Chickpea Bruschetta Salad

My mom almost always makes bruschetta on the 4th of July. I know it’s not traditional American food but it’s usually about the time the basil is taking off in her garden and everyone in her family loves it! Speaking of basil I have a lot of it hanging around this week. My little pot is growing on the back deck and my CSA share gave me a giant produce bag full. Thankfully I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge, and if the challenge involves eating large quantities of basil well then I guess I’ll have to suffer through 😉

Since I also had a large quantity of tomatoes due to an impulse buy at the Farmers Market my first thought was bruschetta. I wanted something with a little more umph if I was going to be eating it for lunches all week and I figure I’ll be getting enough bruschetta on Friday!

The chickpeas are loaded with fiber and protein to add a little staying power to all the fresh veggies and herbs, and who doesn’t like a little bit of cheese with the veg? Plus the whole meal comes together fast (minus cooking the chickpeas, but at least that’s hands off!).

The BF dove right into a bowl of this and said I was officially in charge of making his lunches for the week 😉 If he’s extra nice I might share… If I don’t eat it all myself first!

Chickpea Bruschetta Salad

Serves: 4

Time: 15 minutes (plus 8 hours soaking and 30 minutes cooking chickpeas)

Ingredients

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked and cooked (or 2 15oz cans rinsed and drained)

2 medium tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)

2 stalks fennel, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic OR 3-4 garlic scapes, minced

2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 TBSP apple cider vinegar

3 TBSP olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

If you’re cooking your own chickpeas make sure they are ready to go before you start! If you’re using canned put them in a strainer to give them a good rinse and let them drain.

Combine chickpeas, tomato, garlic/scapes, and fennel in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Stir in the basil and feta right before serving to preserve the fresh flavor and keep the cheese from getting soupy. Serve chilled.

What’ something non-traditional you serve at your family parties? What do you do when you’re overrun by basil? 

Bringing this party food to Fiesta Friday over at the Novice Gardener.

Vegetarian Lentil Tacos

My family loves Mexican food. This might seem strange considering we’re a mixture of Polish/Dutch/German/other european countries heritage but when I was living with my parents we ate Mexican food at least once a week. It may have driven my brother nuts, but I absolutely loved it.

I’ve been trying to eat more vegetarian meals for ethical and health reasons, but sometimes beans can get a little boring. I had a bag of lentils that have been sitting in my bin of “Sarah Food” forever and I figured why not try to cook and season them up similar to ground beef. Side note “why not” seems to be my new thing in the kitchen, as long as it works for me I’m going to go with it.  

The result was a nice change up from beans, with a good level of spice and a meaty enough texture that even the BF said they were good. I may not be able to convince my little brother to try them, but a girl’s got to pick her battles 😉

Vegetarian Lentil Tacos

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup lentils, rinsed and cleaned

1 medium yellow onion diced

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 TBSP Olive oil (or other cooking oil)

1 TBSP Chili powder

1 TSP Cumin

1/2 TSP Red pepper flakes

1/2 TSP Cayenne pepper

salt to taste

2 -2 1/2 cups water

For Serving

12 corn tortillas (or flour if not GF)

Toppings: Sliced radish, crumbled queso fresco, shredded lettuce, whatever other veggies your heart desires. 

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender. Add in garlic and cook one minute (stirring constantly) until fragrant stir in spices and stir one minute longer. Stir in lentils and water and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. If lentils are still a little tough at this time add in an additional 1/2 cup of water and simmer 5-10 minutes longer. At this point feel free to smush some of the lentils or leave them all whole, the texture is personal preference. Serve warm in corn tortillas with desired toppings.

What’s your favorite taco topping?  Have you ever had vegetarian tacos?

This post is linked with  Gluten Free and DIY Tuesday from Allergy Free Alaska, The Novice Gardener’s Fiesta Friday, and Vegetarian Mamma’s Gluten Free Fridays.

WIAW: The Budget Bites Edition

So I’ve talked a bit on here recently on how I’ve been setting a budget for the year but there is a big difference between talking a good game and actually being able to stick to it. Which is why I decided to share one of the more delicious parts of my budget a little more visually.

I’ve allotted myself $100 per month for food/drinks (not including going out) with the goal of eating mostly vegetarian and possibly visiting farmers markets to supplement my CSA share. I eased into it for the month of June, inheriting food from my aunt and my parents while I was housesitting, but I managed to stay just under budget ($98.73 to be exact) which is pretty good considering I had to start my spice collection from scratch! That figure includes everything I ate this month, including the cost of my first 2 CSA shares. Not included are foods I already had on hand or foods that were given to me by well meaning family members 🙂

This month featured lots of salads courtesy of my CSA greens, quick and easy stir-fry, plenty of variations on flatbread pizza, and just a few waffles. It also marked my foray into vegetarian eating with my own veggie burger recipe and a surprisingly good dairy free ice cream. There was also plenty of wine, kombucha, cheese, and of course granola. All my meals were made with fresh whole foods (nothing processed or packaged aside from my almond milk and peanut butter), came together quickly, and made enough for me to eat for days. I’d say it’s a pretty good start and I’m looking forward to continuing the challenge next month.

I’m hoping to cut the spending down even more in July now that my “pantry” is established… any extra money in the budget heads straight towards student loan payments!

What’s your favorite budget friendly meal? Any good resources for re-using leftovers?

This post is linked with Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday at Peas and Crayons and Ruth’s Thrifty Thursday at Living Well Spending Less.

Dairy Free Berry “Ice Cream”

The last few days have been CrAzY! I’m already loving both of my new jobs, I have great co-workers, awesome kiddos,  a super relaxed dress code… but even with that there is no denying that it has been hot, hot, HOT. There is no doubt about it summer has officially arrived in Chicago.

Which is the perfect excuse to cool off with some ice cream, right?

I was messing around with some leftover fruits, making a smoothie as usual, when I thought about what might happen if I put the whole mess in the freezer. Apparently if you give it a few hours and a little attention, the answer is ice cream… Can I call it ice cream if there isn’t any milk? Whatever I’m calling it ice cream 🙂

 

Dairy Free Berry “Ice Cream” 

Makes: 4 servings

Time: 5 minutes hands on, 2-3 hours in the freezer

Ingredients 

1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen), washed and chopped

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), washed

8 oz (one can) regular coconut milk

Combine strawberries, blueberries, and coconut milk in a blender. Blend on high 1-2 minutes until fully incorporated. Transfer mixture to a flat container and place in the freezer. Give it a stir every 30(ish) minutes until desired consistency is reached. *Mine was ice cream solid in 2 1/2 hours*

Quick, easy, and perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day! You could easily customize this to any fruits you have on hand or any other flavor combinations you like (I’m already thinking tropical for my next batch.)   

I’m sharing this quick and easy treat with The Novice Gardener’s Fiesta Friday and Hun What’s for Dinner’s Simple Supper Tuesday.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Does it feel like summer by you yet?  

Slices of Life #4

I start my grown up job today (and I may be more than just a little excited)!! I’m incredibly blessed that all my licensure worked itself out in time and I can start my first day of summer school on a good foot. I also get to meet my new ABA client at job number two this evening (because working just one job clearly isn’t enough for me). But while I’m off doing that I figured I’d leave you with a little recap of the past week, with another round of Slices of Life.

 The Eats

Lots of smoothies, stir-fry, and veggie burgers for me. I actually spent the last two weeks eating fully vegetarian until I went home for Fathers Day and we made my dad barbecue chicken…a girls gotta have some balance, right? I also found…

A Gluten Free Bread that looks like real bread- I can’t wait to try this recipe from The Non-Dairy Queen (Thanks to Lindsay for sharing the recipe).

A delicious Green Smoothie recipe and a fun contest from The Gluten Free Treadmill.

The Exercise

I already mentioned the last week was filled with puppy love, which included lots of walks. But it also included two 4-mile runs and my first time running on something besides the sidewalk. My legs definitely felt like jelly going through the grass and up the smallest of hills, but the view of the lake by my new place was totally worth it! Speaking of new places…

The Life

I’m officially, officially all moved in with the BF (and his mom) now. No take backs 😉 He may have commandeered majority of the dresser drawers and closet space, but I think we managed to blend our stuff together pretty well. I particularly love my little “kitchen” which is basically our mini fridge filled with my CSA share and a shelf for all the rest of my food supplies (thankfully we were able to make room for my giant blender in the actual kitchen!).

As for the rest of the life I got my first CSA share of the season and I’m definitely looking forward to the next 8! This one was loaded with greens including a new to me veggie kohlrabi, Meghan assures me it’s tasty just about any way you cook it though I haven’t tried it out yet. I also went back down to visit my parents (which seems weird since I haven’t been gone that long) but we had to do a little something for Fathers Day. I know everyone thinks they have the best dad ever but unless you’re my long lost sibling I hate to tell you you’re wrong. My dad is an amazing man who works so hard to care for our family and I was glad to go enjoy another family dinner (love you dad!). As far as links go this week I found:

A dose of reality from Katherine the Peanut Butter Lover.

A thought provoking post from Olive to Run- still don’t know if I have good answers but I love her for asking the questions .

A hilariously awesome book recommendation (and a serious case for berry envy) from Jenn at Peas and Crayons

Whats the best link you found in the last week? Anyone else out there who works multiple jobs? 

Black Bean Burgers

I may be way behind on this food trend, but Veggie Burgers are amazing! We made chickpea based ones a few times at my house, and I was totally excited to try out this triple bean version from Peas and Crayons since pretty much everything I make from Jenn is amazing.

That being said when I sat down to make some for myself last week I didn’t have like half the ingredients… story of my life. The result was a burger very loosely based on Jenn’s which taught me that veggie burger recipes are surprisingly adaptable.  And for someone who is really bad at fooling a recipe that’s a very good thing.

These are surprisingly burger like in texture and stayed surprisingly juicy once cooked up. I wasn’t able to convince BF to try one, though he admitted they smelled delicious, but the puppy was all over me trying to get a bite 🙂

Black Bean Burgers- adapted from Peas and Crayons 

Makes: 8-10 burgers depending on size

Time: 30 minutes (plus 30+ minutes of chill time)

30 oz (2 cans) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 flax eggs (1 TBSP flax + 3 TBSP water)
2 1/2 cups of rolled oats (GF if needed)
3 TBSP olive oil, plus more for cooking
salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste

Combine flax meal and water in a small bowl and allow to sit for 5 minutes. In a blender/food processor combine black beans, chopped pepper and onion, and oats. Pulse 3-4 times just to break everything down together. Pour mixture into a large bowl and add in flax eggs and 3 TBSP of olive oil. Use your hands (this part gets messy) to combine wet and dry ingredients and then form into patties. You want to pack the patties together pretty tight to make sure they hold together during cooking.

Allow the patties to rest in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before cooking so they firm up. To cook heat a small amount of oil in a skillet and fry  burgers for 3-5 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Cooked burgers keep in the fridge for about a week and work best if reheated in a skillet. You can freeze the uncooked patties to cook at a later time, just give them a chance to thaw out first.

 

Linking up with Gluten Free Friday at Vegetarian Mamma and Fiesta Friday at The Novice Gardener . Be sure to stop by the parties to check out other fresh and healthy eats!

Mediterranean Grilled Pizza

I have a thing for hummus. A big thing. We’re talking I can’t buy a package at the store and not eat it all in a day kind of thing. What can I say whether it’s on veggies, chips, spoons, or fingers I just can’t stop. You know what else hummus is good on? Pizza. 

 

What could be better than a chewy, gluten free, flatbread crust cooked fresh on the grill. Said crust slathered in hummus and covered with veggies sounds like a good option to me. This has all the flavors of a greek salad, piled high on a bed of garlicky hummus, and quickly grilled for summertime perfection.

 

To make a pizza crust I typically use King Arthur or Namaste pizza crust mixes, according to package directions. I like to make enough for 4 thin, 6-inch crusts, pre-bake them for half the recommended time, and then freeze the ones I’m not using for a quick dinner at a late time (I’ve kept them in a freezer bag for up to a month). They can go straight from the freezer to the oven of the grill.

 

 

Mediterranean Grilled Pizza 

Makes 2, 6-inch pizzas

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

2 Gluten Free Pizza crusts (a pita or a naan flatbread would work well too)

1/2 cup hummus (I’ve been loving this one from Annie’s Eats lately)

1 small tomato, diced

1/2 cucumber, diced

1/4 red onion thinly sliced or diced

4-6 kalamata olives, sliced

2 oz Feta Cheese, crumbled

Preheat your grill to medium heat, and make sure your racks are clean! Place crusts on grill for two minutes on one side. Remove from heat and spread hummus evenly over the grilled side of each crust. Return to grill for another two minutes to cook other side. When crust is brown and crispy around the edges remove from heat and top evenly with veggies and crumbled cheese. Serve immediately.

The nice thing about pizza is it is so easy to customize. I don’t like olives or onions, so I didn’t put any on mine (even if they’re traditional in Greek salad). Feel free to throw on whatever veggies/cheese you like, it’s really all about the grilled crust and the melty hummus anyways 😉

Do you like grilled pizza? What’s your favorite summer pizza topping?

Linking up with Gluten Free Friday at Vegetarian Mamma and Fiesta Friday at The Novice Gardener  because who doesn’t love pizza to get the weekend started?!

Fluffy Gluten Free Waffles

You’d think with this sudden influx of spare time post-graduation I’d be a better blogger…. it’s been one of those weeks where stacks of books have been calling my name and piles of life are begging to be organized. It’s also been one of those weeks where I’ve been largely unplugged. Minimal Instagram, Netflix, and yes blogging has been a nice change of pace though I’m starting to miss you guys.

At least I came back with a treat? 

These waffles have been a long time coming here (seriously I think it’s been about a month) but I promise they’re worth the wait. They are light and crispy, taste delicious on their own or covered in strawberries and butter and syrup. They also freeze beautifully which was great when I was stretched for time in the mornings before my medical placement, seriously just pull one from the freezer and pop it in the toaster, they’re as easy as Ego’s.

Fluffy Gluten Free Waffles

Makes: 10-12 medium waffles

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour (I’m loving Namaste brand right now)

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey

1 tablespoon coconut oil (or olive oil or whatever you have in your pantry)

3/4 cup almond milk

1/4-1/2 cup water* 

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Turn your waffle iron on to preheat. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Add in oil and egg and stir to combine. Add in milk of your choice. *At this point you may need to add 1/4+ of water depending on your flour blend and the milk you choose, the batter will be thick enough to drop by spoonfuls into the waffle iron*

Add 1/4 cup of batter to your waffle iron and cook until your desired level of doneness- mine takes about 4 minutes- serve warm with desired toppings. If you want to freeze, allow to cool fully before placing in a freezer bag. You can then reheat in the toaster as desired.

 

 

What’s your favorite waffle topping? 

Strawberry Spinach Smoothie

One of the (many) things I’m not loving about my medical placement is how much it has killed my appetite. My supervisor is fantastic and I’m enjoying working with some of the patients (even when they call me names). But if feeding people who are no longer able to do so themselves wasn’t enough to kill my appetite the smell in the place surely is…

I was already used to a “grab and go” lunch schedule from when I worked in the schools, but since starting here I’ve dropped from grab and go to go go go with no time or desire to stop for lunch. Which means a BIG breakfast is key for keeping me on my feet all day.

The BF got me a blender with this awesome single serve attachment for our anniversary this year, and now that it’s finally stopped snowing around here I’ve been drinking my breakfast like nobody’s business.

I like a smoothie that packs a punch in terms of flavor, and has enough in it to actually count as a meal (or in my case two). A combination of fruits and greens does just that, with some chia seeds for an added boost.

And of course it wouldn’t count as breakfast in my book if I didn’t add some tea in (though no worries there’s a mug on the side as well) 😉

Strawberry Spinach Smoothie

Serves: 1

Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

1 small, ripe, banana

1 cup spinach leaves

5-6 strawberries (add more if your berries are small)

1 TBSP Chia Seeds (1 TBSP flax seeds OR 1/4 oatmeal would add a good boost too)

1 cup Ginger tea (or 1 TBSP fresh ginger and 1 cup water)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. Can be made the night before if stored in an airtight container.

What’s your favorite thing to make in a blender?

What’s something that totally kills your appetite? 

Chopped Kitchen Challenge: Spring Green Risotto

Normally spring has people thinking of fresh, light, foods. But then there’s spring in Chicago where I woke up this week to snow on the ground… I mean seriously it’s almost April. That being said I had something a little warmer in mind when putting together the ingredients for this month’s Chopped Kitchen Challenge.

The ingredients for this month were Artichokes, Leeks, Garlic, and Olive Oil. Seasonal, savory, and perfect for mixing with wine and cheese to make a big batch of creamy, cozy, risotto.

This was my first time ever cleaning/cooking artichokes, and I may or may not have had to go through a few youtube tutorials to make sure that the parts I was using were edible. Surprisingly everything came out and even the BF liked it, though he said it would be better with some bacon 😉

Spring Green Risotto

Serves 4 dinner portions, 6 side portions

35-40 minutes

2 leeks, green and white parts thinly sliced

2 Artichokes, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine, optional just use more water/broth if desired

3-4 cups water, veggie broth, or a combination of both

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for topping

Put your broth or water in a small sauce pot and heat to a simmer. Slice the leeks and artichokes and mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add in the leeks and artichokes. Sautee for 3-5 minutes until tender, add garlic, and rice and saute for another minute until garlic is fragrant. Add in wine (if using) and stir to get the brown bits up off the bottom of the pan.

Add in 1/2 cup warm water/broth and stir to combine. Let the risotto simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is almost absorbed before adding another 1/2 cup of warm liquid. Continue for 20-25 minutes until rice is al dente and creamy. Stir in the parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm (it loses the creaminess as it cools) topped with extra cheese as desired.

Have you ever cooked with artichokes before? What do you do when preparing an ingredient you’re unfamiliar with?

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