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Beans & Legumes

Recipe

This is a very healthy vegetarian dish full of Mediterranean flavor. Freekeh is wheat that has been harvested while still very young, and thus is very high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. It has a slightly smoky flavor due to the way the wheat is processed after harvest, so it pairs well with mellow flavors, such as beans and chicken. This recipe calls for cooking the beans from scratch, but you can also use canned garbanzos for a faster version.

For the Garbanzos:

½ cup dried garbanzo beans, soaked at least 4 hours

1 bay leaf

1 clove garlic

1 sprig thyme

a few black peppercorns

 

For the Pilaf:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup yellow onion, small dice

¼ cup carrot, peeled, small dice

¼ cup fennel, small dice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

pinch of cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup freekeh, rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes

2 cups vegetable broth

 

Short Sauce:

1 ½ cups fresh cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 cup parsley, rinsed and roughly chopped

1 sprig mint, leaves roughly chopped

½ cup pinenuts, lightly toasted

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste (about ¼ teaspoon)

For the Garbanzos:

Drain the garbanzos of their soaking liquid.
Place in a medium sized pot and cover with about 3 cups fresh water. Add the rest of the ingredients (you can place them in a bouquet garni bag if you want) and bring the water up to a boil. Simmer until the garbanzos are cooked through. Drain, remove the aromatics, and set aside.

To Prepare the Pilaf:
Heat up the olive oil in a medium sized pot. Sweat the onion, carrot, fennel, and garlic until the onion and fennel appear translucent. Add the spices and a pinch of salt, and stir for another minute or two. Drain the freekeh of its soaking liquid and add it to the pot. Stir everything together so that the freekeh is well integrated, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring gently. Pour over the broth and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and let cook for 30 minutes. Add the garbanzos and continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the wheat is cooked through. Keep in mind that these are wheat berries, so they will have a slightly chewy texture and will not be completely soft.

Make the short sauce by blending all of the ingredients together until coarsely chopped, you do not want a smooth puree. Spoon a bit of the sauce into the pot and stir to combine. Serve while warm.

Serves 4. 

This Freekeh and Garbanzo dish is healthy and incredibly delicious. We cook freekeh in a base of carrots, onion, and celery, and then at the end we stir in a "short sauce" of herbs and pine nuts.
Cooking Show Video

This White Turkey Chilli is very quick to make, as it is made with leftover turkey and canned cannellini beans.  It is low in fat, high in fiber, and has a lot of heat and pungency from the freshly ground white pepper.  Add this to your weekly repertoire for a healthy, comforting dish for Fall and Winter.

November 21, 2009   |   3 comments
Tags: Beans & Legumes, Entrees, Fall
Recipe

This chilli is very easy to make, as it uses leftover turkey and canned cannellini beans.  The strong pungency of white pepper is enough to flavor this whole chilli and give it heat.  The whole preparation takes no more than 20 minutes, and can be enjoyed for a few days. 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic

¼ cup sweet onion, medium dice

¼ cup carrots, medium dice

¼ cup celery, medium dice

1 teaspoon ground white pepper, divided

2 cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups veggie or chicken broth

1 bay leaf

¼ cup elbow pasta or small macaroni

1 ½ cups leftover turkey meat, shredded

½ cup shredded cheese, like manchego or cheddar

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pan. Add the onion and garlic, followed by the carrots, onion, and celery. Cook on medium heat, stirring the veggies so they don’t brown, until they are softened. Add ½ teaspoon of the white pepper and cook for another minute or two, stirring. Add the beans and the broth and bring to a simmer with the bay leaf. Add the pasta and cook slightly covered for about 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Add the meat and cook just long enough for it to heat through, and season with the remaining white pepper.

Serves 4 people.

November 21, 2009   |   0 comments
Tags: Beans & Legumes, Entrees, Fall, Healthy, high-fiber
Recipe

This vegetarian nacho dish is delicious because of all of the flavors and colors present. We brush our bread with coconut oil and dust it with curry powder, but you can also just use butter, ghee, or olive oil.

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon grated onion
2 tandoori naan
¼ cup grated mozzarella or another meltable mild cheese
2 tablespooons tamarind
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
½ cup plain yogurt (can be non-fat or whole)
1/3 cup chickpeas (sprouted or canned)
1 teaspoon chopped jalapeño
1 medium tomato, cored and diced small
¼ cup grated carrot
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Melt the coconut oil in a small skillet. Add the curry powder and grated onion and cook on low for a few minutes until fragrant.
Brush the breads with the melted coconut oil mixture and then slice into wedges. Bake in a 300 F oven for 20 minutes, or until crisp.
Arrange the breads on an oven-proof serving dish and top with the grated cheese. Pop back into the oven to melt.
Mix together the tamarind with a few drops of water and the agave nectar, so that it is a bit looser than a paste, but still quite thick.
Top the Naanchos with the yogurt and drizzle over the tamarind.
Garnish with the chickpeas, jalapeño, tomato, carrot, and cilantro.
Serves 2 as a main dish and 4 as an appetizer.

This dish is purely fun. We use store-bought naan bread to make a South Asian version of nachos. The toasted naan is topped with melted cheese, yogurt, sprouted chickpeas, grated carrot, tomato, tamarind, and cilantro. It is a party in your mouth and very easy to prepare for a large group of people.
September 28, 2009   |   0 comments
Tags: Appetizers, Beans & Legumes, Fusion, South Asia, Vegetarian
Recipe

This salad is super healthy and nutritious. Not only is it vegetarian/vegan, but it is also gluten-free and high fiber. You will love the combination of sweet husk cherries (also known as Cape Gooseberries) with the slightly sour tomatillos. Cilantro and jalapeno round this out, and the black beans keep it grounded and substantial. The colors are amazing, and you will feel so good about eating it! Eat it with Ezekiel sprouted tortillas.

4 tomatillos, husked
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup cape gooseberries, husked and halved
1 ear of corn, husked
¼ jalapeño pepper, sliced thinly
¼ red onion, medium dice
¼ cup packed cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Boil the tomatillos for about 10 minutes and drain.
Slice 2 of the tomatillos into thin wedges, about 6 pieces each.
Set the onion in a small bowl covered with water for about 10 minutes and drain.
Slice the corn kernels off the cob and then reverse the blade of the knife to get out the milk.
In a medium bowl toss together the black beans, cape gooseberries, corn kernels and juice, jalapeño, and red onion.
Quarter the remaining 2 tomatillos and blend with the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper. Add the cilantro and keep blending.
Pour the tomatillo sauce over the rest of the ingredients and toss.
Serve with sprouted corn tortillas.
Serves 4.

Recipe

1 Hass avocado, halved, pitted and skin removed
2 cans cannelini beans (14 ounces each), drained and rinsed
1 preserved lemon, roughly chopped
2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
2 sprigs of mint, thinly sliced
Good pinch of cumin
Good pinch of paprika
Salt to taste

Blend together the cannelini beans, avocado, and preserved lemon in a food processor. Add the olive oil to keep the mixture going in the machine. Add the herbs and spices and process a bit more. Taste it for salt. You can add a tablespoon of water if it needs to be smoother. You can also add a teaspoon or so of the preserved lemon juice for more of that distinctive pickled flavor.
Makes about 2 cups.