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86 Vegan

Gingery Chickpeas with Carrots: Wholesome, yummy, healthy

Gingery chickpeas with carrots are wonderful! This healthy treat is a perfect combination of warm flavors: carrots + ginger, chickpeas + tomatoes, parsley + lemon zest. Ginger and lemon zest add just the right amount of flare, without overtaking. Ginger balances carrots and helps neutralize acidity of tomato sauce. Lemon zest adds a new dimension to the taste.  I use plenty of carrots and slowly simmer tomato sauce. (I use tomato sauce from a jar, for example, Rao’s tomato sauce.) For these reasons, the dish is not sour. Rather, it’s perfectly balanced.  And it is easy to make.  

Here is a brief description of the cooking process.  First, I cook pre-soaked garbanzo beans until they are soft.  (You can use the ones from a BPA-free can.)  Then I simmer onions until they are caramelized (without any sugar, of course).  After that, I add ginger and carrots and cook until soft.  Then I add my favorite mild tomato sauce (preservative- and sugar-free). I simmer the sauce for a while, until tomatoes release their natural sweetness. Lastly, I stir in and simmer parsley and zest, combine the sauce with the beans and simmer for a little longer.  And now I have a saucepan brimming with taste! My family enjoys Gingery Chickpeas with Carrots as our main plant-based meal, or a hearty side.

Note that I do not add any broth to this dish. Slowly simmered to release its natural sweetness and deepen its flavors, the sauce works magic.  Broth would only subdue the exuberant flavors.  I also recommend using dry beans rather than their canned version, because they taste much fresher.  Additionally, unlike the dry variety, canned chickpeas contain sodium. See a FoodNetwork article discussing health benefits of chickpeas. They also have fewer nutrients and an inferior taste. See a Livestrong article discussing disadvantages of canned chickpeas.

Lastly, this dish keeps well refrigerated.

Gingery chickpeas with carrots, vegan, vegetarian, tomato sauce, lemon zest, by foodjoya
Gingery chickpeas with carrots by foodjoya

Vegan • Low glycemic • Flavorful • Easy • Nutrient-dense • Sugar-free • Delicious

124 Vegan

mung bean salad: vegan delight nourishing your health

This recipe – mung bean salad – is 100% vegan and 100% easy, and keeps in the fridge surprisingly well! It also uses very few necessary ingredients (mung beans, sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, fresh mint and cilantro, and a splash of lemon juice).

Why did we choose mung beans, a legume, to make this satisfying, nourishing salad? Legumes make a great salad, and they add flavor without any unhealthy dressing. In particular, mung beans’ nutty flavor and crunchy texture work well with many unconventional flavor combinations. Here, we dress up our mung bean salad with refreshing mint and cilantro, sour-sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and a spicy pepper (optional). This way we are highlighting the natural flavor in mung beans without overpowering them. What’s more, unlike leaf-based salads, this mung bean salad can be made well in advance and leftovers keep surprisingly well! Because the flavors develop over time, this delightful salad tastes best after a a few hours in the fridge. Enjoy!

Vegan • Grain, Potato, and Nut Free • Low Glycemic • Gluten Free • Nutrient Dense • Delicious • Easy

 

126 Vegan

Japanese Sweet Potato Wedges: How to Make Them Tasty

These Japanese Sweet Potato Wedges are magically delicious. They are soft inside and slightly crispy on the outside. The wedges melt in your mouth at every bite. The mild spices create a cozy, savory flavor.

You will love that Japanese Sweet Potato Wedges are not hot. Instead, they are pleasantly seasoned with paprika and coriander (and a little cayenne). These spices both counterbalance natural sweetness and add complexity. After trying this cozy delight, you will likely bid farewell to spuds!

Did you know that Japanese sweet potatoes contain more potassium than conventional potato? According to various sources, this tuber also contains significant amount of antioxidants, minerals and natural compounds that help improve your mood and control blood glucose levels. See a popular source discussing health benefits of Japanese sweet potato. Some even claim that Japanese sweet potato is a “fountain of youth,” responsible for longer life expectancy on a Japanese island. See, e.g., a source discussing health benefits of Japanese sweet potato,  a newspaper article calling this tuber “a fountain of youth” . According to my family, this vegetable does not taste as starchy as a conventional potato. Wonderfully, even a sizable portion leaves everyone feeling light, yet keeps us satisfied for hours.

Japanese Sweet Potato Wedges by Foodjoya
Japanese Sweet Potato Wedges by Foodjoya

To maximize health benefits, I recommend that you leave skin on. You will need to wash and scrub it thoroughly, of course.

Lastly, this recipe originated in my kitchen. It’s been a go-to side for my family for over 5 years. Simply put, you cannot go wrong with this recipe.

Vegan • Gluten-free • Nutrient-dense • Delicious • Easy & Quick

104 Vegan

Warm Butternut Chickpea Salad: Destined to Be Loved!

Once you’ve tried this Warm Butternut Chickpea Salad, you will want to enjoy it over and over. This scrumptious, nourishing salad will become your easy dinner staple. If you’ve never tried butternut squash with garbanzo beans before, the perfection of their marriage will impress you. Butternut adds a beautiful hint of sweetness to chickpeas. In their turn, chickpeas add more substance and a pleasant crunch. Both of these healthy vegetables love curry, and everyone knows that cinnamon makes the best of any winter squash. The most splendid aspect of this dish is that it contains just three ingredients (butternut squash, chickpeas and olive oil) and two common spices (curry powder and cinnamon). Feel free to add greens, like cilantro or parsley, to make this dish even more nutritious.

As you will note below, the recipe asks you to dice butternut squash quite finely, in half inch cubes. To accomplish that, we used Breville Sous Chef Peel & Dice Countertop Food Processor. I strongly recommend this food processor for anyone who prepares meals at home, and enjoys cooking and eating vegetables!

Note also that we start with dry chickpeas, and for this reason the cooking time looks longer than it would have been otherwise. If you use canned chickpeas, your total cooking time will be just 50 minutes, including passive cooking time.

Nonetheless, I prefer the richer taste of freshly cooked chickpeas. Unlike the dry variety, canned chickpeas contain sodium. See a FoodNetwork article discussing health benefits of chickpeas. They also have fewer nutrients and an inferior taste. See a Livestrong article discussing disadvantages of canned chickpeas.

Lastly, the inspiration to marry butternut squash and chickpeas came from Food & Wine’s recipe by Melissa Rubel. The proportions and spices are all mine.

Vegan • Low glycemic • Flavorful • Easy • Nutrient-dense • Sugar-free • Delicious

127 Vegan

Vegan Ash: Persian Soup with Unforgettable Flavors

If food could be enlightened, what would it taste like? I surmise that enlightened food would be entirely plant-based and would derive its flavor only from wholesome herbs and gentle spices.  In other words, better nourishment would take our mother nature’s fresh gifts and transform them into a delectable dish.  This Vegan Ash is a perfect example of a better nourishment for both you and our planet. Using only fresh herbs and plant-based ingredients, this dish is rich in flavor.  Though vegan ash is light, it will leave you pleasantly satisfied.  Traditionally, this thick soup is made with lamb meatballs.   See, e.g., a Persian cuisine blog. Envisioning a planet-friendly dish, however, we enriched our vegan ash with homemade mint and walnut pesto.   Other ingredients include yellow split peas, black wild rice (it’s low in cabs and rich in antioxidants), cilantro, parsley, onion, turmeric, cinnamon and water.   While we prefer black wild rice for its nutty flavor, feel free to use your favorite rice instead.

You will note that the cooking time is nearly two hours. But don’t let this discourage you: that’s the duration of largely passive simmering. The pot brimful of Vegan Ash will quietly simmer while you work from home or enjoy the time with your loved ones. And when you are ready to have dinner, you can enjoy the freshly cooked soup!

The inspiration for our version of this soup came from Naomi Duigud’s recipe “Pomegranate Ash with Meatballs” published in Taste of Persia 107 (2016), also available on Kindle: Taste of Persia (Kindle version). If you are interested in Persian cooking, this remarkable cookbook will guide you through new cooking adventures with flavors you’ve never tasted before.

Vegan • Low glycemic • Flavorful • Easy • Nutrient-dense • Sugar-free • Delicious

 

170 Gluten-free

White Bean Kale Stew: How to Infuse This Goodness with Flavor

Looking for a bowl of comfort this season? How about a nourishing, vegetarian, gluten-free soup that requires minimum of your active time? The White Bean Kale Stew is perfect for your entire family.  Infused with fresh rosemary and parmesan rind or pieces, this stew takes white beans (cannellini) to a new level.  The stew is creamy, but without any cream (parmesan rind or pieces work magic!).  Because it’s hearty and mild,  even your kids will enjoy it.  Most amazingly, this soup simmers quietly by itself while you’re working from home or enjoying your personal time. And don’t despair if you can’t find the main ingredients at your local grocer’s nowadays. I included below a recommendation for you where to find organic cannellini beans online.

Here’s a personal tip:  When cooking beans (but not lentils) of any kind, I usually change the water twice. This step makes them easier to digest. The recipe below, however, calls for a single change of water.  If you have the time, I recommend changing the water twice and then proceeding to cook until they are soft.  

Low Glycemic • Gluten-free • Vegetarian • Nutrient-dense • Delicious • Easy