Socca Beet and Onion Casserole

Whoa has It been a while since I have posted a recipe. Not that I haven’t wanted to or that I haven’t been making food, I just have been busy A.F. And truthfully I am as busy as ever but I happen to have my phone next to me when I was making this little casserole dish thing that I have made a few times now and I think it well worth a share.

What is it you ask? It is a creamy but dense chickpea base covered in tender roasted beets and onions with a lemon tahini drizzle. It is simple to make, super delicious, and can be tweaked in a million different ways to your liking.

Is it a fantastic dish to serve at say a Thanksgiving? Well yes, yes it is. You can serve it as a side or even make it bigger and have it as a sort of main dish. It’s a good protein that is naturally gluten and grain free, vegan, and blah blah blah. What really matters here though is that it is damn tasty and also bonus, it is so siimple to make and can even be prepared a day in advance so no stress. We will take all the wins here.

-C

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Socca Beet and Onion Casserole

makes a 8x8 casserole

• 1 cup chickpea flour

• 2 cups boiling water

• 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

• ground black pepper

• 2 teaspoons cumin (feel free to omit or use a different spice.Thyme or rosemary are equally delicious )

• 2 medium beets

• 1 large onion

• a lemon

• 1-2 tablespoons tahini

• teaspoon or so olive oil.

Note. This dish is excellent made and eaten right away but also gets even better (in my opinion) cooled and reheated. Also you can change up the veggie situation and use whatever ones you like.

Place chickpea flour in a bowl and slowly whisk in boil water with a fork so that there are no lumps. Mix in cumin and a teaspoon of salt and a pepper. Scoop batter into a lightly oiled 8X8 casserole dish (you can use a round cake tin or a cast iron skillet as well) and set aside to rest for a few.

Preheat oven to 400.

Grab beets and onion and slice in about 1/8 thick slices. Layer slices on top of chickpea mixture, making it look pretty if you feel like it. Once the veggies are layered, lightly drizzle the top with a teaspoon olive oil and sprinkle with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

When the oven is preheated, covered the baking dish and place in oven,. Bake covered for 1/2 hour then remove covering and bake for another 20-30 minutes or until the beets are nice and tender and a tester poked into the center of the dish comes out clean. Remove from oven,

Once it’s out of the oven grab a little bowl and add the juice of the lemon to the tahini and mix. Season with salt to you liking.

Now serve. Drizzle the top with the tahini mixture and cut yourself a big old piece. Yes drizzle extra tahini on top. Sure squeeze on more lemon. You do you.

Store leftovers in fridge. Reheat in hot oven for 10 minutes..It gets crispy!

Roasted Corn Hummus

How much hummus is to much hummus to eat? Seriously, how much? Because I eat A LOT of hummus, like hummus everyday, sometimes (all the time) even multiple times a day. And not just a little bit. Give me a bowl of it, any sized bowl, and see what I can do.

And I like just about any hummus, but with that said they are not all created equally. Homemade is almost always the superior, (although there are some brands that I really really like), freshly made is best, heavy on the lemon is a bonus, and some kind of mix in is always appreciated.

Roasted corn hummus. Oh boy did I attack this one. A base of a traditional creamy hummus in all it’s glory, blended up with freshly picked and freshly roasted sweet corn. When whipped up together it creates a soft, almost fluffy, creamy mixtures of all the goodness. It is so freaking good and is probably going to be my repeat hummus for the foreseeable future (until the corn stops growing). It really is a stand out. The mr and the littles even loved it and that is something.

To the hummus!

The stuff. Freshly roasted corn on the cob, cooked chickpeas, tahini, some garlic cloves ,a lemon, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes , ice cubes, and a little olive oil.

Basically the only work to do. Cut corn from cob.

Add corn and garlic to food processor and pulse for a minute, scrapping down sides a few times. Add in the chickpeas, tahini, juice of the lemon, ice cubes, and red pepper flakes. Blend until nice and smooth. And that is it. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Scoop it all into a bowl and eat the hummus any way you see fit.

-C

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Roasted Corn Hummus

makes about 3 cups

• 2 roasted cobs of corn (2 cups cut from cob)*

• 2 cups (or 1can) cooked and drained chickpeas

• 1/3 cup tahini

• 2 cloves garlic

• a lemon

• 3 ice cubes

• salt and pepper

• 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

• olive oil (optional to drizzle on at the end)

*There are many methods to cook corn so you can cook it any way you want. I just wet the corn still in the husk and pop it into a really hot oven or about 25 minutes.

Start by removing corn from the cob. Place corn and garlic into food processor and pulse for a minute, scraping down sides a couple times, until pretty blended up. Add in chickpeas, tahini, the juice from the lemon, ice cubes, and a good healthy pinch of salt and pepper and as much red pepper flakes as you want. Blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt and or pepper if needed.

Scoop into a bowl or container and drizzle with olive oil if desired.

Eat right away with cut up veggies, smeared in pita, with a spoon, or any other way you want to eat it.

Left overs can be stored in airtight container in fridge for a few days but really, who has left over hummus?

Moroccan chickpeas and Carrots

It’s the time of year again, the few weeks time between winter veggies and spring veggies. Farm share is over, asparagus season is pretty much over. The greens, beans, and peas are still growing and the chest freezer is empty. I am living off greens and the few roots that I stashed in the fridge. Yeah I know I can just go buy veggies at the grocery store (the mr informed me…) but nothing is very good there right now either. Poor me right!

But what I do have and always have is carrots and I always have chickpeas. I also always have all the spices and I am never going to run out of raisins because well, Megan keeps giving me boxes and boxes of them.( I went from 5 lbs to like now having 10 lbs) so right here I got stuff to feed myself.

Moroccan chickpeas and carrots. The flavors are very similar to a Indian which I love so much. Cumin, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, and many more. A smokey sweetness that is oh so good. Add that to a big pile of cooked up chickpeas and carrots, sprinkled with raisins, and finished off with fresh parsley. I mean, doesn't that just sound splendid? (It does because it is.) This dish makes not having much in the way of fresh food tolerable. I made a big batch and ate it all day long because you can’t got wrong with carrots and chickpeas. No, no you can’t.

To the Moroccan chickpeas and carrots.

The stuff. Carrots, chickpeas, spice blend (cumin, ginger, coriander, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, clove), a small onion, raisins, garlic, fresh parley, and salt and pepper.

Start with mincing garlic and chopping th onion up into small pieces.

Toss it into a oven safe skillet, add about 1/2 cup water and set on medium heat to start to cook.

in the meantime, cut up carrots. Rounds about 1/2 inch thick.

once all the water evaporates from the onions, add in the spices and stir around. Let cook for a minute then add in about a 1/2 cup more of water.

Now add in the carrots, the chickpeas (with liquid) and the raisins. Bring the liquid to a boil then transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook for about 25 minutes.

While the stuff is in oven, rough chop up parsley.

And once the carrots are tender, remove form oven, let cool for a few minutes, then mix in all the fresh parsley and season to taste with. salt and pepper

Grab a bow and a fork and do it…Eat.

-C

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Moroccan chickpeas and Carrots

• 1 lb of carrots

• 1 can chickpeas with liquid

• 1/3 cup raisins

• 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon each cumin and ground ginger

• 1/8 teaspoon ground clove or allspice

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 small onioin

• I bunch parsley

• water

• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mince up garlic and chop up onion into small pieces. Place into a oven safe skillet and stick skillet on stove on medium heat. Add about 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and start to cook down the onions.

Clean carrots and cut them into 1/2 inch rounds. (Peel if you want but I don’t so..)

Once water have evaporated from skillet add in all the spices along with a pinch of salt. Let cook for a minute then add in about 1 cup of water. Also add in the cut up carrots, the chickpeas and liquid (or 2 cups cooked chickpeas and 1/2 more cup water), and the raisins. Mix around and bring the liquid to a boil. Once boiling, transfer skillet to the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Rough chop the parsley then toss it in. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Eat.

Black Bean Burgers

It had been a while since I had made any type of bean burgers. Why? I don’t know. It is probably because I am like a little who plays with one toy for too long and get stick of it. But if I rotate the toys (the food), maybe take a few away for a while (eat what is in season), once I get back to it, well it is just the best. So yeah, just like a little. Huh?

Black bean burgers. These are super simple with not a whole heck of a lot going into them. I used to make these with a lot more veggies but the mr really seems to like them more with less. I’ve got it down to just beans, onion, oats, and spices. Simple but very effective in both taste and in texture. One of the things thatI love about these burgers is that they don’t completely crumble apart when you bite into them so if that is an issue you have with your burgers, welp, hopefully this recipe will solve that. And will solve any food boredom rut you might be in. And solve the issue of being hungry because obviously you are going to be at some point. Hence the bean burgers.

Now to the burgers!

The stuff. Black beans, oats, an onion and a couple cloves or garlic. Then there is ground flax seeds. cumin, chili powder, and paprika, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, and salt and pepper.

Start by cutting up onion and rough chopping garlic.

Place it into a hot skillet with the spices and some water or oil. Cook on medium heat.

While the onions are sweating, blend up oats into a course oat flour.

And once onions and spices are fragrant and soften a bit, add in beans, tomato paste, and vinegar. Stir around and cook for a few minutes or until everything has melded together.

Dump the bean mixture and flax seed into food processor with oat flour and pulse until everything is incorporated and smooth(ish).

Scoop into a bowl and refrigerate so mixture has time to set up.

Once mixture is set, divided into 6 equal portions and place on a baking sheet (lined or greased). With wet fingers, pat down into patties then pop them into hot oven. Bake until browned and crispy.

And that is it. Now get to eating cause that is why you made them!

-C

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Black Bean Burgers

makes 6 burgers

• 2 cups cooked and strained black beans

• 1 small onion

• 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cumin (higher amount if you really like cumin… ME!)

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1/2 heaping cup of old fashion oats

• 1 tablespoon flax meal

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoon tomato puree or paste

• salt and pepper

• Serving suggestions are Avocado, salsa, pickled onion on cornbread or regular bread or whatever!

Start by chopping up the onion into small pieces and slicing up the garlic (don’t mince) into a few small pieces. Place into a good sized skillet with the cumin, paprika, and chili powder, and a good splash or water or a little oil (I used water) and place on medium heat. Cook for a few minutes or until fragrant and onion has started to soften a bit.. Add a splash more water if it start to dry out to fast. Once slightly cooked, dump in beans, add tomato paste and vinegar and mix around. Keep on heat and cook for another 5 or so minutes until everything had melded together. Remove form heat and let cool for a few minutes.

In the meantime, place oats into a food processor and blend unit until it forms a course flour. It doesn’t need to be super fine and a few whole pieces is fine. Once bean mixture has cooled just a bit, dump into the food preocessor on top of oat flour. Add in the flax and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse until completely incorporated, stoping to scrap down sides if needed. Some chunks are fine and don’t blend more then it needs to be.

Once blended , scrap mixture into a bowl and place in fridge for 15 miutes- /2 hour so the mixture has time to set. (Can also be left in fridge (covered, for a few days)

Preheat oven to 400.

Once the mixture has been set up, scoop into 6 equal sized portionsl and place on a pan with parchment, a mat, or has been ightly oiled. With wet fingers, smoosh each ball into a patty. Place burgers into hot oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping half way through. They are done when they are nice and brown and crunchy on both sides.

Once baked, remove form oven and eat them like you want. I suggest eating with salsa, avocado , pickled onions and if you want a bun, do a bun. I served mine with cornbread cause that is what I had and it was not hated at all.

Spinach and Mushroom Lentil Bake

A week out to the big holiday!

How are you doing? Are you making all the cookies and cakes and all the things? Are you getting all the cookies and cakes and things given to you? And are you eating all the cookies and cakes and things?

That is cool because that is what is suppose to go down right now. But one thing we all need to do is make sure we are eating some decent food (not cookies and cakes and things) as well.

Like lentils with some veggies. You really can’t go wrong with lentils because they are the best and don’t you dare say otherwise. This bake here is packed with lentils, mushrooms and spinach, is creamy and crispy, hearty and warming, and tastes so freaking good. A no fuss, easy peasy meal that can be thrown together fast and when you are eating it, you are feeling good. And once you start eating it, you probably won’t be able to stop (that was me anyway…)

So make yourself something nice to go along with all the cookies, cakes, and things. You need it.

To the lentils!

The stuff. Red and green lentils, a few big mushrooms, a couple handfuls of spinach, an onion, crushed tomatoes. dill, thyme, sage, and red pepper flakes, chick pea flour, a couple cloves or garlic, water, oil, and and pepper.

Start with the lentils. Just dump them all into a pot with the water. Place on stove and bring a boil.

Now chop up onion into small bits, mince garlic, and slice the mushrooms thinly and in half.

Add a splash of oil to a large oven safe skillet and place on stove on medium heat. Once skillet is hot, add in the garlic, onions, and mushroom. Start to cook, adding in all the spices once they start to sizzle. Cook until the onion starts to become fragrant and translucent and fragrant and the mushrooms are slightly browned.

Once the lentils come to a boil, let cook for another minute or two then remove from heat. (If there is a bunch of foam on top of pot, just scape it off.) Add in the chickpea flour, the tomatoes, and all the spinach. Season with sat and pepper too.

Dump the lentil mixture into the skillet with the mushrooms and onion and mix everything all around until its all incorporated. Level off top and then stick the whole thing into the oven. Bake covered for 30 minutes then remove cover, give the whole thing a (careful, it is hot) good stir, re-level off the tope, and keep baking for another 30-35 minutes or until the top of the lentils are nice and crispy ans the inside is nice an creamy.

The crispy top lentils are everything.

Scoop into bowls, add some fresh chopped something of another if you want ( I had fresh dill and parsley) and eat away.

What is not pictured here is the yellow mustard I had in waiting. Mustard on this… AMAZING!

-C

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Spinach and Mushroom Lentil Bake

feed 3-5 people

• 3/4 cup each red and green lentils (or 1 1/2 cups of either)

• 1 cup crushed or diced tomatoes

• 1 small onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons chickpea flour (can sub with cornmeal or oat flour)

• 1 teaspoon each dried sage, thyme, and dill

• 2 large handfuls spinach (about 3 cups)

• 2-3 large white or cramini mushrooms (about 1 1/2 chopped)

• 2 1/2 cups water

• splash of olive oil

• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400

Dump lentils into a pot with the water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let cook for a minutes or two then remove from heat. If there is a bunch of foam on top, just scrap it off. Mix in the chickpea flour, tomatoes, and spinach. Season with salt and pepper

While lentils are cooking, chop onion into small pieces, slice mushrooms in half, then the halves into thin pieces and mince garlic. Place a large oven safe skillet on stove on medium heat. Add a small splash or oil and once heated, dump the onion, garlic, and mushrooms to the hot skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms start to brown and the onions and garlic are fragrant. Add in the spiced and stir around.

Take skillet off heat and carefully dump in the lentils mixture and mix around with the mushroom and onions. (if you don’t have a large enough oven safe skillet just dump it all into a casserole dish) Level off mixture and place in the oven, covered for 1 hour, removing cover 1/2 way through and giving he whole mixture a mix ad re- leveling it off.

Once baked and nice and crispy (the longer you bake it, the crispier it gets) remove from oven and serve immediately. Toss some fresh dil and parsley on top if you have it. Also mustard as a condiment goes amazingly with this!