Spicy Chickpeas and Winter Vegetables

In anticipation of the travel adventure that the Husband and I will soon be embarking on, I spent a bitterly cold day yesterday transacting commerce in suburbia. It was the kind of day that makes you recoil when you step outside. The wind never died down and people ran from their cars to where they were going.

Yes. I complain about the cold all the time, so I lack credibility. I know this. But yesterday was different. Yesterday I was literally moved to tears when I saw a man at an intersection.

I was waiting to turn right, and he was standing in the median by the left lane. He was dressed for the weather. He had on thick canvas coveralls, a hooded sweatshirt, workboots and ski gloves. He looked to be about 65. There was a duffel bag on the ground near him, and he held a big, creased cardboard sign: Hard Worker.

[Heavy Sigh.] So many people are struggling this year to survive, just as the weather is getting dangerously cold. At dinner last night, I hoped that the hard worker had somewhere warm to go home to.

Spicy Chickpeas and Winter Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 TB vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 leeks, white and light green parts chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp whole cloves

3 c lower sodium vegetable broth

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice

4 dried red chilies

2 carrots, chopped

2 small (or 1 large) heads of cauliflower, chopped into florets

1/2 lb assorted mushrooms

10 oz kale, stems trimmed, roughly chopped

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice or red wine vinegar (optional)

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, leeks garlic, and cloves and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add broth and tomatoes, scraping bottom of pan to remove any browned bits.

Add the remainder of the ingredients (excluding salt, pepper and lemon/vinegar), and bring to a simmer. Cook with lid on for about 30 minutes, or until cauliflower and carrots are soft. Season with salt and pepper. Remove chilies prior to serving. Add a splash or lemon juice or red wine vinegar to each bowl prior to serving if desired. Serve with couscous or rice. Serves 6-8.

Gratin of Cauliflower with Gruyere (from Cooking Light)

This, right here, and right now is one of my ideal ways to spend a Sunday:  it's freezing outside, and I'm inside, surveying the scene.  There are dishes everywhere, leftovers crammed into the fridge, and folding chairs scattered across the living room.  Recovering from a dinner party is divine.  

Last night was my first all vegetarian dinner party... if you don't count my several forays into pasta making last fall.  I used two recipes out of magazines, which has its drawbacks.  I find that when I cook with a recipe, which is almost never,  I totally lose perspective on what I am actually doing.  

Without the pressure of having to think on my feet, I become sort of a cooking automaton, and don't think about what I'm trying to achieve.  Additionally, for some reason, when I cook to a recipe it takes me for_ever.  I think it's this sense that the recipe writer is lurking somewhere, waiting to see if I miss a step.  

You can imagine that I enjoy cooking quite a bit more if it's done without a recipe.

That said, a lot of the food I cook I consider too homey for a dinner party.  So, out came the cauliflower gratin recipe.  

Besides being intrigued by how well 2% milk thickens up in a sauce, I can't recommend this recipe.  It could have used some spice- a touch of nutmeg, or clove even.  As written, I found it to be a bit flat and lacking in depth.  For 8 people (as a side), I prepared 1 1/2 times this recipe.... and we barely had leftovers. 

Additionally, I used probably twice the recommended amount of cheese. Otherwise, the dish would have felt a little bit light, shall we say.  Finally, be sure to roast the cauliflower just short of done.  Too long and you're left with some mighty limp cruciferae.  

Gratin of Cauliflower with Gruyere (from Cooking Light)

Ingredients: 

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets (about 2 lbs)

cooking spray

1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided

2 tsp butter

1/3 c Panko

2 TB finely chopped fresh chives

1/2 c (2 oz) shredded Gruyere, divided

1/2 c finely chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

3 TB all purpose flour

2 c 2% reduced-fat milk

3 TB chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400.  Place cauliflower in a 2 qt broiler safe baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; coat cauliflower with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt; toss.  Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until almost tender.  Cool 5 minutes.

Preheat broiler.  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Remove from heat.  Stir in Panko.  Stir in 1/4 c cheese and chives.  

Heat medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray.  Add onion to pan; saute 4 minutes or until almost tender, stirring frequently.  Add garlic; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk; bring to a boil.  Cook 3 minutes, or until thick, stirring constantly.  

Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 c cheese, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, parsley, and pepper. Pour milk mixture over cauliflower mixture; toss.  Top evenly with cheese mixture.  Broil 3 minutes or until golden brown and thoroughly heated. Serves 6.  

Roasted Cauliflower

Sometimes, if the fog is just right, and the rain has just brought fall leaves out of the trees....the world smells like maple syrup. My favorite.


Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:

cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp TB cumin
1 tsp salt
pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, and mix using hands. Spread cauliflower on baking sheet, and roast for about 15 minutes. Using tongs, flip cauliflower on sheet, and roast for another 20-25 minutes, or until brown. Serves 4, as a side dish.

Spiced Cauliflower, Spinach, and Chickpeas

Brrrr... it's gotten chilly here lately. Or is that just the ghost of John McCain running through my house?

Whatever the case, a big bowl of warm veggies is the cure.

Ingredients:

2 TB vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

2 TB curry

1 TB garam masala

1 TB cumin

1/2 TB coriander

1/2 TB hungarian paprika

1/2 TB turmeric

2 TB tomato paste

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 15 oz can chickpeas, with juice

2 small (or 1 large) heads of cauliflower, chopped into florets

10 oz fresh spinach

salt and pepper to taste

lemon juice (optional)

Preparation:

In large dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute until softened. Add spices and tomato paste, and stir to combine. Add canned tomatoes, chickpeas and cauliflower. Put lid on oven, and bring cauliflower mixture to a low simmer.

Take lid off, and let mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Add spinach once cauliflower has softened, and cook until spinach softens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice. Add a small amount of lemon juice to each bowl prior to serving if desired. Serves 6-8.