I absolutely love roasted chickpeas. They're great in salads, wraps or just for snacking. Not only are they versatile, but so simple to make. You just need to toss with a little oil and your favorite spices. Try cumin and chili powder for a Mexican flavor or just some garlic powder, salt and pepper. I happen to love Old Bay so recently I gave that a shot and they were pretty amazing!
Ingredients
1 cup or half can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 tsp olive oil
Old Bay Seasoning (I use the less sodium), as much as you want
Method
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Toss chickpeas with oil then sprinkle with Old Bay. Mix with your hands, getting the seasoning evenly distributed. Add more seasoning if desired.
Place in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until desired crispiness is reached; shake the pan halfway through.
When you can't find good corn tortillas without unecessary additives and preservatives, there's only one option: make your own! It's really pretty easy, I promise. It requires 3 simple ingredients, masa (corn flour), water, and salt. I found the masa in the supermarket with the other flours. The brand I bought, Maseca, had instructions for making tortillas on the back of the package which was helpful. Even more helpful were the videos (see below) on their website. They're in Spanish but luckily they have subtitles. One thing to note is that they use a tortilla press, something I do not own. So I put the balls dough, one at a time, between two sheets of plastic wrap and used a can of beans to roll them out. No, they were not anywhere close to being perfetly circular in the end, but they tasted great, were functional, and best of all, they didn't break when folded into a taco.
Video #1: Preparing the masa
Video #2: Making the tortillas
Recipe (my adapted version) Makes 16 tortillas Ingredients
Two cups Maseca
1/4 tablespoon salt
1 1/4 cup water
A large mixing bowl
Method
Mix Maseca corn flour, water and salt in a large bowl.
Mix by hand until a smooth consistency has been created and does not stick to your hands. Shape into a ball and divide into 16 portions and roll into balls.
Cover a large cutting board with plastic wrap. One by one, place a ball of dough on top, press down to slightly flatten it. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap and roll out with a rolling pin (a can works too). Carefully peel off when done. You don't want them to break.
Place in a pre-heated ungreased skillet and cook for about 1 minute on each side. Place them on between damp cloths or paper towel to keep from drying out.
When reheating you can place them in aluminum foil and heat in the oven at 350 degrees 5-10 minutes. You can also wrap them in damp paper towel and microwave them for 15-20 seconds. Both of these methods allow them to steam, preventing them from getting dry.
2 tbsp olive oil (preferably a higher quality)
1 clove garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups grape tomatoes, quartered (remove some seeds if desired)
1 small handful basil leaves, cut into thin strips
Method
In a large bowl whisk olive oil, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and basil, give a quick stir and voila. Fresh tomato bruschetta!
These make a tasty little treat that's perfect for satifying a sweet craving without going over board.
Ingredients
Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Splash of almond milk
Sliced banana, frozen (1-2 hours)
Unsweetened coconut
Method
Place chocolate in a small bowl with a tiny bit of almond milk and microwave 20-30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Add more almond milk if needed.
Place some coconut in a small dish. Dip your sliced bananas in the chocolate and then coconut. Then place chocolate side up on a parchment lined plate or baking sheet. Freeze an hour and then eat! Transfer any leftover to tupperwear to keep in the freezer.
It's Hemp History Week (June 4-10) so why not enjoy a smoothie with hemp protein! Hemp contains easily digestible protein, fiber, and Omega-3. I love the hemp seeds on salad or oatmeal but decided to give the protein powder a shot (I bought the Nutiva brand). It's definitely got an earthy flavor but in this smoothie that is masked by the banana, cocoa, and peanut butter. Try slicing the banana and freezing for an hour to make the smoothie thicker. It's not only delicious but quite filling. I'll definitely be trying this is different smoothies.
