Chickpea, Quinoa & White Bean Chili

This dish was a fun, delicious, and healthy dinner. Everyone in my house loves a meal that involves assorted toppings! 🙂

The recipe was adapted from Antoni Let’s Do Dinner by Antoni Porowski of Queer Eye. The chili published in his last book is one of our absolute favorites, so I knew that we had to try his vegan version (vegetarian with the optional sour cream and cheese toppings).

We ate it with cornbread muffins on the side. Wonderful.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

For the Chili:

• 3 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups water or a combination of stock and water
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 T chili powder
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 T finely chopped chipotle chilies in adobo, plus more to taste (about 1 medium chile)
• 2 tsp packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup tricolor quinoa, rinsed

For the Toppings:

• coarsely crushed or broken tortilla chips
• sour cream
• shredded Mexican cheese blend, cheddar, or pepper Jack cheese
• sliced or cubed avocado
• chopped red onion or sliced scallions
• canned mild green chilies or sliced fresh or pickled jalapeños
• chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. (I used a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven.)
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, dissolve the tomato paste in 2 1/2 cups water or in a combination of stock and water. (I used 1 cup stock and 1 1/2 cups water.)
4. Stir the chili powder, cumin, and oregano into the onion mixture and cook, stirring, until the spices begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, about 1 minute.
5. Add the tomatoes, beans, chickpeas, chipotles, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and the tomato paste mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a low boil.
6. Add the rinsed quinoa, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the quinoa is tender, about 25 to 35 minutes.
7. Remove the chili from the heat and adjust the seasonings and chipotle to taste.
8. Add the water to thin, if desired.
9. Serve with assorted toppings (and cornbread, if desired).

Coconut-Creamed Corn & Farro

In contrast to the fresh corn dish in my last post, this dish was quick and easy to prepare. It was an “out of the box” vegetarian meal that we all enjoyed. We ate it with roasted broccoli on the side. Nice.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Chris Morocco. I modified the proportions. The crispy onions were a fun topping- my son has been adding them to his sandwiches ever since. 🙂

Yield: 4 servings

• 6 ears of corn, kernels removed and cobs discarded
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, thinly sliced
• 1 3″ piece fresh ginger, peeled, sliced into matchsticks
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for serving
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 cup farro or other grains, such as freekeh or quinoa, cooked
• 3/4 to 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• Kosher salt
• 4 T store-bought crispy onions
• lime wedges, for serving

1. Cook 1 cup farro according to the package directions. (I cooked 1 cup of Trader Joe’s farro in 2 cups stock for 10 to 12 minutes.) Let rest for an additional 5 minutes; set aside.
2. Cut kernels from corn; set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium until shimmering. (I used a 12-inch stainless pan.)
4. Cook chile, ginger, garlic, and 2 sliced scallions, tossing, until softened and fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
5. Add turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, just until darkened and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6. Add reserved corn and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until corn is beginning to lightly brown, about 3 minutes.
7. Add cooked farro and cook, tossing often, until heated through and beginning to crisp around the edges, about 2 minutes.
8. Add 3/4 to 1 cup coconut milk; season with salt, to desired consistency. Bring to a simmer and cook, adding 1–2 T water if needed to loosen, until flavors have melded, about 3 minutes.
9. Transfer corn mixture to a plate. Top with crispy onions and sliced scallions. Serve with lime wedges alongside for squeezing over.

Braised Harissa Eggplant

I must admit that we have been a little bit frazzled lately during our adjustment to the “back to school” schedule. Especially me.

This is the first of several quick weeknight dinners (aka “back to school dinners”) that will hopefully help others in the same situation out there. This recipe was adapted from Mediterranean Every Day by Sheela Prakash, via Food 52.com. I modified the proportions. It gobbled up my CSA box! 🙂

My husband and son ate it over grilled chicken thighs and rice to make it a little bit more hearty. I absolutely loved it served simply over rice.

Yield: Serves 2 to 4 (4 with grilled chicken)

• 2 tablespoons (45 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 (about 3/4 to 1 pound, or 340 to 454 grams, total) eggplant cut into 1/2-inch (1-centimeter) cubes
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 large yellow onion or 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon (7.5 grams) harissa, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 to 1 pound (340 to 454 grams) plum tomatoes, or Roma tomatoes, chopped (I used a large (3/4 pound) CSA tomato)
• 1/2 (7.5-ounce, or 212.5 grams) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 bunch (about 4 ounces, or 114 grams) lacinato kale, stemmed, leaves torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• rice, couscous, quinoa, or bread, for serving, as desired
• grilled chicken thighs, for serving, as desired

1. Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots but not completely tender. Transfer the eggplant to a large bowl and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil to the pot.
4. Add the onion and sauté until softened and translucent,3 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the garlic, harissa, cumin, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas, and eggplant and bring the mixture to a simmer.
7. Simmer, uncovered, until the eggplant is meltingly tender and the tomatoes have broken down into a thick, chunky sauce, 25 to 30 minutes.
8. Stir in the kale and cook until the leaves are bright green and tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
10. Taste and season with additional salt and harissa, as needed.
11. Serve over rice, couscous, quinoa, or bread with or without grilled chicken, as desired.

Greens with Tomatoes, Creamed Mozzarella & Wild Rice

While my kids were away at sleep away camp over the summer (for one week), my sweet husband encouraged me to make dishes that were loaded with my favorite greens, etc. (dishes that may not have thrilled my kids!) Don’t worry, we also went out to eat. 🙂

I had wanted to make this dish after reading about how the recipe creates a faux burrata- genius! This recipe was adapted from Epicurious.com, contributed by Abra Berens. I substituted my beautiful CSA chard for the kale. This dish would also be delicious using true burrata, of course. 😉 I used pre-sliced fresh mozzarella but would use torn pieces from a ball of fresh mozzarella next time. It would have improved the burrata hack. Any cooked grain could be substituted for the wild rice as well.

We ate this dish as a main course, but it would also be a nice side dish or salad course.

Yield: Serves 2 to 4 as a main course

• 1 small yellow onion or 1/2 large yellow onion, cut into thin slices
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine or rosé
• 1 cup wild rice, soaked overnight in 4 cups water (can substitute farro, quinoa, brown rice, etc.)
• 1 bunch (4 cups) red or rainbow chard or kale, midribs stripped, cut into 1/4-inch ribbons
• 1 ball (8 oz, 1/2 pound) fresh mozzarella
• 4 T sour cream (or yogurt or creme fraiche)
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 1 pint (2 cups) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Soak the wild rice overnight in 4 cups of water. (The soaking liquid is used to cook the rice.)
2. Heat a glug of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Sweat the onion and garlic with the salt until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the white wine and reduce by half.
4. Add the wild rice and the soaking liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 45 minutes.
5. In a mixing bowl, sprinkle the chard/kale with a pinch of salt. Massage until the greens are dark green, limp, and tender in mouthfeel.
6. Tear the mozzarella into rough chunks.
7. Combine with the sour cream, lemon zest and juice, a good pinch of salt, and a couple of grinds of black pepper.
8. When the wild rice is cooked, drain any residual liquid and let cool.
9. Toss the tomatoes, kale, and wild rice together with a couple glugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
10. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
11. Dot with the creamed mozzarella and serve.

Note: The amount of time it takes to tenderize raw greens will vary depending on the age of the plant. The tougher the leaves, the longer it will take. Along the way, taste an individual leaf—once it is easily chewable, you’re done.