chickpea of the sea pita

Recently on the Kitchn, I saw an alternative to chicken salad sandwich, Chickpea of the Sea sandwich. This recipe conjures memories of Jessica Simpson and her ditzy claim to fame- I'm pretty sure Chickpea of the Sea sandwich would just blow her mind. I adjusted the recipe a bit, using Sass Smoky Ranch dressing (a new obsession). This makes two pita.

Chickpea of the Sea Pita

1/2 c of garbanzo beans
1 stalk of celery
2 tbsp of red onion
1/2 tbsp of  Vegenaise
1/2 tbsp of Sass Smoky Ranch dressing
1/4 c of bell peppers, sliced thin
2 leaves of lettuce
8 slices of cucumber
1 whole wheat pita
Crack of black pepper
Pinch of salt

Rinse the chickpeas. Mash the chickpeas with the Vegenaise and the SASS. Stir in the chopped celery and red onion. Crack some black pepper and sprinkle a bit of salt over the vegetables. Stuff into toasted pitas.

Like the pomegranate fabric? It is from my cousin's awesome shop Lost Bird Found. Food just looks prettier on pomegranate!

vegan bánh mì

I can't remember where I first heard about bánh mì, but the details of the lionized Vietnamese sandwich both intrigued and repelled me. The basic ingredients include a French-style baguette, pork (or a vegetarian version with tofu), pickled vegetables, mayonnaise. This seemed like one of those unconventional couplings that are so crazy they just might work, like fried pickles with ranch, or Brigitte Nielson and Flavor Flav (remember them?). Well, I have to say, the sandwich earned it's reputation. It was a delicious melange of the five tastes : salty, sour, bitter, umami, and sriracha.

This sandwich came together very quickly. I marinated the tofu over night, but the assembly took about 15 minutes. This recipe makes one sandwich.

Vegan Bánh Mì

French baguette

Marinated tofu (half soy sauce, half balsamic vinegar)

2 slices of portabello mushrooms

Handful chopped crunchy lettuce 

1/4 cup of grated carrots

2 radishes, sliced thin

5 thin slices of cucumber

Cilantro

1 lime

Vegenaise 

Olive Oil

Salt

Sear mushrooms and tofu with a thin layer of olive oil. Turn once. While searing, chop vegetables and set aside carrots, radishes, and cucumber. Drizzle with lime juice and a pinch of salt. Slice baguette length-wise, and scoop out the bread insides, leaving a shell baguette. Spread Vegenaise on both sides of the bread. When tofu and mushrooms are done, set aside and let rest for about two minutes. When rested, arrange fillings evenly across the sandwich. Yeaaaaa Boyyeee!

baked samosas with mint chutney

Last month I went to Texas Beer Fest- hands down the best festival I have ever been to (and I went to Margarita and Salsa Fest, so that is saying something). One of the vendors there was Nisha's Indian Food, and I picked up some sweet and tangy mango chutney. This inspired me to try my hand at samosas, or fried Indian hand pies. To lighten them up a bit, I baked them instead of frying. I think that this improved the taste and texture. Adapted from Experiments of a Housewife (which is less nefarious than it sounds). 

Pastry Crust for Samosas

4 tbsp of ghee

3 c of whole wheat pastry flour

sprinkle of cumin seeds

1/4 c ice cold water

salt

Melt ghee. Add cumin seeds while warm. Sift whole wheat pastry flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. When comfortably warm, drizzle ghee with cumin seeds into flour, rubbing between fingers to form little breadcrumbs. Then add ice cold water in dribbles until dough forms. Knead the dough until all ingredients are incorporated, and let rest at room temperature for around 30 min to an hour. When ready to work, break off golf-sized bits of dough, and roll out into 7 in rounds.See Experiments of a Housewife for easy folding and stuffing instructions and visuals.

Filling for Samosas

2 russet potatoes, peeled

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/3 c peas

1/2 c tofu, chopped

1 tsp tumeric

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tsp ground ginger 

salt

Boil potatoes, drain.  Saute red onion, add tofu and spices. Gently stir with potatoes and peas. Set aside. 

Mint Chutney

1 bunch of mint (probably 1.5 c)

1 bunch of cilantro (about 1 c)

3/4 of a green chile (I include the ribs because I like it spicy)

squeeze of a lime

1/4 white onion

a few splashes of water 

salt

Pulse in a food processor until viscous.

complete protein quesadilla

lots of jalapenos for Cara!

I have been looking for an alternative to the Multi-Grain tortillas at Central Market- they are tasty but I still feel like I am eating big, pillowy carbs when I cook with them. Searching the freezer section for something a bit more balanced, I found the Food for Life Sprouted Grain Tortillas. These are a bigger than your average tortilla, but you only need one for a quesadilla. At 150 calories with 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein, I probably would have been willing to eat these even if they had the texture of paper-mâché. 

Thankfully, the tortillas were good! They added a bit of nuttiness, but I wasn't distracted by the grains. The quesadilla came together quickly, with some melted low-fat cheddar cheese, pan-seared yellow and red bell peppers, and the last wilted greens from my Spring Mix.No cardboard textures here- we will have to find another material to build a piñata made in our own likeness.

My next Tex-Mex adventure is finding an alternative to the fabled Chuy's Creamy Jalapeno Dip: an often imitated, never duplicated Texas treasure. A girl can dream, right?

brown rice bowl with baked tofu

 

For dinner last night, I made a basic brown rice bowl: brown rice, some seared yellow squash, carrots and onions. The special element of this bowl is the baked tofu. I never fully appreciated tofu until I baked it. If you think you don't like tofu, give baked tofu a chance! When baked, tofu becomes a chewy, toothsome hunk of goodness, almost like a (more delicious) chicken McNugget (minus the mysterious gray matter found in McNuggets). A few squares of baked tofu can turn a side dish into a meal. 

baked tofu: 

Drain firm or extra-firm tofu in a colander in the sink with something heavy on top (I use a pot, you can use a brick covered in foil, or the copy of War and Peace you have on your bookshelves to impress people) for as long as possible (for me, usually about an hour). Chop tofu into squares a little bigger than dice, and then marinate the tofu in a combination of half soy sauce and half balsamic vinegar. This gives the tofu a savory, almost BBQ-like flavor. Marinate as long as you can (for me, usually about an hour) and then toss in vegetable oil or spray your baking pan. Bake in the oven at 400 for about 30-40 minutes, tossing or turning over tofu once or twice so they brown evenly. The tofu will shrink a bit, and caramelize around the edges. Douzo, tabete kudasai.

whole-wheat quinoa crackers

Last week my neighbor, Tushar, invited me downstairs for wine, cheese, and a screening of the Real Housewives of New York in Morocco, otherwise known as "Lessons on Behavior to Avoid: Overseas Edition." After a night of truffled brie, goat cheese, and involved discussions on how to avoid becoming boozy harpies when we hit 40, I really wanted a repeat (of the meal, not the campy reality show). I headed to the cheese section of Central Market to pick up some brie, but realized when I got home that I forgot the crackers. Solution? Make your own crackers! This was way easier than I thought.

whole-wheat quinoa crackers:

1.5 c whole wheat flour
.5 c cooked quinoa 
.5 tsp baking soda
.5 c water
drizzle of olive oil
pinch o salt

Pulse in food processor until dough forms. Roll out until super thin (I used a tortilla press). Cut crackers with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Transfer to wax paper on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 30 min. They will crisp up as they cool.

falafel with tahini sauce

One of the staple ingredients in my kitchen is tahini, a paste made of sesame seeds. Tahini is like a lighter-tasting peanut butter. I use tahini to make dressings, dips, and hummus. To showcase this sauce, I popped some falafel into the toaster oven and stirred up a quick tahini sauce.

tahini sauce:

1/3 c tahini
1 clove of pressed garlic
a drizzle of honey
juice of 1 lime
drizzles of hot water
a pinch of salt
garnished with dill

Loosen up the tahini with drizzles of hot water and some lime or lemon juice, stir in some pressed garlic, honey, and salt. Serve with a generous glob of sriracha.