Chana Palak (Spicy Chickpeas and Spinach)

I used to get harassed about the distinction among chana saag and chana palak. The commonplace factors are chickpeas, split or entire, and leafy vegetables. As it turns out, palak way spinach, while saag can imply any leafy green, such as spinach however also mustard veggies, kale, fenugreek leaves or whatever suits your fancy.

No count number the veggies you choose to consist of, this classic North Indian dish deserves to be served up frequently. The creaminess of silky spinach and coconut milk embraces the plump buttery chickpeas and the variety of spices used to aromatically beautify the revel in. It's a costly dish that is however not overly spicy nor too rich. Serve up with brown rice for a unique earthy and nourishing meal, or together with your favored flat breads.

Other chickpea vegetable dishes to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Spicy Sour Chickpea Masala

Chickpeas in a Creamy Coconut Tamarind Gravy

Kashmiri Chickpeas with Mushrooms

Chickpea and Paneer Tomato Curry

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Teff Cookies

Teff is one of the smallest and oldest recognized grains in the world, and it sure is one of the mightiest. Native to Ethiopia, teff is utilized in a huge kind of ways, exciting simply cooked up as is right into a porridge, fashioned into savory desserts, integrated into soups, or ground into a flour and made into spongy injera breads to be served up with numerous legume and vegetable dishes ? Or, as in this case, as a characteristic of sweeter creations. Teff is also an extremely good source of dietary fiber, iron, calcium and protein.

This is my first time baking with teff flour, and it surely may not be the ultimate. Here, teff flour is the superstar in those gluten-free vegan-friendly cookies which are now my new declared favorite peanut butter cookie. I know I've made this declaration earlier than, however I've made a few batches of these teff and peanut butter cookies already, so till the subsequent extraordinary concept comes alongside, I'm smitten. The as a substitute slight but surprisingly earthy and nutty taste of teff combines perfectly with peanut butter in those delectably gentle, wet, melt-in-your-mouth delights with chunks of divine darkish chocolate. They also manifest to be wholesome enough to experience for breakfast with a pleasant cup of espresso. Peanut butter and chocolate are actually one of these desert-island-ought to mixtures that could be tough to do without.

Note: Teff flour can be difficult to find at regular grocery stores but many natural food stores will carry it in the Bob's Red Mill brand which is also available online at Amazon .

Other peanut butter cookie recipes to try from Lisa's Kitchen:

Cayenne Peanut Butter Cookies

Flourless and Egg-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Raw Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites

Savory Corn Fritters {Vegan}

Paring down the cookbook cabinets has its advantages. As an awful lot as it pains me to allow cross of books, cookbooks or in any other case, so frequently the revel in is one in every of renewal and discovery. I appeared through books that I hadn't opened for some time, salvaged a few recipes from those marked for the donation pile, and controlled to make room for those that I virtually cherish. My brain turned into humming with proposal. I became discovering recipes I had nearly forgotten about, others simply waiting to be enjoyed once more, and new ideas to strive.

These savoury pancakes I rediscovered in one of the first vegetarian cookbooks that ever occupied a area on my shelf. I have tailored the recipe through the years to make it my personal, however as corn seems best from time to time at the menu, those moist, almost soften-in-your-mouth fritters hadn't been served up for a pretty a long time. Usually they had been paired with a zesty and chunky black bean and feta salsa. The corn kernels in these fritters presents a piece of a crunch, along side the grainy cornmeal, with some underlying tanginess from the sun-dried tomatoes and some heat from spices and warm chilies. Serve those up for dinner or enjoy for brunch.

Other recipes proposing corn from Lisa's Kitchen you can experience:

Corn and Green Pea Tomato Curry

Homemade Creamed Corn

Indian-Style Spicy Cream of Corn Soup

Quinoa Corn Soup

Hearty Vegetarian Beet Borscht with Lentils, Quinoa and Fresh Dill

Pretty lots each time I serve up a hearty bowl of borscht, I am again convinced it is one of the healthiest and most comforting soups to be loved all through the iciness months. However, I experience it so much that I could never refuse a bowl, regardless of the time of year.

I've organized borscht on many occasions, however this current vegetarian model of the Eastern European conventional would possibly simply be a new favourite. The robust beet is necessarily present, along side different earthy vegetables and some lentils and nutty quinoa to fill the entirety out. Dill turned into additionally a need to for it's slightly sweet and bitter taste, and protected are also beet vegetables wilted in because I changed into lucky to get a wholesome bunch on top of the beets. To hold the subject vegan, I served up every bowl with a healthful dollop of cashew cream in place of sour cream. It's definitely a meal in itself, but do serve with a few chunks of crusty bread to fill things out even extra if favored.

It's a vibrant and eye-desirable dish to behold as well and a certain way to impress your dinner guests.

Variations on a subject matter:

Beet, Barley and Black Bean Soup

Hearty Lentil Borscht

Beetroot Soup with Kidney Beans

Creamy Beet Borscht

Potato Patties Stuffed with Spiced Mushrooms and Green Peas

Potatoes are usually a nourishing and comforting choice to serve up for dinner, and whilst they are formed into heavenly patties with a mushroom and pea filling, entire with fresh dill and spices, after which baked or fried and topped with velvety tomato chutney, culinary bliss ensues. These were served up as a aspect, however surely, if that changed into all I became going to devour for my evening meal, I could were completely satisfied. Slightly crisp on the outdoor and tender inner, these succulent little bites had been stimulated via my potato patties stuffed with spiced inexperienced peas (aloo mattar tikki).

Other savory appetizers to experience from Lisa's Kitchen:

Spicy Baked Chickpea Koftas

Quinoa Potato Patties

Baked Mini Vegetable Chickpea Samosas

Savory Chana Dal Fritters with Tomatoes and Spices

Creamy Peanut Butter Chickpea & Squash Curry

Though I include nearly each legume with open palms and a hungry tummy, my pantry being a concrete overflowing testomony to that statement, if I surely needed to choose a favorite, say a wilderness island vital, I might say buttery gentle, plump, and infinitely versatile chickpeas are always a attention on the subject of meal planning.

Spice them up, mash them up, make them into hummus, little bites, even desserts, one among my latest experiments was a fusion-fashion dish that also features peanut butter for additonal protein and legume goodness.

If you have not used peanut butter in a savory dish before, you're lacking out. The texture, creaminess and protein count is unrivaled. Squash fills things out well right here, and no longer to be missed are the spices, red pepper and sprinkling of fresh cilantro and zesty lime.

Other savory dishes featuring peanut butter:

Peanut Butter Rice

Nigerian Baked Beans

Sweet Fried Plantains and Coconut-Peanut Butter Sauce

Nigerian Red Kidney Bean Stew with a Peanut Sauce

Homemade Fruit and Nut Maple Granola

There is not anything quite like home made granola as I can now assert with self assurance, having sooner or later made my own. It's not some thing I eat all that often, however it does make for a healthful treat, quick breakfast or travel along snack. Granola is especially delightful served up with an amazing assisting of almond milk or yogurt and crowned with clean berries. It's a exceptional way to enjoy a generous serving of fiber, protein and essential nutrients too.

The benefits of creating your personal granola in your personal kitchen are many. To begin with, it is much less expensive than purchasing packaged granola that too regularly include components and subtle sweeteners, which might be overly candy, and which can be sometimes rather stale tasting. In addition, it takes hardly anytime at all to put together a truthful-length batch that continues properly if stored in a nicely-sealed container for a good many weeks. Simply mix up your components and bake at a low temperature for less than an hour. Your kitchen turns into splendidly aromatic and you'll need a few nibbles earlier than the pan is even cool.

Assembling your own also means you have general manipulate of the exceptional, choice and sort of the mixture. Use something aggregate of grains, nuts, seeds and culmination and sweeteners that fit your fancy. For sweetener, I used maple syrup, a touch bit of coconut sugar, and molasses for a deep and earthy, almost smoky taste. Having a staple supply of nuts and dried end result handy makes the opportunities infinite. I will likely in no way purchase save-offered granola once more.

Vegan Morning Glory Muffins

Not every body greet the morning as an excellent event, however those desserts live as much as the promise of a wonderful morning and are sure to embellish even the most dismal awakenings. Delectably wet and spiced up like a pumpkin pie, masses of textures and flavors are present in these multi-layered bites of goodness. Nutty undertones mingle with the fragrant spices, at the same time as the herbal sweetness of the fruit and pumpkin tantalizes the palate in a gentle and soothing way. Walnuts upload a chunk of crunch to finish the experience. Each small chunk is a pleasure. Serving one up with a cup of tea or espresso is a wholesome way to begin your morning or revel in for a morning or afternoon snack.

Complimented by way of nutty undertones and herbal sweetness from the fruit, these beauties are wet with a piece of earthy crunch from walnuts, natural sweetness from pineapple, apple, raisins and coconut.

Other muffin recipes to experience from Lisa's Kitchen:

Classic Blueberry Muffins

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Muffins

Spiced Pear Muffins

Savory Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

Creamy Chickpea Flour Peanut Butter Maple Fudge

It seems each time a try a different approach to vegan-friendly fudge, I declare that a new favorite has been born. I used to think dairy was pretty essential to a rich and decadent fudge, but I've since discovered otherwise. In fact, this chickpea flour fudge is reminiscent of maple fudge — the richness comes from the addition of coconut butter and oil and the maple syrup. However, it's nearly guilt-free, because everything in there is good for you and more forgiving to your waistline. You really only need a small piece to satisfy that craving for the richness that sometimes only a piece of fudge will satisfy.

Other vegan-friendly fudge recipes to try:

Raw Peanut Butter Fudge

Raw Peanut and Coconut Butter Fudge

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Cocoa Fudge

No-Bake Coconut Oil Fudge

Spicy Brown Lentil Soup with Broccoli

The temperatures are slowly rising, the birds are chirping, and there are even signs and symptoms of wildflowers beginning to bloom in the outdoor. All the identical, soup nevertheless makes frequent appearances on my desk and soups are even higher when paired with salads, so you get the nice of both worlds. Lentils characteristic so nicely in soups and broccoli adds vegetable goodness to a spicy and aromatic broth. Nourishing and warming, and virtually smooth to put together, this might come to be a fave soup to grace your tables too.

Other dishes offering broccoli you could revel in from Lisa's Kitchen:

Lemony Pasta with Broccoli and Chickpeas

Roasted Broccoli with Miso-Tahini-Tamari Sauce

Vegan Cauliflower and Broccoli Mornay

Broccoli and Chickpea Rice Salad

This is my contribution to Meat Free Mondays hosted weekly by my desirable friend Jacqueline and also Eat Your Greens, a month-to-month occasion alternately host through Shaheen of Allotment 2 Kitchen and The Veg Hog. Shaheen is web hosting for March.

My Legume Love Affair #105 - March 2017

I'm thrilled another time to be website hosting My Legume Love Affair. This ongoing event changed into started by lovely Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook, and surpassed over to me to administer. Great thank you for the aid different bloggers have shown with the aid of sharing recipes and guest website hosting.

Legumes are a mainstay of my vegetarian food plan and I by no means tire of locating new thoughts.

To be part of in the fun, all you need to do is prepare a legume-centric dish. Link back to this declaration, my blog and also Susan's blog, as she is the original founding father of the event. Share your introduction the use of the linky tool on the end of this submit by using the give up of the month. Use of the lovable logo, designed by way of Susan, is non-obligatory, however favored.

Only one access in step with blogger please and it ought to be vegetarian. Recipes from files will simplest be generic if reposted and up to date with the hyperlinks required.

For your dish to be protected within the roundup, it should comprise extra than only a few tablespoons of legumes. The moderate exception to this are legumes such as fenugreek or tamarind that typically are utilized in smaller quantities. Fresh or dried beans, lentils, pulses, and the every now and then safe to eat pods that comprise those seeds, and by-product merchandise including tofu or besan, at the side of fenugreek, carob, and peanuts are all proper. The possibilities are endless. Please just ensure that your shining aspect is in reality a member of the legume circle of relatives. All sorts of cuisines and publications are welcome, that means appetizers, sides, mains and cakes are all appropriate so long as the effective legume is the important thing element.

I stay up for your creations. And as always, if you would be inquisitive about visitor web hosting this event, please permit me understand. I have spots for this yr open.

Apricot Almond Energy Bites

Raw strength nibbles are often accessible in my kitchen. Easy to make up, all varieties of varieties and combinations can be used to make up healthy bites that make for a terrific accompaniment to breakfast or for a snack while a little burst of strength is wanted. Dried fruits, nuts and seeds are always a very good choice, and all three characteristic in this easy and forgiving recipe.

Since I discover myself munching on dried apricots frequently all through the day, along with small handfuls of almonds, I determined to mix the two. I introduced a few orange juice for a diffused citrus-y undertone the enhances the nutty sweetness of the alternative components. I could not face up to including some satisfactory darkish chocolate into the mixture too.

Other uncooked power bites from Lisa's Kitchen:

No-Bake Almond and Cocoa Cherry Energy Bites

Raw Peanut Butter Fudge

No-Bake Peanut Butter and Cocoa Fudge

Raw Peanut Butter Cocoa Maple Squares

My Legume Love Affair #105 roundup

It changed into my flip to host MLLA for March. This month I best have a short roundup to exhibit, however the recipes are all really worth thinking about. I'm always seeking out guest hosts, so please do ship me a message if you would like to host. I've spots for this yr open. Thanks to anyone who participated this time around.

Fennel and Chickpea Curry

submitted through The VegHog. Chickpeas star right here with onion, garlic, chilies, pink carrots, fennel, garam masala, turmeric and coconut cream. Serve with rice and you have a nourishing and entire vegetarian meal.

Slow Cooker Miso Molasses Baked Beans

from Janet of The Taste Space. I've a weakness for baked beans and these ones are made in a gradual cooker and feature military beans, miso, molasses, cider vinegar, tamari, mustard, garlic, ginger and paprika. Serve with some toast or in case you please Jamaican patties, roasted candy potato and a Chinese candy and sour sauce and you are in for a exceptional meal.

Black Kale and Chickpea Pot Pies

from Shaheen of Allotment 2 Kitchen. Another issue I have been craving is pot pie. This superb creation all wrapped up in puff pastry is made up of onion, garlic, celery, carrots, black kale, chestnut mushrooms and chickpeas. Bake and experience.

Creamy Chickpea Flour Peanut Butter Maple Fudge

is my contribution this time round. It's vegan and is made with chickpea flour, peanut butter, coconut butter and oil, maple syrup, some coconut sugar, cardamon, vanilla and toasted sesame seeds. I without a doubt assume this is the nice fudge I actually have ever made.

Ali of Fix Me a Little Lunch is web hosting for April. Do check her publish to join inside the fun.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Many folks would possibly feel the want for a protein enhance from time to time to boost our energy or reserves. Protein bars are an easy and green way to get this improve, however if you're like me you might discover no longer most effective that store-offered protein bars are highly-priced but that most of them do not surely taste all that outstanding ? Kinda funny, in truth, even though the extraordinary flavor is tolerable.

So I decided that there was nothing stopping me from making my own protein bars, with the help of an idea from my copy of Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook by Camilla V. Saulsbury. Like a great many of the store-bought protein bars, these homemade bars feature the classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter — with the much added benefit of being able to control the quality of all the ingredients that go into your protein bar. Moreover, these homemade chocolate and peanut butter protein bars coated with an extra layer of peanut butter and coconut oil are soft and smooth like a frosted brownie. They're tasty enough that you'll be inclined to eat them whether you feel the need for a protein boost or not!

Aside from all the correct first-rate elements giving those protein bars a taste enhance, each four-inch bar provides 16 grams of protein ? As excellent as or even higher than most of the shop-sold bars.

Other peanut butter treats to experience from my kitchen:

Raw Peanut Butter Cocoa Maple Squares

Raw Peanut Butter Fudge

Cayenne Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites

How to Freeze Grapes

For folks who adore fruit, frozen grapes are pretty a deal with. Slightly more impregnable at the outdoor than the flesh beneath the skin, the grapes keep a crunchy texture with the added bonus of an additional burst of sweetness and kick back ? Snacking on a few of those is like having more than one bites of refreshing sorbet on a heat summer day. A snap to prepare, frozen grapes maintain nicely for an amazing few months in a sealed bag. Not most effective are frozen grapes a sweet standalone snack or function on an appetizer plate, they also happen to be a delicious addition to smoothies. Be certain to serve a few up in yogurt or a bowl of granola. You many also want to bear in mind the usage of frozen grapes in recipes calling for frozen berries and end result.

Sun-Dried Tomato Coconut Quinoa and Bean Burgers

Creating and making distinct dishes stimulates the innovative part of me and continues me interested in working inside the kitchen. We all have to devour to survive, and that being so, it is useful to consciousness, keeping a fantastic and open thoughts while making plans and imposing food for the week. Why should not we be aware of the gasoline that nourishes our frame?

My husband fortunately lets me run with the menu and that fits me fine because I can serve up anything I so take place to preference. Having control over the pleasant of the elements used, with an eye fixed to variety and substance, a curious cook dinner has the electricity to create dishes which might be advanced to the ones observed outside of ones very own kitchen.

In the temper for a wrap or substantial sandwich, I came up with but some other recipe for grain and legume burgers that were no longer simplest scrumptious however essentially shaped a whole and balanced meal via themselves. Cooked quinoa, pink beans and pumpkin pur?E flavored with sun-dried tomatoes and coconut and seasoned with spices, all rolled up collectively and baked into healthy and nourishing patties that I served with tomato and avocado slices on English desserts with a side of creamy coleslaw ? Those burgers had been a success and left my diners absolutely glad.

These burgers are flexible enough to serve over any bun or bread of your choice ? Or, if you're within the mood for even healthier dining, over a mattress of gently dressed veggies ? And with any condiment or salsa which you like.

Other vegetarian burgers and patties to experience from Lisa's Kitchen:

Chickpea Quinoa Vegetable Burgers

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Patties with Avocado and Tomato Salsa

Red Lentil, Chickpea and Millet Patties

Chickpea Quinoa Pumpkin Patties

South Indian Squash Poriyal

Poriyals or palyas are spicy South Indian saut?Ed vegetable dishes, pretty frequently featuring grated coconut. They are smooth to prepare and an excellent choice for a meal calling out for a aspect vegetable dish. This poriyal is particularly easy to make and delightfully sweet and highly spiced. I went with acorn squash for this dish, but any wintry weather squash might work equally as nicely. Consider the usage of pumpkin chunks when it is available regionally.

Other poriyals from Lisa's Kitchen:

Green Bean Poriyal

Cabbage Poriyal

Stuffed Eggplant Poriyal

Chickpea Mixed Vegetable Poriyal

Creamy Spinach with Mung Beans

The sparkling and healthful taste of green mung beans changed into one of the super revelations to me when I started out cooking Indian vegetarian meals greater than a long time in the past. Light, refreshing, nourishing and barely starchy in taste, mung beans are a colourful and delicious platform for dry curries using spices, ginger, coconut and vegetables. The truth that they cook dinner up more fast than most whole beans is an advantage for cooks in a hurry.

This mung bean and spinach curry makes for an smooth and mild however complete and filling scrumptious meal while served with clean cook white rice ? Or a aromatic saffron rice as I even have carried out right here. Cooked with a ginger, tomato, coconut and an assortment of spices, the curry has a complex layering of flavors that belie the simplicity of setting it together. It's a great curry to serve at any time of year.

Other recipes offering spinach to strive from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:

Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Spinach Curry with Green Peas

Saag Aloo (Spinach and Potato Curry)

Aloo Palak Paneer Pie

Spinach Pancakes with Lime Butter