Tag: spinach

Tunisian chickpeas with sweet potatoes and greens

Tunisian chickpeas with sweet potatoes and greens

I prepared this delicious and colorful dish for supper last night and served it over quinoa. This easy to prepare dish is from “One-Dish Vegan” by Robin Robertson and is packed full of antioxidants and protein from all veggies! It is soy and gluten-free depending on what you serve it over (couscous, rice, pasta, quinoa, or warm flatbread). It took me about 30 minutes to prepare and it serves approximately 4.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil or 1/4 cup water
  • 1 medium (or half large) yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp)
  • 1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
  • 6 t0 8 cups chopped stemmed kale, spinach or chard
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
  • 2 cups of cooked quinoa, couscous, rice or pasta (enough for 4 servings)

Instructions:

  1. Cut up the onion, sweet potato and spinach (spinach needed last).
  2. Follow directions for cooking about 2 cups of couscous, rice, pasta or quinoa.
  3. In the meantime, heat the oil or water in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes to soften, stirring occasionally, Add the sweet potato, coriander, paprika, thyme, cumin, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Add the tomatoes with their juices, chickpeas, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
  5. Add the kale (or spinach/chard), stirring to wilt. Simmer until all the vegetables are tender – about another 10-15 minutes. Serve hot over couscous, quinoa, pasta or flatbread and top with a squeeze of lemon.
  • Tunisian chickpeas with sweet potatoes and greens

Today’s Bonus Tip:

Eating a plant-based diet is great for your health – but we need to be mindful of toxins from the environment (chemical pesticides and fertilizers) found on our fruits and vegetables.

I found this newly updated list of the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean 15” for 2019 taken from: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a26873412/dirty-dozen-foods-2019-list/. I don’t have this list memorized – but I do keep a copy of it in my purse so I can refer to it while I shop.

Every year, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes a list of the “Dirty Dozen,” or the fruits and vegetables the nonprofit claims have the highest amount of pesticides when grown conventionally versus organically. 

The EWG has compiled the list annually since 2004 based on internal data that’s not peer-reviewed. Using 40,900 samples for 47 different types of produce, the EWG found these twelve had the most pesticide residue:

The 2019 Dirty Dozen Foods List:

  1. Strawberries 
  2. Spinach
  3. Kale
  4. Nectarines
  5. Apples
  6. Grapes
  7. Peaches
  8. Cherries 
  9. Pears
  10. Tomatoes
  11. Celery
  12. Potatoes

Strawberries rank number one for the fourth year in a row, and the rest of the list looks similar to years past with one exception: Kale made the top 12 for the first time in a decade.

If you’re concerned about pesticides, the EWG also publishes a list of the “Clean 15,” a.k.a. the produce from conventional growers that generally had less residue in the group’s tests. This year they are:

The 2019 Clean 15 Foods List:

  1. Avocados
  2. Sweet corn
  3. Pineapples
  4. Frozen sweet peas
  5. Onions
  6. Papayas
  7. Eggplants
  8. Asparagus
  9. Kiwis
  10. Cabbages
  11. Cauliflower
  12. Cantaloupes
  13. Broccoli
  14. Mushrooms
  15. Honeydew melons

Couscous Spinach Salad

I was looking for side dish to bring to our church’s annual birthday party potluck and I found this delicious vegetarian salad. Originally called “Summer Salad by the Lake” this salad was created by Ramya Ramamurthy – and was chosen as one of the winning winning entries for the Taste of Home Summer Sides Contest – included in their 2018 issue. I made it on two separate occasions: on a week night I cut the recipe in half for just my husband and I (didn’t include the pineapple) – and then the full recipe for the potluck. Several people asked me for the recipe afterword.

Prep time: 35 minutes, Cook: 15 minutes + standing, Makes 10 servings.

Couscous and Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

  • 8 garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 2 medium sweet bell peppers, sliced (I used red and yellow)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Salad:

  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 12 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup uncooked pearl (Israeli) couscous
  • 1/2 cup red quinoa (I used regular), rinsed
  • 2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1-in pieces
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach (or arugula)
  • 1 cup cubed fresh pineapple (or Mandarin oranges or mango chunks)
  • 1/2 cup fresh shelled peas or frozen peas (thawed)
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (omit for vegan recipe)
  • 1/2 cup sunflower kernels (pepitas) toasted
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest
  • 12 tsp. salt
  • 12 tsp. pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl toss together garlic, sweet peppers, oil, salt and pepper; transfer to a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. Roast until dark golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring water, oil and salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous and quinoa. Reduce heat; simmer, covered for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
  3. Transfer the couscous and quinoa to the large bowl. Stir in the remaining salad ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients until blended. Pour over salad and gently toss to coat.

Substitutions: You can use peaches, Mandarin oranges or mango chunks instead of pineapple, or cherry tomatoes instead of heirloom tomato pieces. In the winder, use root veggies such as roasted carrots, broccoli or squash.

Nutritional Information (per 3/4 cup serving): 269 calories, 15g fat (2g sat. fat), 3mg cholesterol, 700mg sodium, 29g carb (7g sugars, 3g fib er), 7g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 fat.

  • Couscous Spinach Salad

Mediterranean Pasta

Some friends took me out to lunch for my birthday earlier this week and I had a fantastic Mediterranean Pasta dish. It had all my favorite ingredients: spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, artichokes and pine nuts! I was determined to try to make it for my husband.

Tonight I looked up the menu description online and decided to take my best stab at replicating the recipe. I also had help from another Mediterranean Pasta recipe I found on Wellplated.com. I made some modifications and swapped out a few ingredients. My husband loved it and rated it 5 stars – even without the feta cheese! It only took about 25 minutes to prepare and serves up to 4 people. This is so easy and the savory flavor would go well with a nice sweet wine.

Mediterranean Pasta

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz (or half a box) of penne pasta (a little more if serving 4)
  • 4 cloves of garlic – minced (about 2 tsp)
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil (or 1/4 cup water if avoiding oil)
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes – cut in half
  • 1 can or (14 oz) jar quartered artichoke hearts (I use water-packed)
  • 1 can whole pitted black olives (6 oz) – drained and sliced (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • A pinch (about 1/8 tsp) of red pepper flakes
  • 8 oz of sliced of baby bella mushrooms (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 cups of baby spinach (stems removed)
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes – chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
  • 1/4 cup feta or parmesan cheese (omit if vegan)
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley – or fresh basil (chopped)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts

Instructions

  1. Bring large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tsp. of salt (opt.). Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
  2. While water boils and pasta cooks, prep vegetables and remaining ingredients: mince garlic, cut cherry tomatoes in half, drain and roughly chop the artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes.
  3. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil (or 1/4 cup water if not using oil) over medium high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, the 1/2 tsp salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Sauté, stirring frequently unit the garlic is fragrant and the tomatoes begin to break down and release some juices into the oil, 1 to 2 minutes.
  4. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Add the artichokes, olives if using, and spinach. Dried the lemon juice over the pasta. Continue tossing and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the mixture is warmed through. If pasta seems too dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen it. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as desired. Remove from heat and sprinkle with feta (or grated Parmesan), pine nuts and parsley or basil.