Project 290: Roasted Ceci Beans

Most people know ceci beans as chickpeas or garbanzo beans. Growing up in my Italian family, ceci beans was the only term we ever used. Pronounced CHEE-gee or CHAY-gee by my relatives, the g is soft like in George. Ceci beans are one of my favorite foods and I'm always looking for excuses to eat them.

Over the last couple of years I've come across several Internet recipes for roasting them and all are basically the same; toss the ceci beans with oil and salt and any other of your favorites spices then roast until they are as brown and as crisp as you like. Easy.

For this batch I took one can of ceci beans, drained, rinsed, drained again and patted dry while the oven heated to 350 degrees. I used a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, homemade sambar powder, and homemade garam masala and tossed to coat. I poured these out onto a rimmed cookie sheet and roasted for about 45 minutes. A couple of times I removed the cookie sheet and shook it a bit to let the ceci roll around before I returned it to the oven.

This snack is very versatile and you are only limited by your imagination of herb and spice combinations. Great to take on hikes. Makes a great party snack. Best part is that cegi beans are wonderfully healthy. Make some soon and let me know what flavor combinations you use.

Sprouted Chickpea Patties

It was one of those situations in which you are so busy creating something (because you are so hungry) that you pay little attention to how it all happened. But I think I got the basic idea recorded below. If you are open to experimentation with veggie patties, give it a try. Basically, I cooked up some veggies, added lots of seasonings and flavor, and added it to the sprouted chickpeas. I used egg and cheese as a binder and formed patties. So here is what I did:

I started by sprouting chickpeas. The method is the same for when I sprouted lentils. While the chickpeas were sprouting, I gave little thought to what I would make. I just knew I had a taste for chickpeas. A few days later, once I had chickpea sprouts, I grabbed an onion, several garlic cloves, mushrooms, and a bunch of spices and started cooking.

In extra virgin olive oil I sauteed the garlic, onions, and mushrooms until the mushrooms gave off their juices and then the juices evaporated. A heavy dose of salt and pepper and crushed red pepper and homemade sambar powder too. Chickpeas absorb seasonings at an alarming rate so don't be afraid.

I then tossed in all of the sprouted chickpeas and let these cook for about ten minutes. Not completely cooked but not raw. The whole mix then went into the food processor and I pulsed it until it was well combined but still had chunks of chickpeas. Into a large bowl I gently beat two eggs. I added shredded mozzarella and parmesan then the chickpea mix and combined.

I formed patties and dusted them in breadcrumbs then fried them in a thin film of olive oil in a non-stick pan. Dressed like a burger on a toasted bun with ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, onions, and cheese it was delicious. Savory and nutty and very filling.

Sprouting Chickpeas

Another batch of sprouts is under way. First step, a long soak. Must have patience.

Spicy Chickpeas with Yogurt Sauce

Chickpeas, or ceci beans, as my family calls them, are one of my all-time favorite foods. Healthy, tasty, versatile, and cheap. I've stopped buying canned chickpeas. Why spend even $.99 per can when I can buy the dried beans in bulk for $.79/lb. and not have to recycle the cans? I can also control the sodium levels.

To prepare dried chickpeas, soak the beans overnight then cook the next day. Before cooking, drain and rinse the beans then put them in a pot and cover with a couple of inches of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until they are tender. Remove any foam that forms while the beans are cooking. Cooking can take 40 minutes to an hour but I've never had to cook them an hour. One cup of dried beans results in about three cups cooked.

Once they are cooked you can use them any number of ways. Make hummus or falafel. Make chickpea patties. Add them to salads and soups and stews. Then again, you don't have to cook them at all if you are trying a raw food recipe. You can also sprout them using the same technique I used for sprouting lentils and then use them any way you like.

I had a taste for Indian food and there are many Indian recipes that call for chickpeas. I used ideas from many dishes I've tried and just started cooking, grabbing things left and right. After it was done, I had to sit and contemplate how I did it so I could share it with you. So here is the "recipe" as I remember it. It was delicious and filling. It was Summertime comfort food.

3 cups cooked chickpeas
1 onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 1/2 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp cumin seed
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp spicy cilantro-garlic paste
juice of half a lime
seeds of one cardamom pod, crushed
small handful dried curry leaves
pinch asafoetida
salt to taste
water to thin to desired consistency

Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and quickly fry until they sputter. Add asafoetida, turmeric, onions, and carrot and cook for about five minutes, keeping the mix moving in the pan. Add spicy cilantro-garlic paste, crushed cardamom seeds, and tomato paste and combine. Add 2 tablespoons of water to incorporate the tomato paste. Lower the heat a bit and add the chickpeas and cook for several minutes. The moisture will evaporate and you will have a "dry curry" in your pan. Add the garam masala, salt to taste, red pepper flakes, dried curry leaves and the juice of half a lime and combine. Then add the yogurt and combine. Add enough water to reach the consistency you like, keeping in mind that the whole mix will thicken a bit as it cooks and then some more as it sits in the skillet. Let this simmer for just a few minutes to let all the flavors blend then serve hot. Your kitchen will smell wonderful, full of many layers of spices.

I served this with basmati-coconut rice. I call it coconut rice because for half the cooking liquid I used roasted coconut juice. Adds a subtle sweetness and coconut flavor with a few bits of diced coconut too.

There's Always Room for Hummus

Hummus is quick, easy, healthy, delicious. I can make a batch in 10 minutes. OK, so that might be five minutes longer than a traditional hummus but I like to take a couple of extra steps. And I don't use all of the traditional ingredients. I used the following ingredients for this batch:

• 1 can chickpeas, drained of half the liquid
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (more is optional)
• half a large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
• 1 tsp sambar powder
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• salt to taste

I gently saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil for about 8 mins. Sometimes raw garlic and onion can be too strong and I like my hummus mild in that regard. I don't care for tahini so I don't use it. I don't need to brown the onions and garlic but if that happens that's tasty too. I season this with sambar powder, crushed red pepper, allspice and salt. This plus the chickpeas and half the can of liquid goes into the food processor until the desired consistency is reached. You can add more oil if you like it silkier or even water.

I ate this with a stack of carrot sticks but it certainly goes with dozens of things. In a pita, in a tortilla, with crackers, on toast, as a dip, as a sandwich spread...

Spicy Chickpeas with Swiss Chard

This dish was born from necessity but perfected by accident. I needed to use an already started can of chickpeas and some swiss chard that had begun to wear out its welcome in the crisper. I accidentally added way more crushed red pepper than I normally think I can handle. See, that little plastic cap with the holes in it that comes on most bottles of spices needs to be replaced if ever removed. Yes, well, on the one hand I learned that lesson the hard way but on the other hand, what a deliciously spicy lesson to learn.

This dish is really easy, comes together quickly and is packed with flavor - not to mention fiber, protein, and folate from the chickpeas, and all the wonderful vitamins in swiss chard.

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 bunch swiss chard
1/2-1 cup water
1/2 large onion, sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
crushed red pepper flakes
salt
pinch ground cumin

Rinse and drain the chickpeas and set aside. Wash the swiss chard and shake off all the excess water. The stems are perfectly edible but sometimes the thickest part is jut too fibrous so remove it. Also remove any weirdness on the chard - dark parts, wilted parts, etc. Chop coarsely and leave in a large strainer to continue drip drying.

Over medium-high heat saute your onions and garlic until they are soft. You don't need them to brown so the first sign of color is your clue to add the chickpeas, coarse salt and a pinch of cumin. At this point you should also add a healthy sprinkling of crushed red pepper. Challenge yourself to see how much heat you can take. For me I had no choice but once I tasted the results I only wanted to eat more of this dish in spite of my tingling lips. Cook this for just a minute or so then add the chard. Use a pair of tongs to grab and lift and turn the chard in order to coat all of it in the oil and juices of the cooking veggies. I like for the chard to cook for about a minute and then add water, starting with half of a cup. Cover the pan and reduce the heat and simmer.

Check it in five minutes and add a bit more water if needed. I cook mine for about 10 minutes unless the stalks are really thick. I like the stalks to have a slight crunch. Just test things as you go. Once the texture of the chard is to your liking, you're done. Fill a bowl and have at it. You might even find that it isn't spicy enough!

Leftover Somethings

I hate wasting food. I believe there is an obligation to plan well and use the food I buy and grow. So I don't at all mind leftovers. I love them and I love finding ways to refreshen the ingredients to create a whole new dish.

What to do with left over canned garbanzo beans and left over cooked oatmeal? Experiment, of course.

I opened the can of garbanzo beans for a salad. They keep well enough in the fridge for a while. I made oatmeal for breakfast a few days ago. I don't mean instant, I mean real oatmeal that you buy in bulk and cook on the stove. Nope, not quick cook either. It took a whole 5 minutes, this did. Whew! Saved myself alot of time on that choice. Anyway, what would I do with these two items that were taunting me every time I opened the fridge? Well, I knew it would be something savory and I knew it would be a patty or a ball or something along those lines. I took the basic idea from the Lentil Patties and went from there.

While a cup of red lentils were cooking, I blended the leftover oatmeal and garbanzo beans in the food processor.

I diced a large onion and a large carrot and sauteed in olive oil. To this I added the rest of the toasted and ground panch phoron from the dal and a healthy dose of ground cumin, some garlic powder and salt. Into this I added some roughly chopped almonds. Once the veggies were cooked to my liking, I added the blended oatmeal-garbanzo mixture to the pan and mashed it up to combine. Then it all went into the food processor until blended. I could have blended slightly less. Next time. I put the mixture into the fridge for a while to firm up so it would be easier to handle.

I cooked this lentil-bean-oatmeal mix in two different ways. First, I sprayed a muffin tin with cooking spray and filled each space with lentil-bean-oatmeal mix. Then I baked it until the tops were a nice shade of brown. I've had success with this method when cooking falafel, a mixture of similar texture. Much lighter and healthier than deep frying. The lentil-bean-oatmeal mix didn't get terribly firm but after a night in the fridge they did. Still not firm like a burger but they held the muffin shape nicely. I wrapped these and froze them for the future. Upon thawing a batch, I noticed that they retained their shape but as soon as you touched them with a fork they were soft. Still, they tasted great. A great fiber and protein source for a vegetarian wrap. Slather a couple of these "muffins" on a tortilla and dress like you would a burrito. Really tasty.

The other method of cooking was to lightly oil my hands, form patties, lightly dust with breadcrumbs then pan fry in just enough olive oil to moisten the pan. This worked just fine. Again, not as firm as the lentil patties. But so delicious. Hell, you don't have to form shapes or patties at all. You could use it as tortilla filler form the get-go or use like hummus. Get creative. Waste less.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus is so easy to make and it lends itself to just about any flavors and ingredients you'd like to add. I should say right off that I do not include tahini in my hummus. I realize that tahini is an essential ingredient in traditional hummus but I've never been a big fan. I don't care for the slight bitter taste. And if I don't care so much for the taste, I'd rather not add the calories (100 calories per tablespoon!).

I like to flavor my hummus with onion and garlic and olive oil for starters. But I saute these items. The raw versions can be too strong. I can have more garlic and onions if they are sauteed. In this batch I added roasted red and orange pepper. Roasting peppers is easy. If you have a gas range you can simply hold them over the flame with a pair of tongs and char all sides. Or you can put them under the broiler, which is what I do. If you have a charcoal grill, throw on a couple peppers once your cooking is done. Don't waste that heat. While you are eating whatever it was you grilled, your peppers are slowly roasting. I do this with heads of garlic and onions too if I've got hot coals. Once the peppers cool, rub off the skin. Do not rinse the peppers - you will rinse off the flavor.

I saute the onion and garlic in a fair amount of olive oil slowly over a medium heat. I don't necessarily need them to brown but I do want them cooked. I season this mix heavily with salt and any other spices I'm in the mood for (cumin, chili, cardamom, ginger, garam masala, fenugreek, etc.) Keep in mind that garbanzo beans really soak up seasoning so don't be shy.

Into the food processor goes 2 cans of canned garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed) and the sauteed items and the roasted peppers. Process to the desired consistency. You can also thin with water or more olive oil if the mix is too thick. Season to taste with coarse salt. Eat with chopped veggies, pita, tortilla chips, or a spoon. Just eat!
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