Eggplant, Heirloom Tomato, and Chickpea Curry

I've been getting eggplants in my CSA box over the past few weeks and trying to figure out new ways to use them. I came across some recipes that used just the flesh of the eggplant in curry dishes (versus dicing it up and including the skin) and I thought this would bring a nice texture and meatiness to a vegetarian curry dish. I also had some heirloom tomatoes and some canned chickpeas on hand, and with some spices you can easily create this dish in a pinch. My favorite thing about these type of Indian-inspired curries is that they are so healthy and leave you feeling great after you eat them. The spices in this curry are also great for you - the turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, and the red chile flakes can help speed up your metabolism.

Eggplant, Heirloom Tomato, and Chickpea Curry
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves 3-4

1 T. ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil, or olive oil (use the latter 2 for a vegan option)
1 large eggplant
2 medium or 1 very large heirloom tomatoes, diced
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground turmeric
1 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. dried red chile flakes
Kosher salt
Brown rice, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the top off the eggplant and half lengthwise. On a baking sheet or sheet pan, drizzle a little olive oil in 2 places where you'll put the eggplant halves. Sprinkle some kosher salt on each eggplant half, then place the cut side down on the olive oil spots and rub around to coat. Transfer to the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Heat the ghee or other oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until softened, about 7-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, cumin, turmeric, coriander, chile flakes, and 1/2 t. kosher salt and stir to combine, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or whenever the eggplant is done.

Remove the eggplant from the oven, flip it over with a spatula, then use the spatula or a spoon to spoon the flesh of the eggplant into a small bowl. Mash it slightly with the spatula or spoon, then transfer to the pan with the other vegetables, stir to combine, and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. A nice shortcut for the rice in this recipe is Trader Joe's frozen organic short grain brown rice, which I always have on hand and only takes 3 minutes to reheat. Serve the curry over brown rice or with naan.

Broccoli, Avocado, Chickpea and Feta Salad

We've been getting broccoli in our CSA box about every other week now that it's in season, which is continuing to challenge me to find new things to do with it. I threw together this dish last week when I was in the mood for a healthy dinner but still wanted something satisfying. The combination of broccoli, avocado, chickpeas, feta, and a topping of sunflower seeds makes this dish well balanced with vegetables, protein, and healthy fats. I ate this as a warm dish for dinner, but it was also great at room temperature when I brought it to work the next day for lunch.

Broccoli, Avocado, Chickpea and Feta Salad
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Serves 2 (as a main dish)

2 medium heads broccoli, long stems cut off (reserve for another use like a stir fry), and florets chopped into medium-sized pieces
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Toasted salted sunflower seeds, for topping
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Heat a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare the broccoli, avocado, and chickpeas. Add the broccoli to the pot and boil for approximately 2 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Add the chickpeas, feta, avocado, lemon juice, and 1 T. olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt (you don't need as much given the saltiness of the feta) and some freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, then transfer to plates or low bowls. Top with a generous sprinkling of sunflower seeds, and serve. Note: if storing for later, wait to top with the sunflower seeds until you serve it as they can get a little soggy.

Crunchy Roasted Spiced Chickpeas

Looking for a last minute snack to enjoy while watching the game? These roasted chickpeas have become my go-to quick appetizer for dinner parties, casual get-togethers, or just for us to snack on. I've tried multiple variations of this recipe and the key is cooking them at the right temperature to get them to turn out crispy like corn nuts on the outside while slightly soft on the inside. Simply coated with olive oil, chile powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt, they're an incredibly easy and delicious snack and I generally have all of these ingredients in my pantry so I can throw them together in a pinch. These are best eaten the same day you make them as they get a little softer the next day, but I'll still eat them as a snack (if there are any left over!)

Crunchy Roasted Spiced Chickpeas

Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: About 45 minutes

Two 15 oz. cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 T. olive oil
1 t. ancho chili powder
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1 t. fine grain sea salt, plus more for sprinkling at the end

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Dry the chickpeas between paper towels or kitchen towels, getting them as dry as you can (this will help them absorb the spices and get crunchier in the oven). Put them in a medium-sized bowl, add the olive oil, spices, and salt, and stir to combine. Transfer to a sheet pan or cookie sheet and roast for approximately 20 minutes, then increase the heat to 450 degrees and roast for about another 10-15 minutes until the chickpeas are golden brown. Test a few to see if any of them have gotten crispy and if not, return to oven in 5 minute increments until they are done. There may be a few on the edges which get a little bit too brown - just discard these as you want the others to be able to get crunchy enough. Remove from oven, season with a pinch of fine-grain sea salt, transfer to a bowl, and serve.

Fall Moroccan Tagine

This was my first attempt at a Moroccan-style tagine and it was quite successful! Traditionally, a tagine is made in a special dome-shaped pot, but I found that using a dutch oven (or any large saucepan or stockpot with a lid) substituted just fine. This dish incorporates some classic tagine spices - coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, and cayenne, with butternut squash, carrots, sweet potato, chickpeas, dried apricots and olives. Other than prepping the ingredients, it's an easy dish to make, incredibly healthy and wonderfully warming on a fall evening. I served this over whole-wheat couscous, but quinoa or brown rice would also work well.

Fall Moroccan Tagine
Serves 4

Active Time: 20-25 minutes
Total Time: 65-70 minutes

Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled and cut into small (~1/2'') pieces
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into small (~1/2'') pieces
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. green olives (such as castelvetrano)
1/2 c. dried apricots, chopped
1 t. coriander
1 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. sweet paprika
1/2 t. ground ginger
Kosher salt

Toast the spices in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until fragrant, a few minutes, and set aside.

In a dutch oven or stockpot, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds, then stir in the spices. Add the carrots, sweet potato/yam, butternut squash, and apricots to the pan, along with 1 1/2 c. water and 1 t. salt. Cook for a minute longer until everything reheats, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chickpeas and olives, reduce heat to low, re-cover, and cook another 10-15 minutes. Season to taste with salt (I added another 1 t.), stir, and serve over whole-wheat couscous, quinoa, or brown rice.

Baked Gnocchi with Beets, Chickpeas, and Feta

After traveling this weekend and going for a long run on Sunday evening (I'm training for the Stinson Beach 25K trail race on November 13, http://www.pctrailruns.com/) I came up with this dish from the ingredients we had around the house and they worked together wonderfully. I had a combination of golden and red beets, but would suggest using all golden beets to avoid this turning a pink color when you dish it up - although we enjoyed it regardless. This is an easy recipe that only calls for a few ingredients and is both healthy and filling at the same time.

Baked Gnocchi with Beets, Chickpeas, and Feta
Serves 4

Extra virgin olive oil
16 oz. gnocchi (I used pre-made gnocchi, but if you want to make your own, go for it!)
1 lb. beets (see note above, I would suggest golden beets), peeled and cut into 3/4'' to 1'' chunks
15 oz. can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz. feta
1 c. vegetable stock/broth
1/2 lemon
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the peeled and cut beets with 1 t. olive oil and place in a large oval gratin dish or other large baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside. Heat 1 t. olive oil in a large skillet. Add the gnocchi and saute until lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Set aside.

Remove the dish with the beets from the oven and add the chickpeas and gnocchi to the pan. Pour the 1 c. vegetable broth over the dish. Crumble the feta over the mixture. Squeeze the 1/2 lemon over the dish, then drizzle 1 T. olive oil over the mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 t. black pepper over the dish, and put back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes. Spoon into pasta bowls or plates and serve.

Chickpea Curry

As I've been trying to cook more vegetarian dishes, I've found myself branching out towards making more curry dishes and experimenting with spices, which can really add dimension to dishes that don't have meat. Whatever I make also has to be guy-friendly and satisfying enough to appease my husband, Adam. This is one of our favorite curry dishes, made with chickpeas (garbanzo beans), potatoes, tomatoes, and lots of spices. We serve it over brown basmati or jasmine rice for a more filling meal and I top it with a quick yogurt-cucumber sauce, which creates a nice creamy texture when stirred into the curry, while the cucumber adds freshness.

Chickpea Curry
Serves 4

Extra virgin olive oil
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 c. vegetable broth/stock
3/4 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2'' dice
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. ginger, minced (you could substitute ~1 t. of ground ginger but fresh is so much better)
1 t. cumin
1 t. ground coriander
1 t. dried red chili flakes
1/2 t. turmeric
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper

1 c. brown jasmine or basmati rice, uncooked

1 c. plain non-fat yogurt
1/4 c. diced cucumber
pinch of salt and pepper

Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan and add the rice. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until water is absorbed, approximately 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and a pinch of salt cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, chile flakes, tumeric, and cayenne pepper, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chickpeas and potatoes, and stir to coat with the spices. Add the diced tomatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and let simmer vigorously for approximately 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender. Season with the salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, combine the yogurt, cucumber, salt and pepper in a small bowl. When the curry and rice are done, spoon a little of the rice into a bowl or plate and top with the curry and a dollop of the yogurt-cucumber mixture.