*   I'm trying to keep up with all of the emails! 

<a href="http://maryshealthymeals.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a627/greenmary_smith/FOODSfor7days_zps6d9cb1d6.jpg"/></a>

Follow along...

Our 7-Day Real Food Challenge

Details and Recipes: 7-Day Real Food Challenge

Preparing for Our Real Food Challenge with LINKY

Eating Real Food is Easy 
Drinks for Our Real food Challenge

Sharing this informative post HERE.

Our 7 Day Real Food Challenge

I've been inspired by a few bloggers who are participating in a 30-Day Cooking from Scratch Challenge.

Homemade Naan bread

At the moment we eat pretty healthy.  We eat out maybe once per month and cook all of our meals at home.  However, lately I have been using "convenience foods" in some of our meals.  Pre-made cream soups for casseroles, store-bought breads and jelly as well as...I'll admit it...tater tots!!!  *for some reason I had a random craving*

Rather than starting with 30 days we figured we start with 7 days and go from there.  In order to be successful in any endeavor we must plan ahead.  This means gathering recipes for regular everyday items like ketchup, mayo and legumes.  Items like Black beans and Garbanzo beans take more time to make but they're much healthier than the canned options.

This is a Real Food 7-Day Challenges!  Join us!

HomeGrown Basil Walnut Pizza...I'll have to make my own pizza crust!

If you're interested in joining the challenge we'd love to have you join us.  Recipes and updates will be posted at Mary's Kitchen.  I'll also host a wrap-up link party for everyone to share recipes and outcomes.
 

Making Hummus from Scratch

Challenge starts Sunday, July 21st...We're waiting until after the in-laws visit next week.  This should give us plenty of time to gather recipes.  Stay tuned for a few tips on getting started. 

Send me an email if you'd like to participate and I'll add your link to our next post.  Have a wonderful week!

 

How to make Polenta

I've been actively looking for soy-free vegetarian meals.  There are so many healthy recipes out there so this has been exciting.

You can actually make your own cornmeal buy grinding corn kernels, preferably non-gmo corn, with a grain mill.  It's easy and saves a bunch of money!

POLENTA 
from nytimes.com (seriously)

large pan of firm polenta

Ingredients:

water
Salt and pepper
1 cup medium or fine cornmeal
Butter
Parmesan for soft polenta, optional

Tips: 

do NOT just dump in the cornmeal or the entire thing will be lumpy.

If it gets lumpy and the wisk doesn't ehlp, use a slotted spatula and squish lumps against the sides of the pot.

do not leave it and walk away or it will go funky

Directions:
For firm polenta use 4 cups water; for soft polenta use 5 cups water. Bring water to a boil in a medium-size heavy sauce pan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Pour cornmeal slowly into water, stirring with a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Continue stirring as mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Turn heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. If polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep polenta soft enough to stir. Put a spoonful on a plate, let it cool, then taste. Grains should be swollen and taste cooked, not raw. Adjust salt and add pepper if you wish. 

For firm polenta, lightly butter a baking sheet or shallow dish, approximately 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Carefully pour polenta into pan. Using a spatula, spread polenta to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Cool to room temperature to allow polenta to solidify. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. 

Polenta Triangles ready for topping

For soft polenta, add 6 tablespoons butter to pot and stir well. Serve immediately or transfer to a double boiler set over low heat, cover and keep warm for up to an hour or so. (Or set the saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water.) Stir well before spooning into low soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Bob's Red Mill advertises that they are GMO Free!  Get a great deal buy buying a 4-pack

I opted for the firm polenta and it was delicious but a bit plain.  for my first attempt I wanted to see hoe it would turn out.  I'll definitely make this again!
This recipe will be GREAT for Food Revolution Day...Topped with homegrown herbs and veggies!

Sharing another healthy recipe at Tuesdays with a Twist and HERE. 

Making Hummus from Scratch!

It took a bit of plannng but I managed to make Hummus using homemade beans.  The tahini was store bought (of course)

I soaked the garbanzo beans for about 12 hours (overnight) and then cooked them in the slow cooker for another 4 hours on high.

Low-Fat Hummus

Ingredients:

15 ounces cooked chickpeas 

(approx 3 cups)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon tahini (or low fat PB)
1/4-1/2 cup chickpea liquid (or veggie broth)
1 tablespoon olive oil

(substitute more liquid for less olive oil, replace with veg broth and cilantro)
1 lemon, juiced
salt
pepper
cumin 

Optional: 1/2 cup plain yogurt

Directions:

Process in food processor or blender on high until smooth. Refrigerate unused portions.

I have to admit this does not taste like store-bought.  While I prefer the takes of the store-bought, I know that my homemade recipe has no preservatives.

I will make this again but I might have to tweak it. 

Sharing this Healthy post HERE.

  

Yogurt Pancakes Recipe

I'm not sure why I wanted to use yogurt in pancakes this weekend but I really wanted pancakes.  We've been on a bit of a yogurt kick so the fridge is full.  I'm thinking about making my own but that's for another day.

I'm linking up again at Tuesdays with a Twist.  Join me!




Delicious Yogurt Pancakes
adapted from about.com

Ingredients:

1 cup flour (organic, non-bleached)
1 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt 

(nonfat, low-fat, or whole milk all work here)

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. melted butter or oil (I used Coconut Oil)

Oil or spray oil for cooking

Directions:

Heat a griddle or large frying pan over medium high heat. Meanwhile, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; then whisk yogurt and eggs together; add yogurt and eggs to flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in melted butter or oil.

Spray oil on hot griddle and spoon batter into even cakes – about 8 – and let cook until bubbles form on the surface of the cakes, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, about another 2 minutes.

This recipe makes about 8 pancakes so it can easily be doubled or tripled.

Coconut oil has many health benefits and gives any recipe a nice flavor.  Check out some of the great deals at Tropical Traditions:

Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label, 2-jar pack - 1 quart each




Virgin Coconut Oil, Green Label, 2-jar pack - 1 quart each





Special Price! - Organic Coconut Flakes - 1-lb Bag





Sharing this recipe at Tuesdays with a Twist, The HomeAcre Hop and HERE.