Mediterranean Chili

When I got home work today .. I just wasn't feeling it. I wasn't in the mood for eating leftovers .. and I wasn't really in the mood to cook ... that is until I came across a packet of Falafel Mix in my pantry. Even then ... I wasn't in the mood to sit around waiting for it to bake etc. As I was standing in my pantry holding the box wondering whether or not I should take the plunge, I saw the recipe on the back of the box. Yahoo!!! Vegetarian Chili!!! 

Mediterranean Chili

Prep Time: 40-60 min

Adapted from: A box of Ziyad Falafel Mix

Ingredients (Serves 6):

1. 1 x 12 oz box Falafel mix
2. 1 cup cold water
3. 3 x 14.5 oz cans of Chopped/Diced tomatoes
4. 2 x 15.5 oz cans of Chickpeas 
5. 2-3 tbsp Texas Chili Seasoning
6. 8-10 leaves fresh Basil
7. 8-10 leaves fresh Sage
8. Salt, to taste
9. Hot Sauce, to taste

Directions:

I followed the directions on the box, with a few variations. Combine contents of the box of falafel mix (about 1.5 cups of dry mix) with 1 cup cold water. Mix well and allow the mix to rest at room temperature for 20 min. The ingredients include ground chick peas, ground fava beans, spice blend, minced onion, garlic, baking soda, salt and sesame seeds. It has no added fat. Preheat a non-stick stock pot to medium heat and add the water-falafel mix to the pan. Using a wooden spoon, dry saute the mix over medium heat, breaking up the mixture into crumbles. This part worked really well for me. I was able to get a nice crumbly mix in about 20 min of dry sauteing. Once the mix is dry and crumbly, add canned tomatoes (with liquid), salt, chili seasoning and chickpeas. Mix well. At this point the box said to reduce heat and to cook the chili until everything was thoroughly heated. To me the whole dish at this point looked really dry. Since I wasn't planning on using any of the traditional toppings (sour cream, cheese etc.) which would add moisture, I decided to add some water to make it a little more moist. Consequently, my crumbles became a thick gravy. Lesson learnt (that's why they didn't ask for water to be added to this dish!). Once I added water, I lowered the heat and allowed the chili to simmer on medium-low for about 10 min. Once the dish was bubbling nicely, I turned off the heat, added some fresh herbs (Basil and Sage) and allowed it to sit (covered) for 5 minutes. I served my not-so-crumbly chili with Couscous (also prepared with minced herbs, no added fat), and my favorite hot sauce. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 269 (Fat Calories 74)
Total Fat 8.3 g; Carbohydrates 40.5 g; Fiber 7.6 g; Sugars 2.7 g; Protein 12.2 g 

Wilted Broccoli Rabé w Kale

So after a few days of eating comfort foods like daal-chawal and peas pulao and other tried and tested and true recipes, I tried something new today. New Veggie #31 is Rapini (or  Broccoli Rabé).  I mixed it up with some kale (New Veggie #23) and made wilted greens this evening. The result was quite outstanding, if I may say so myself. 

Prep Time: 15-20 min

Ingredients:

1. One bunch Rapini
2. One bunch Kale
3. 4 cloves of Garlic, diced
4. 1 tsp turmeric
5. 1 tsp mustard seeds
6. 1/4 cup Vegetable broth
7. 1-2 tsp Tamicon, to taste
8. 5-6 leaves of fresh Basil
9. Salt, and pepper to taste.

Directions: Tear large leaves of rapini and kale into smaller pieces. Cut off heads of rapini buds and add to the mix as well. As you get closer to the center of the flowering kale, the leaves and stems get softer and I just kept those whole. Transfer all the greens to a large bowl of water and rinse well and drain. 

Line a skillet with vegetable broth and on medium heat, add garlic, tamicon, turmeric and mustard seeds. Tamicon is basically concentrated tamarind paste, which can be made at home by soaking tamarind pods in water and then squeezing out the pulp and separating it from the seeds and other non-edible parts. Tamarind paste adds a sweet tangy flavor to the dish. If you don't have tamarind on hand, you can use lemon/lime juice as well. Once the broth comes to a boil, and the garlic becomes fragrant, add the greens, cover and reduce heat. Cook until greens are wilted. I like my kale nicely wilted but if you're into eating it raw, make the spice mix in the least amount of vegetable broth and then simply toss the raw kale with the spices. Add chopped basil leaves as a fresh garnish. I love the minty flavor of basil. I served mine with a baked sweet potato and pearl cous-cous. 

Couscous & Veggies

Tonight's dinner was of the super-quick variety. Ready and on the table in 15 minutes. I used frozen veggies and a pack of instant couscous. 

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 Pk. Near East Couscous
2. 1 cup Vegetable broth
3. 1/2 cup frozen peas
4. 1/2 cup frozen green beans
5. 2-3 tbsp Tomato paste, canned
6. 1 tsp minced garlic
7. Salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste 

Directions: Line a skillet with 1/4 cup vegetable broth and add frozen veggies, once the broth begins to boil, season with garlic and salt and cook until tender and the liquid is all but evaporated. Meanwhile, measure the remaining Vegetable broth and add water, as needed according to the package instructions. Mix tomato paste in this liquid and bring to a boil. Add couscous, mix and remove from heat. Cover, and let stand for a few minutes (I followed package instructions with the exception of adding tomato paste and withholding olive oil). Once the veggies are done, transfer everything to one pan and mix well. Cover and let sit for another few minutes. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.

My Assessment: Super quick, easy meal. Load up on whatever veggies you like. It makes for 2 filling meals. Yay for leftovers for lunch! 

Spiced Spaghetti Squash

New Year ... New Resolutions!! 

Resolution #1 is to go strictly vegetarian. No meat. No Cheese. No Dairy. All to the extent possible .. so I guess I'm not totally vegan.

Resolution #2 is to try as many previously untasted items from the produce section as I can. The first one that made the list - Spaghetti squash. This is a slight modification of a recipe I found at http://www.eatdrinkbetter.com (Moroccan Spiced Spaghetti Squash). I think it could very well be called  "Indian Spiced" given the blend of spices used.

Preparation Time: 10 min with pre-roasted squash.

Buying and Roasting the Squash: When buying, pick a squash that feels heavier than its size should. Make sure that it feels hard overall, and there are no soft bumps or blemishes. To prepare for roasting, I made sure to remove all stickers and bar codes. Rinse the outside. With a sturdy fork or knife poke several holes in the skin. Place in an oven safe bowl and bake in a preheated oven at 375F for about an hour (its done when a knife glides into the flesh). Remove, let cool and cut into 2 halves with a sturdy knife. Remove seeds and discard. The flesh should fall off the skin and separate into spaghetti strands. Let cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Ingredients: 

1. Spaghetti squash (1 to 1.5 lbs, roasted, seeded, separated into strands). If pre-roasted, pre-warmed.
2. 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
3. garlic, 3 cloves, finely diced (~ 1 tbsp)
4. olive oil spray (~1 tsp)
5. 1 tbsp cumin seeds (or powder)
6. 1 tbsp coriander powder
7. 2 tbsp raisins
8. salt and pepper to taste.
9. 2 tsp fresh cilantro, for garnishing (optional)
10. Near East Couscous (roasted garlic and olive oil), 1 packet.

Spaghetti Squash with couscous.

Directions:

Spray a large skillet with olive oil spray. On medium heat, saute garlic and when fragrant, add remaining spices, chickpeas and raisins and about an eighth of a cup of water (water quenches the heat and prevents the spices from burning). Mix well.  Allow the water to evaporate. Turn of heat and toss this mixture with the pre-roasted spaghetti squash, taking care not to smoosh the squash strands. A small fork worked great.

I served it with and over couscous prepared according to the package insert (but without oil).

Verdict: TOTALLY ABSOLUTELY LOVED it!! Not so much a hit with my li'l rugrat ;) but if it works for mommy, he'll eat it sooner or later!!