Good wholefood is just one of the cornerstones of my work.
When we eat great food. We create the opportunity for our bodies to do GREAT things.
You’ve heard me say it before, but just a reminder of what happens when we eat GREAT food:
- We think better
- Feel better
- Act better
- Talk better
- Love better
- The whole world looks better
It’s just a whole heap of betters.
So in-order to improve all our ‘betters’ I would like to introduce you to – How to eat 1 food differently 5 ways.
I will share with you 5 super simple recipes for you to get cracking with trying new ways to enjoy a beautiful food.
I love food.
I love cooking.
I don’t like spending hours cooking!
I like my wholefood recipes to be quick, simple, easy, do-able a
nd a really important one for me, freezable. I like simple food that hits the spot both times wise and health wise.
This month is all about chickpeas.
Chickpea facts and figures:
Chickpeas are a small legume popular in Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Indian cookery.
They are usually sold pre-cooked in cans, or dried; the latter must be soaked before cooking. Chickpea, besan or ‘gram’ flour, made from dried ground chickpeas, is widely used in Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine. It is also commonly known as garbanzo or garbanzo bean.
Chickpeas are an excellent source of the essential nutrients, iron, folate, phosphorus, protein and dietary fibre (USDA nutrient table). Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated.
Enjoy – 1 food differently 5 ways
Chickpea Curry – A personal favourite
Chickpeas are simmered in a fragrant and spicy curry sauce and garnished with fresh coriander. Serve with brown rice or quinoa for a great vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
Serves: 8
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 onions, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- knob root ginger, finely chopped
- 6 whole, dried cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 (400g) tins chickpeas, undrained
- handful chopped fresh coriander
Method
Prep:10min Cook:30min Ready in:40min
1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, and fry onions until tender. Stir in garlic, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, salt, cayenne and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring constantly.
2. Mix in chickpeas and their liquid. Continue to cook and stir until all ingredients are well blended and heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in coriander just before serving, reserving some for garnish.
Houmous – I make this recipe up in bulk and freeze into smaller portions
Ingredients
Serves: 20
- 1(400g) tin chickpeas, drained with half the liquid reserved
- 1 tin of drained artichokes
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Method
Prep:15min Ready in:15min
1. In a blender, add chickpeas & artichokes. Place lemon juice, tahini, chopped garlic and salt in blender. Blend until creamy and well mixed.
2. Transfer the mixture to a medium serving bowl. Sprinkle with pepper and pour olive oil over the top.
Chickpea Spiced Roasted Nuts in Olive Oil – Another daily staple at This Great Life HQ
Roasted in the oven, these are a nice crunchy, high fibre alternative to nuts.
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 1 (400g) tin chickpeas, drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt (optional)
- cayenne pepper optional if you don’t like spice
Method
Prep:5min Cook:40min Ready in:45min
1. Preheat oven to 230 C / Gas mark 8.
2. Pat chickpeas dry with kitchen roll. In a bowl, toss chickpeas with olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper and spice. Spread on a baking tray, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Watch carefully the last few minutes to avoid burning
Veggie Falafel Burgers – A great alternative to meat burgers
Ingredients
Serves: 4
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 75g (3 oz) mushrooms, diced
- 1 (400g) tin chickpeas, undrained
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- small handful chopped fresh coriander
- small handful chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 50g (2 oz) dried breadcrumbs (I actually leave these out)
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying, or as needed
Method
Prep:15min Cook:10min Ready in:25min
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add spring onions and mushrooms, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Combine the chickpeas (with liquid) and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, and transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the mushrooms and onions. Mix in the coriander, parsley, curry powder and cumin. Add the breadcrumbs and egg whites, and mix until thoroughly blended. You can let the mixture sit in the refrigerator to help the flavours at this point, or go on to frying.
3. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large frying pan over medium heat. Form the chickpea mixture into 4 balls, and flatten into burgers. Place the burgers in the hot frying pan, and fry for about 5 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.
Chickpea & Chorizo Soup – I lovely the salty spiciness of the chorizo in this soup
Ingredients
- 12 oz chopped chorizo sausage
- 1 large white onion, chopped and thinly sliced
- 4 stalks of celery, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can Cannellini, drained and rinsed
- 4 veggie stock
- 1/2 cup white wine (optional)
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Method
1. Chop or crumble the chorizo into bite-size pieces. Film a heavy pan lightly with olive oil and put over medium-high heat. Cook the chorizo for about five minutes or until it starts browning and smoking. Lift out and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
2. Pour a little more olive oil into the pan and turn the heat to medium. Add the onions and celery and cook for about ten minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another couple minutes, or until golden and fragrant. Add the chorizo back in, along with the chickpeas and beans. Cook all together for a minute, stirring, until the beans are well coated with the onions and oil.
3. Add the broth and white wine (optional) and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and add the parsley and olive oil. Simmer for about half an hour, or until slightly reduced. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.