Chunky Chickpea Vegetable Spread- Healthy Doesn't Need to Be Boring

Healthy recipes don't have to be boring this 4th of July 🎆🇺🇸
I'll be making my easy Chunky Vegetable Chickpea Dip -a fresh, creamy, and totally plant-based dip—made with chickpeas, veggies, and zingy Dijon mustard for a bold, satisfying bite. 

This recipe has no mayo, cream cheese or sour cream which would be way to heavy in fat to actually be healthy in my opinion!!

I will serve it with crudités instead of chips, and I'll be very happy! Truthfully, so will everyone else. I've served it before and it was a hit with the crowd!! It's perfect for those watching their weight.

One Pot UnStuffed Vegan Cabbage Rolls ; A No-Fuss Plant-Based Meal

The weather has cooled off a bit, and I'm already thinking of heartier foods! One of my favorites is stuffed cabbage BUT it's way too labor intensive for me to want to sit and roll the cabbage, so I make an "unstuffed cabbage roll" version instead, which is an easy one pot plant-based (GF) recipe with no rolling involved!

The Origin of Buddha Bowls And How to Make One

Have you ever made a Buddha Bowl for lunch? These versatile bowls are healthy, filling, and delicious. But do you know the beautiful story behind the origin of these plant-based meals in a bowl?

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.

12 of My Favorite Chickpea Recipes

Chickpeas are a great source of plant-based protein and are filling and delicious. They happen to be my favorite legume, and I like to use them in many of my recipes.

 I started publishing my blog over 12 years ago, so many of my recipes may have been seen and forgotten or never seen by my current readers. 

I decided to rummage through some of my older chickpea recipes and re-share them in one post.

Chickpeas are used in recipes from countries all over the world. They are versatile, inexpensive, low in fat, high in protein and fiber and are satisfying. 

Do you like chickpeas? Do you use them? 

Are you concerned with eating less animal protein ? Do you try to make more plant-based meals? 

Quinoa Chickpea Salad- High In Protein

If you are looking for a simple healthy meal, this high protein salad is perfect. It's filling and satisfying without being heavy and high in fat. It's a crowd pleaser that everyone seems to like! 

Waldorf Chickpea Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing

Do you like chickpeas? 

You will love my easy to make Waldorf chickpea salad.

 

This Waldorf Chickpea salad contains celery, parsley (or cilantro), apple chunks, finely grated carrot, cashews, raisins (or Craisins) and scallions dressed in a vegan "honey" mustard dressing.

Hummus Appetizer With Mushrooms, Onions, and Chickpeas

Hummus with warm chickpeas, mushrooms, and onions makes a tasty appetizer that will keep your guests coming back for more. 

I forgot to take a photo when I made the warm appetizer;
this photo is after serving 

Sunday night we were invited to a cocktail party, and I was asked to make and bring "crispy mushrooms and hummus." I said that I would be glad to make it, but I wasn't familiar with how to make crispy mushrooms. The host shared that she had seen the recipe in the New York Times.

I was not able to locate the recipe, but I did find a few other recipes on the Internet that sounded similar.  This is my own recipe based on the sound of the name. 

My mushrooms and onions were sautéed and soft, but everyone seemed to like the final product. I also topped my hummus with chickpeas and pine nuts.

In the past, I've made a spectacular hummus appetizer that called for spreading the homemade hummus on a plate and then topping it with sliced olives, halved cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and pimentos. 

I now make a oil-free hummus that I used this time. 

I served this delicious warm appetizer with crudite of sliced cucumbers and baby carrots and some gluten free chips. 

How I made it:

• First I made my homemade hummus. oil-free hummus
• Next, I sautéed onions and mushrooms using vegetable broth 
• When done, I spread the hummus on a flat plate  
• Topped it with warm sautéed onions and mushrooms
• Added pine nuts and served while warm 
• For myself, I do not use oil- however I did drizzle with oil for the cocktail party 

Notes:

I sprinkled with a little garlic powder, salt, cracked pepper, and cumin - I thought about about red pepper flakes but held back.

The hummus was room temperature and the toppings were warm.

My Favorite Mediterranean Salad-

What's for lunch today? Try my favorite Mediterranean salad which makes a beautiful presentation and is packed with delicious healthy ingredients. 

I was invited to my friend 💗 Lorrie's house for lunch yesterday. 

Knowing that I am vegan and gluten free, Lorrie often makes me this beautiful salad which includes protein (chickpeas) and walnuts to make it more satisfying. I am always delighted with this Mediterranean dish and enjoyed every morsel. She adds some cold cooked salmon to her salad and we are both happy.💖

This salad is also versatile. I've made variations with sliced avocado, parsley, cilantro and cooked rice on dark greens.

Lorrie makes this incredible salad with greens on the bottom which you can't actually see in the photo.

It's a copy cat recipe (with a vegan twist) from a local Florida restaurant (Sicilian Oven), which we frequent.

Raw salad vegetables contain valuable enzymes that only raw vegetables can provide. Cooked food just doesn't. It's important to eat greens and salad everyday for their unique health benefits. 

There are so many ways to prepare salads they just don't get boring. 

Try Blueberry kale salad or Cherry Tomato and Artichoke Salad  

Try Grated Carrot Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts

My Favorite Salad

Ingredients

Greens of choice (I use romaine or a curly green, chopped)

1 cup of walnuts

1 cup of cooked chickpeas

1 cup of red onion, sliced 

1 cup of chopped tomatoes

1 cup of chopped red, yellow, or orange peppers

1 cup of pitted kalamata olives

1 cup of cucumbers

1/2 cup of jarred red pepper strips (pimentos)

Directions:

Place the washed and chopped greens in a large wide bowl (enough to cover almost the top of the bowl) Add each of the ingredients individually to form a topping to the salad as shown in the photo.  Bring to table and toss at the table. I eat mine plain but you could toss with your favorite dressing.

Shared on Weekend Cooking at The Intrepid Reader and Baker where anyone can share a food related post. Stop by to see the posts!

Indian Aloo Baingan - Potatoes and Eggplant

Indian food can be made at home with this simple Aloo Baingan (potatoes and eggplant) recipe. I assure you it is really easy to make and on my WW personal plan it is zero points.

Veganized Gefilte Fish -Fun and Healthy!

Why did I veganize this gefilte fish recipe? I do not eat fish!!!!

But gefilte fish is traditional holiday food of German and Eastern European origin that is popular to serve on Jewish holidays such as the Jewish New Year, (Rosh Hashanah), Passover and the Sabbath. 

AND Passover is a few weeks away! Read more 

Mushroom and Herbs Pasta Stir Fry- Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Oil-Free

Do you like pasta? I do, and I love eating this interesting medley made with mushrooms and herbs. It's easy to make and can be thrown together for a quick weeknight dinner. 

I used penne pasta (gluten-free), tossed it with a sauté of mushrooms, onions, and herbs de Provence. Before serving I added some fresh spinach which wilted in the pot. It was a balanced healthy very tasty entree.

Mushrooms cook up quickly, are light and tasty, and add a delightful flavor to just about any recipe. In addition, they are low in calories, fat, and carbs and provide a decent amount of B Vitamins which are important for energy and they also contain vitamin D which is important for immunity. 

I purchased a giant size container of baby portobello mushrooms at Costco. I find that mushrooms don't usually stay firm too long, so I like to cook them within a few days of buying them. I had to use a lot of them. This recipe allows the flavor of the mushroom to dominate. This recipe only used half the container or mushrooms so I'll be making another mushroom recipe too for another day.

Easy To Make 

First I boiled some water for pasta. While the pasta was cooking, I chopped an onion and cleaned and sliced the mushrooms. Next, I sautéed the onions for about 5 minutes. When the onions started to stick to the skillet, I added 2 tablespoons of water and then added the mushrooms. The juices from the mushrooms provided enough liquid to continue sautéing for another 5 minutes while I stirred frequently. When the pasta was done, I drained it and added it to the pan with the sauté, added herbs de Provence  and stirred until everything was mixed well. I then decided to add fresh spinach which wilted nicely into the dish, but you could leave it out.

We really enjoyed this simple yet healthy pasta dish which could be served for any weeknight dinner or even served to guests for a special occasion. 

There are many kinds of high protein pastas available- see my post on variety of pasta . 

If you prefer a tomato based sauce on your pasta, you might enjoy my chunky eggplant sauce which is one of our favorite sauces for  pasta.

Ingredients: 

8 ounces of penne pasta ( I used a chickpea pasta that is gluten-free and high in protein), cooked 

1 and 1/2 cups of chopped onion

5 cups of sliced baby portobello mushrooms

1 tablespoon of herbs de Provence ( or substitute an Italian seasoning blend) 

2 cups of fresh spinach, sliced ribbon style

Optional: 1 and 1/2 cups of marinara sauce 

Directions: 

While pasta is cooking, heat a skillet to sauté vegetables. Add the chopped onions and begin to sauté for 3-4 minutes-stirring occasionally. Add 2 tablespoons of water, stir, and then add mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Turn off and set aside. When pasta is cooked, drain, and add the hot pasta to the skillet with the mushrooms and stir. Add the chopped spinach and enjoy. 

My Notes: 

1. As an alternative,  I like to top my bowl with some heated marinara sauce. 

2. I used a chickpea pasta which provides a significant amount of protein. If you use regular pasta and want to add more protein, add chickpeas to the mix. 

3. This is a plant-based, oil-free vegan entree. 

4. You may notice that I do not sauté with oil anymore. Why? Well, it saves a ton of calories which helps me keep my weight down, I find I am perfectly happy with the taste of my dishes without added oil. 

However, it goes deeper- I have been reading cutting edge information by prominent and well respected doctors. See my previous posts and read  18 doctors that drive the Whole Food Plant-Based Food Movement. The information is eye opening. 

 

Rice, Tomato, and Avocado Salad- Vegan, Gluten-Free, Oil-free

A healthy plant-based delicious dinner without a lot of effort? 

Yay! I love combining healthy ingredients to a make a quick and easy delicious plant-based dinner.

Eliminating or reducing eating animal protein is not difficult. 

After all, many foreign countries eat much less animal protein than we do in the United States and their cultures have some mighty tasty recipes using beans, vegetables, and grains. 

The recipe is a quick and simple go-to recipe of mine. It is made using a bed of cooked rice (white, brown, or basmati), topped with chopped tomatoes and chopped avocado, seasoned with freshly squeezed lime, salt, pepper, sesame seeds and cumin seeds, and a can of drained chickpeas ( or 2 cups of cooked chickpeas) for protein.

Don't like rice? Substitute quinoa

My husband likes white rice, so I made white rice (this time) because this meal was for him. Perhaps a healthier version would be to make the identical recipe using brown rice. 

I make my rice in the Instant Pot . It needs about 10 minutes to pre-heat before cooking and then 12 minutes to cook. The rice comes out just the way we like every time and clean up is minimal and I don't have to ever watch the pot since it will turn off itself when done and keep warm till I'm ready to eat it. 

Tomato and Avocado Salad Topping

2 large vine ripe tomatoes, chopped 

or 1 container of cherry tomatoes, chopped

1 avocado, chopped (Florida style or Haas avocado) 

Freshly squeezed juice of 1 small lime

1/4 cup of chopped parsley or cilantro

1 teaspoon of whole cumin seeds

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste  

2 cups of raw rice washed and cooked  (white, brown, or basmati)

I can of drained chickpeas

Directions: 

After cooking the rice or using leftover cooked rice, layer the cooked rice, chickpeas, and tomato avocado salad mixture in a bowl starting with rice on the bottom. Add the seasonings and dig in. 

If you want more vegetables eat with steamed broccoli. 

This quick meal is not only plant-based vegan, it is also gluten-free, and oil-free. 

What's all the hoo-ha with oil-free? 

Oil-free does not meal fat-free. Oil is a HIGHLY concentrated HIGHLY caloric condiment that contains zero fiber AND according to many cardiologists and doctors should not be part of a heart healthy diet. It took years to convince us that sugar is not our friend. Now if you start to read about "oil " (olive, canola, sunflower, etc.), you will start to understand why "oil" is not your heart's friend.

 Quote From Naked Food Magazine

"All vegetable-based oils, which pretty much follow the same model as processed sugar, are pressed from plants. All the nutrients, including protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water, have been stripped away. Oil is nothing but fat. Oil has more calories per gram than any other food. A tablespoon contains about 14 grams of fat." (source)

I stopped using "oil" (but did not stop eating avocado, olives, and nuts and seeds) about 10 months ago. I find that I got used to it quickly and have lots of good alternatives and have lost and kept off 15 pounds just eliminating oil. The hardest part has been giving up salad dressing with oil- but now I don't even miss it.  

More Sources: 

The Ultimate Guide to cooking and baking without oil

Dr. Gregor- Nutrition Facts (excellent)

Dr. McDougal- 

Dr. Essylton

My Notes and Shortcuts:

1. The rice can be made the day before and just assembled

2. Rice can be made in advance and frozen in packets. . How I freeze my own rice packets (link). Remove from freezer as needed for cooked rice

3. You can make your own chickpeas in the Instant Pot (link)instead of using a can of chickpeas. 

4. Big Shortcut: 

You can take out a container of cooked white or brown rice in most Chinese restaurants. Just bring it home and assemble for this quick and easy delicious meal.

 

Turkish Shredded Carrot Salad

Salad is a good choice for the holidays. Since holiday meals often mean heavier richer food, we need some tasty lighter foods for the mix. One interesting low in calories but rich in taste salad is a family favorite- Turkish shredded carrot salad.

Leek, Chickpea, and Spinach Noodle Soup

Noodle soup is one of my favorites, and I love it in this healthy combination with leeks, carrots, spinach and chickpeas.

Quinoa Salad with Summer Produce

If you are looking for a great quinoa salad that is easy, healthy, and filling- this is it. 

Quinoa, chickpeas, and summer produce such as red and yellow cherry tomatoes, scallions, colorful mini sweet peppers, shredded carrots, sliced black olives, parsley, and fresh basil, makes an easy, light, yet filling meal for dinner. 

 

Do you like to eat light in the summer but run out of healthy salad ideas? Grains or pseudo seed grains, such as quinoa, mix well with chopped veggies to make an easy tasty salads. Quinoa is naturally gluten-free and vegan.

Quinoa Comes Out Perfect Cooked In The Instant Pot

The quinoa can be cooked in a pot on the stove top or in the Instant Pot. I always cook mine in the Instant Pot for tjust wo minutes (link to recipe) and then allow it to slow release for 12 minutes. It comes out light and fluffy every time- just perfect.

For the chickpeas and you can either make your own on the stove top or instant pot or just open a can. It’s your choice!

Both quinoa and chickpeas provide enough significant protein to make this flavorful vegan salad a complete meal. 

Sometimes I use romaine lettuce leaves to scoop up the salad. 

Ingredients: 

2 cups of white quinoa, washed well and cooked

2 cups of cooked and drained chickpeas

1/2 cup of sliced scallions

1/2 cup of sliced black olives ( I used a small can of sliced olives)

2 cups of chopped cherry tomatoes (red and yellow)

1 cup of chopped mini peppers ( any color) 

1 large organic carrot, shredded ( I grated mine) 

1/4 cup of chopped parsley

1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil

Directions: 

Mix everything together, toss with your favorite Italian or Greek salad dressing and serve.

Shared on

Deb's Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sunday where anyone can share a soup, salad, or sammie recipe. 

Notes: 

1. I took the photos before I added the quinoa to the salad ( Just a goof up). Sorry.

2. Since I no longer use oil (I do eat healthy fats- avocado, nuts, seeds but I am oil-free)- I dressed the salad with just lemon for myself. 

3. This salad is vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free before adding dressing.

Best Oil-free Hummus in Three Flavors

This easy to make homemade hummus will knock your socks off. It's really tasty and contains no added oils.  I made a plain hummus, a carrot hummus, and a beet hummus. 

I've been learning to cook and prepare food without oil ( but I still use fats such as avocado, olives, nuts, and seeds). You may have read my previous post that explains why. 

Basically oil is one of the most caloric foods you can consume and has zero fiber and very few nutrients. Better to eat the olives than the concentration of oil. I'm learning to make food without oil. 

This oil-free hummus is outstanding. I watched a video by Brittany on The Jaroudy Family Youtube. I adapted her recipe to suit my own tastes.  

Your can visit her Youtube channel to see her recipe. I love learning from her and love her recipes.

It's also fun to add vegetables to the hummus. For example, you can add a cup of beets or drained cooked carrots and omit or greatly reduce the liquid.

I eat this high protein hummus for lunch with cut up celery and carrot sticks or I dilute it to make a salad dressing for my salads or cooked vegetables. I also control the thickness by the amount of liquid I add. Somedays I make it thinner and some days much thicker. 

I enjoy making a cooked vegetable stacks using sliced cooked beets or slice air fry roasted eggplant or both!!

The following recipe is oil-free and tahini-free. If you would like a recipe that contains both olive oil and tahini (sesame seed paste), you can try my previous authentic rich Middle Eastern hummus recipe which is delicious.

Ingredients: 

4 and 1/2  cups of cooked chickpeas (or about 1 and 1/2  15 ounce cans  drained) 

1/4 cup of water or liquid from the chickpeas 

2 large cloves of fresh garlic 

1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

Juice of 1 juicy lemon

1 tablespoon of organic gluten-free miso 

1/2 teaspoon of cumin 

cracked black pepper to taste 

optional: 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric. 

Directions: 

Using the metal blade in a 6 cup food processor, add all the ingredients and process until smooth and creamy. Adjust spices to taste. 

Notes: 

1, Miso is adds a salty taste so no additional salt is needed.

2. Add small amounts of additional water or chickpea liquid to desired consistency. 

3. To make beet hummus add 1 cup of cubed cooked beets 

4. To make carrot hummus add 1 cup of sliced cooked carrots, drained of all water

5. I steam the beets and the carrots in my steamer 

Homemade Falafel- Vegan and Gluten-free

Homemade falafel tastes the BEST! 

It's fresh, delicately spiced, absolutely delicious and can be made relatively easily in your very own kitchen! This is our favorite plant-based recipe that can be eaten for lunch or dinner.

Vegan Dinner Bowl: Zucchini, Potatoes, Green bean and Chickpea

Take advantage of the beautiful end of summer local produce and make yourself this easy one-skillet vegan dinner bowl.

Moroccan Chickpea and Olive Salad

Chickpea and olive salad is easy to make and absolutely delicious.
Moroccan recipes often include a fair amount of olives, and this dish is no exception.

This wonderful vegan salad can be made with green and or black olives, chickpeas, and cured lemon with lots of healthy herbs and spices.