Chickpea "Mock Tuna" Sandwich

Chickpeas are really versatile. The high protein beans taste great added to salads, soups, or casseroles. Sometimes, I simply mash them with a fork and eat them on a sandwich like a mock tuna sandwich.

The mashed chickpeas taste great combined with chopped parsley, vegan mayo, diced celery, and spices.

It makes a simple, yet really good tasting plant-based lunch.  It is a great substitute for a "tuna fish" sandwich. 

I'm often asked, "Where do you get your protein if you don't eat meat, fish, or chicken?" 

Chickpeas are high in protein and fiber

A cup of cooked chickpeas contains about 14 grams of protein. Just as importantly, a cup of chickpeas contains about 12 grams of fiber as opposed to meat, chicken, and fish which contain 0 grams of fiber. 

Fiber is essential for good health!

Great Bagels: Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Low Calories 

I buy gluten-free bagels at most supermarkets in the frozen section. The gluten-free bagels are made by a company called. O'Doughs. They taste great and are low in calories and fat. 

1 bagel has 100 calories. They are also vegan. I am able to get them in Florida and in Pennsylvania.

The bagel is perfect for a chickpea sandwich. I like to top it with some sliced tomatoes. 

Sometimes I eat the fork-mashed chickpeas on a plate with some salad instead of making a sandwich. 

Recipe for Chickpea Mock Tuna Sandwich

Ingredients: 

1 can or chickpeas, drained

or 2 cups of cooked chickpeas 

1 cup of diced organic celery 

1/2 cup of chopped organic parsley 

1/4 cup of vegan mayo ( or more to taste) 

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper 

1/2 teaspoon of paprika 

optional: 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric 

Variation: for interesting taste, add 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder 

Directions: 

Using a kitchen fork, coarsely mash the chickpeas

Add celery, parsley, mayo and seasoning and with the fork mix well. 

Eat on a sandwich using gluten-free bread or gluten-free bagel topped with sliced tomato.

Try some of my other chickpea recipes: 

12 delicious chickpea recipes  (link to recipes) 

My Notes: 

I make my own vegan mayo from silken tofu. Check out the recipe here for Easy Vegan Mayo or you can find a vegan mayo in the supermarket.

This is a whole food plant-based oil-free recipe!!  

Purim Party Spectacular

Yesterday was a Jewish holiday called Purim. 

It is celebrated to remember and commemorate the defeat of an evil person who called for the annihilation of  the Jewish race in Persia in the year 5 B.C.E. 

The name of the person who made the decree was HAMAN. 

Coincidently, today thousands of years later, the Jews seem to be facing another group that wants to destroy the State of Israel and the Jewish race. This group is called HAMAS.

What seemed like an ancient story and victory to celebrate, unfortunately now seems like more of a threat again and the names are is similar. 

The holiday of Purim is celebrated with merriment, costumes, parties, and wonderful food. 

We were invited to a party of a very wealthy family near Miami. I'm sharing some of the food arrangements and decorating from the party. They were spectacular! She put up drop cloths to make it look like the city of Persia. I've only seen things like this at Disney!!!

Middle Eastern pastries, dried fruit, and nuts 

A table of all kinds of fruit. Yes, all the fruit is real!!
There were about 200 people at the party

=

A table full of bowls of salads such as coleslaws, hearts of palm, kale salads, carrot salads, 
etc. 

There was hot food in the chafing dishes such as meats and falafel. I forgot to take a pic of the gigantic chicken paella and the various rice and vegetable stations. As you can see, the food and display were amazing. And it all took place in her backyard. 

Oh there was music and a singer too !!

Roasted vegetables, breads, humus, salsa etc.

It is traditional to bake three cornered triangular cookies called 

Hamantaschen to eat on the holiday of Purim. 

I didn't bake this year but I found these vegan hamantaschen recipes online vegan gluten free hamantaschen (but I have not tried the recipes). To make the first one gluten-free, you would need to adjust the flour in the recipe.

Baked Marinated Tofu

Would you like a new delicious easy recipe for making tofu? 

This recipe is an adaptation from a recipe I saw online for baked marinated Covina (a white fish). I loved the flavors of the marinade so much, I decided to give it a try using a plant-based protein such as tofu. 

The easy marinade is simple and consists of the juice of freshly squeezed oranges, lime, seasoning, and optional white wine. It is a citrusy marinade that adds a tangy flavor to the baked tofu.                       

Once the tofu marinates for a minimum of 2 hours (but you can do longer), it is then garnished with halved cherry tomatoes or chopped red pepper (or both), crushed garlic, scallions, sesame seeds, and seasonings and baked in a pre-heated oven, toaster oven, or air-fryer (if you have a bake capability) for about 20-30 minutes until slightly crispy.

Tofu is convenient to buy, very easy to use, and is a great. plant-based substitution for animal protein. 

Ingredients: 

2  14 ounce blocks of tofu from a container -Each block cut into 6 pieces ( drain the tofu from the water)

2 cups of freshly squeezed orange juice

juice of two large limes

1 container of cherry tomatoes or 1 large red pepper chopped 

1 and 1/2  cups of chopped scallions

Minced fresh garlic

Paprika 

Sesame seeds 

Salt 

Freshly cracked pepper

Directions: 

In a medium bowl, mix the orange juice, lime juice, and minced garlic. 

Place the tofu pieces into a rectangular pyrex baking dish and cover with the marinade for a minimum of 2 hours in the refrigerator. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove pyrex dish from the refrigerator and cover the tops of the tofu with tomato, red pepper, or both, scallions, sesame seeds, salt, pepper, and paprika. Pour optional white wine over the tofu and bake for 1/2 hour.

Feel free to use any seasonings that you prefer

Another gluten-free, oil-free, vegan recipe

My Notes: 

What are two reasons to eat less animal protein?  

1. Your health- Do you know that continued eating of red meat may contribute to heart disease

• Do you know that raising cattle to feed the demands of meat lovers requires deforestation (destruction of our forests) to provide grazing space for the cattle? 
• Do you know that cattle and sheep release gases into our atmosphere that actually heavily contribute to global warming.  

Concerned about global warming ? 

The meat industry is a major contributor to the problem and yet those same people are not willing to give up beef consumption. As long as their is a demand, the problem will continue and we are part of the problem.

 

Tuscan Creamy White Bean Soup

Are you in the mood for a soothing easy soup recipe?  This traditional Tuscan soup is sure to satisfy!

It boasts subtle hints of fresh rosemary, has a silky consistency, and provides a substantial amount of plant-based protein. Although we often think of making soup in the winter, this is light enough for any season.

I'll Be Back In A Week..