Tag: Chickpeas

Fall Couscous with Butternut Squash

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Here’s another fall recipe for you guys! I don’t work with squash very often, but we have a big bag of frozen squash chunks in our freezer and it’s fall so I figured it’s time to bring it out😂 Another ingredient that I haven’t used in a looooong while is couscous. I’ve been on the quinoa train, but couscous is actually really good! It’s basically just really small beads of pasta made from durum wheat, and it cooks super fast so it’s very convenient. Combining these two underrated ingredients with some other awesome stuff is going to give you the perfect fall side dish🙌🙌

We’re roasting up the butternut squash along with chickpeas and red onion, and everything is going to get SUPER caramelized and delicious. The couscous takes like 5 minutes, so it can be whipped up just as you’re taking the veg out of the oven. For some crunch (and extra autumn-y-ness) we’ve got pumpkin seeds! Then everything is tossed together with a tahini and apple cider vinegar dressing😍

I love how the couscous almost absorbs the dressing, so it’s just full of great flavour. And of course, roasted veg is my fave! Honestly, how else would you eat squash? Boiled? Just not as good. I hope you enjoy this awesome fall dish!

Fall Couscous with Butternut Squash

Serves: 4-6

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Couscous:

  • 3 cups frozen butternut squash chunks
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small red onion, chopped
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup couscous
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 2/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vunegar
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Toss the butternut squash, onion, and chickpeas in a large bowl with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Dump the veg onto a parchment lined baking sheet, and roast for 30-35 minutes, until the squash is soft and caramelized and the chickpeas are crispy.
  3. Bring the water for the couscous to boil in a small pot. Add in the couscous, remove from the heat, and let it stand for 5 minutes until cooked.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together all of the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
  5. Toss together the couscous and roasted veggies in a large bowl. Add in the pumpkin seeds and dressing, and mix until everything is combined.
  6. Enjoy!!

Have a great Thanksgiving weekend everyone!!

Your Truly,

Olivia:))

Herb and Garlic Hummus

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I pretty much have a hummus addiction… I like to put hummus on anything and everything, and it makes food way less boring😂😂 Wraps? Bowls? Crackers? Plain veggies? They ALL get an upgrade when hummus is involved, so I like to have some in my fridge at all times. Roasted Garlic is usually my store-bought go to, but today I made some Herb and Garlic Hummus!!👌

This is the first time I made hummus with tahini and I definitely reccommend it🙌 It makes it creamier and adds a nice flavour!! Tahini is basically just sesame seed butter; or ground up sesame seeds. I bought some at a small Mediterranean deli, but you should be able find it at most grocery stores. In addition to tahini, I also threw some parsley, dill, garlic, olive oil, water, salt and pepper into this hummus. Summer is almost over so we’ve got to get those fresh herbs in while we can people👌👌 And where would I be without garlic? Garlic is amazing in everything, and especially amazing in hummus.

Feel free to slap this hummus on all of your meals!! I love it with veg and on my bowls, and it would be great on toast or on a bagel🥰 Keep some on hand for an easy after school snack!! Enjoy:)

Herb and Garlic Hummus

Serves: 4-6

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 398 ml can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup Tahini
  • 1/4 cup packed Parsley
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed Dill
  • 1 large clove of Garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 tbsp Water
  • Sat and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Add all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Forgot to mention that this recipe only has one step!🤦‍♀️ Yeah, it’s super easy and super delicious:) Make sure you try it out!! Have a great week.

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked:))

3 Flavours of Crispy Chickpeas

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Chickpeas are just the best. They have to be one of the most versatile ingredients out there. You can make hummus, falafel, edible cookie dough, cookies, or blondies from them, and you can even make meringues if you whip up the water or aquafaba from the can. But today we are celebrating the humble chickpea by just crisping them up in the oven- one of my favourite methods of preparing them.

These crispy chickpeas are the PERFECT addition to your salads, bowls, and wraps, plus they make a great snack on their own. Also, have you ever tried a chickpea salad sandwich?!!? Mix up your roasted chickpeas with some mashed avo and green onion, throw it in between two pieces of bread, and you’ve got yourself a LUNCH!

While just roasting chickpeas with salt and pepper is pretty delish, I’ve come up with three spice combos that take them to the next level. We’ve got taco-spiced chickpeas, curry-spiced chickpeas, and some soy-maple chickpeas. I think the soy-maple ones have to be my favourite, but the other two are pretty darn good as well. You could use the taco-spiced ones as a replacement for beef in tacos, and the curry-spiced chickpeas are a great snack by themselves. Make sure you try all three and let me know which one is your fave!!

3 Flavours of Crispy Chickpeas

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Taco-Spiced Chickpeas:

  • 1/2 a can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • Sprinkle of salt and pepper

Curry-Spiced Chickpeas:

  • 1/2 a can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • Sprinkle of salt and pepper

Soy-Maple Chickpeas:

  • 1/2 a can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • Sprinkle of chilli flakes
  • Sprinkle of salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In three separate bowls, mix together the chickpeas with the spices and oil for each flavour. Dump the chickpeas onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
  3. Bake the chickpeas for about 30 minutes, until they’re nice and crispy. Remove from the oven and enjoy!!

Have fun with this simple snack recipe!!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Soul-Warming Chickpea Curry

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It’s been so rainy and blah where I live for the past while, and it really makes me feel like cooking, you know? I feel like I haven’t COOKED something in a while, and today it felt right. Also on days like this, I just want a nice bowl of something warm and comforting. Curry is this perfect comfort food, because it’s so flavourful and it warms your soul as well as your body. You can throw as many crazy vegetables as you want in a curry, but I wanted to keep it simple and let the flavour shine through. So I only used chickpeas.

Chickpeas and I go way back. They have protein and lots of fibre, and in this curry they add a bit of texture so everything isn’t just mush. The only other elements in here are onions, garlic, spices, tomatoes, and some basil leaves. I caramelized the onions for maximum flavour, and the spice blend is great! Everything stews together in the tomatoes and melds and becomes something amazing, that feels like a big hug. I served this with wild rice, but any grain works.

Today this curry really took me back to my love of coming up with recipes and slicing things up and stirring things on the stove and smelling and tasting and eating. It’s so fun and just takes me to a place of calm where I’m not worrying about anything but what I’m cooking. I really hope that you guys get to try out this recipe and feed your soul by making it and eating it! That’s my goal here, anyways;)) Enjoy!

Soul-Warming Chickpea Curry

Serves: 3-4

Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium sized white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (plus more as needed)
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 4 small basil leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Cooked grains for serving (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a medium sized pot, heat up the olive oil over low-medium heat and add in the onions. Cook them until they’re nice and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir often and add more oil if needed to prevent them from burning.
  2. Add the garlic and spices to the pot, and cook for another minute or two, again watching to make sure nothing burns.
  3. Dump the tomatoes, chickpeas, tomato paste, and leaves of basil into the pot and give everything a good stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a low simmer, cover and cook for 40 minutes.
  4. Remove the curry from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and remove the leaves of basil. Serve with a grain of choice and enjoy!

Hope you like this soul food! Have a great Canada Day;))

Yours Truly,

Olivia;))

Mediterranean Sweet Potato Toasts

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Hey guys! Hope you had a good weekend. The days are all starting to blur together, and everyday feels like a Saturday, but hopefully you at least had a break from online classes to give you some weekend vibes;)) Personally, I’m loving that I don’t have to pack lunches anymore and can eat on my own schedule, which gives me time to make awesome stuff like these Mediterranean Sweet Potato Toasts. You only need a sheet pan and a little prep time, and you just throw them in the oven and let the veggies get delicious and caramelized while you go back to watching Netflix or reading or whatever your favourite quarantine activity is. Also, they’re REALLY GOOD. The sweet potatoes get to that place where they’re like, a tiny bit burnt on the edges but perfectly soft in the centre, and then you’ve got your delicious Mediterranean spiced veggies, plus a dollop of tzatziki on top. I mean, come on man. Pretty dang good for a meal that basically makes itself. Here’s the recipe;))

Mediterranean Sweet Potato Toasts

Serves: 2

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 a large sweet potato
  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  • 1/2 a red onion, thickly sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little bit more for rubbing the sweet potatoes with
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Tzatziki (see Dill Tzatziki) prepared in advance (or sub hummus)

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees farenheit.
  2. Cut the sweet potato lengthwise into slabs about 1/4 of an inch thick (you should make about 4 toasts). Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and rub them on both sides with a bit of olive oil.
  3. Mix together the chickpeas, sliced onions and peppers, spices and olive oil in a large bowl. Spread them evenly onto the same parchment lined pan as the sweet potatoes, trying not to overlap anything. Roast for about 30 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, remove the pan from the oven and flip the sweet potatoes before continuing to roast.
  4. Take the pan out of the oven, and serve the toasts with the roasted veggies, tzatziki, and maybe some Greek salad;))

Hope you enjoy this quick and easy lunch or dinner! Stay safe guys;)

Yours Truly,

MyDayIsBooked;))