Tag Archives: chickpeas

BARBARI BREAD AND HUMMUS

Posted in Appetizers, Breads, Breakfast & Brunch by

A match made in heaven!

Barbari Bread originates in Iran, formerly known as Persia, a name that evokes beautiful things in my mind. Barbari is a flatbread with ridges and a dark golden color provided by a glaze that often contains baking soda. I share a recipe that makes one small flatbread, fitting in a quarter sheet pan.

BARBARI BREAD
(adapted from cookingorgeous)

160 ml water (lukewarm)
250 g all-purpose flour
4 g instant yeast
5 g salt
3 g sugar
10 ml olive oil


For the Topping (you won’t need the full amount)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup water
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoon Sesame seeds


In the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer combine the flour, salt, sugar, olive oil, and yeast. Add warm water gradually, stirring to form a sticky dough. Knead at low-speed for about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm spot for 2 hours.

Make the glaze: in a small saucepan, combine flour, water, olive oil, and baking soda.
Cook over low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens into a smooth paste. Set aside to cool.

Shape the Dough: Flatten the dough into an oval or rectangular shape on a parchment-lined baking sheet. If the dough resists too much, form into a ball and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. The dough should end as 12 inches long and 5 inches wide. Using your fingers, gently press lines into the dough from top to bottom to create the signature ridges of Barbari bread. Brush the glaze mixture over the surface, covering the dough evenly. This will help to keep the bread moist and create that golden crust during baking. Sprinkle on sesame seeds.

Second Rise and Baking the Bread: Cover the shaped and topped dough with a damp cloth and allow it to rise for one hour.

Heat the oven to 390F. Bake the bread for about 20 minutes or until it turns golden brown with a crisp crust.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

For the hummus, I used a fantastic recipe from Milk Street, which is available online (click here). I advise you to halve the recipe because it would feed an army. I am not too fond of freezing hummus, so half the recipe was perfect for us. Can you tell how luscious and creamy it is?


Comments: Barbari bread is definitely one to consider adding to your rotation, because it is super easy to make and absolutely delicious. As to the hummus, Milk Street recipe is pretty involved, but worth it. Thick, intensely flavored, a real hit of sesame with each bite.


I hope you try both this recipes, they were perfect together. Hummus is often a breakfast item in Israel, consumed warm with Kawarma (spiced ground meat) spooned all over it. We took the less authentic route by enjoying it as a dip. If you have The Milk Street Cookbook that goes along with the TV show, both recipes are there.

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FARRO WITH CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH

Posted in Rice and Grains by

Lovers of farro, rejoice! This is a hearty side dish that might even be enough for a fully vegetarian meal and also perfect for entertaining. We enjoyed it with grilled pork tenderloin and it was a great midweek dinner.

FARRO WITH CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH
(from The Bewitching Kitchen)

1.5 cups farro
2 celery sticks, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 shallot, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon table salt
2 tsp za’atar
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
4 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
lemon juice to taste

Cook the farro in a large volume of salted water until it starts to get soft, about 20 minutes. Drain, and reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add celery and shallots, cook until fragrant. Add a little salt, za’atar, sauté everything together for a couple of minutes, stirring often. Add the reserved cooked farro, chickpeas, vegetable broth and water, season with salt, bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and cook until farro is tender, about 15 minutes. If there is too much liquid left, allow it to simmer for a few more minutes. Add the spinach, adjust seasoning with more salt if needed, and right before serving, add the lemon juice. Fluff with a fork and serve.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Farro takes a bit of time to cook and also I find that each new bag might behave differently. Also make sure that for this preparation you don’t buy a quick cooking version, although if might work if you simply skip the pre-cooking step. Keep in mind I have not tried it with the quick cooking kind. I normally cook farro as I cook pasta, plenty of water, then test a few grains and stop cooking when ready. In this case, I make sure it is still al dente as it will cook with everything else for 15 more minutes. If you are interested in the pork tenderloin, it is almost a non-recipe. I eye-ball a marinade whisking olive oil, soy sauce (I actually used tamari in this one), lemon juice, honey, a touch of mustard. Cut the pieces, marinade whole day in the fridge. Grill the pieces about 12 minutes total, seasoning with a little salt right before grilling. I do it all the time, sometimes with butterflied tenderloin.

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AJI-AMARILLO ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS

Posted in Poultry by

In my previous post I mentioned my love affair with sesame oil, but I am a woman of many passions. Aji-amarillo has been part of my cooking for a while. I love the flavor of this Peruvian paste, and the color it imparts to all you cook with it, reminiscent of turmeric. Turmeric, another passion of mine…

AJI-AMARILLO ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS
(inspired by a sous-vide recipe from Anova Culinary)

6 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp aji amarillo paste (or more, to taste)
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
zest of 1 lime
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp honey (I don’t measure, drizzle a bit)
1 + 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper


In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, aji amarillo paste, lime juice, lime zest, chile powder, cumin, honey, salt, and pepper. Stir well until fully combined. Place chicken in a plastic zipper-lock bag, add the prepared marinade and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Transfer the chicken and marinade to a baking dish, skin side down. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 50 minutes. Remove foil, turn pieces of chicken with skin side up, increase oven temperature to 425F, roast for another 20 minutes or so, until the skin is golden brown. If desired, run under the broiler.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I have made this recipe three times already. It is great to add chickpeas to the baking sheet, they will cook together with the chicken juices and get all soft and tasty. Highly recommend you try this version. Just marinade the chicken and once you add it to the baking sheet place the chickpeas all around the pieces. I used canned chickpeas but it might be even better if you start from dry, soaking them overnight and draining before roasting. Your kitchen, your rules!

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ZUCCHINI-CHICKPEA BAKED BITES

Posted in Side dishes, Small Dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by

Yet another recipe that won’t win many votes in a beauty contest, but is so tasty and simple to prepare, I had to share with you. It happens to be vegan-friendly, because contrary to similar preparations, this one takes no eggs. All binding is given by processed chickpeas, straight from a can. It came from a Brazilian blog, but I modified it slightly to reduce the amount of carbs. Thank you to my niece Raquel for sending it to me, saying that the recipe “had my name written all over it.” I think she is right!


ZUCCHINI-CHICKPEA BAKED BITES
(inspired by this post)

200 g zucchini (1 large or 2 medium), grated on a large-hole grater
250 g canned chickpeas, well-rinsed and drained
basil leaves to taste
1/2 tsp salt + more to sprinkle on zucchini
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 cup almond flour
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
panko bread crumbs
olive oil spray

Heat oven to 420F.

Salt the grated zucchini lightly and allow it to sit on a colander for 10 minutes. Squeeze the zucchini dry preferably using a towel.
Add to a food processor together with the chickpeas, salt, paprika and basil. Process until fully smooth, stopping to clean the bowl with a spatula once. Add the two flours and process just to bind it all.

Form small patties, cover with panko bread crumbs on both sides. Place them separated over aluminum foil and spray the surface with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes, turn them gently, spray more olive oil on the top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until golden brown. Serve with you favorite sauce or plain.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I was a bit skeptical that the little morsels would hold shape without the help of an egg, but although very fragile, I did not have problems. Just be gentle. If you want to fry them, you could still keep them vegan by using the liquid from the chickpea can to make a whipped “egg white substitute”, coat them with that and add bread crumbs. But I tend to avoid frying because I dislike dealing with the leftover oil. Air-frying could be also a good option but our fryer has a small basket and I would have to fry in batches, so I went with the baking option.

A bit of tomato sauce and grated Parmigiano is also a nice way to serve them, although obviously not vegan anymore. I will definitely make them again, and pair with a tahini sauce which I think will be another great serving idea.

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ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH CHICKPEAS AND QUINOA

Posted in Rice and Grains, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by

This goes to the OMG FILES – if I had one, that is… Great recipe brought to my attention by my friend Eha. You can find the original jumping here. I modified it quite a bit, turning it from salad into warm side dish, as at the present time we endure temperatures that have the potential to make Brazilians weep.


ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH CHICKPEAS AND QUINOA
(slightly modified from Cook Republic)

for the roasted component:
1 medium-sized head of cauliflower, cut in florets
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
2 – 3 tbsps olive oil
½ tsp salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 can of chickpeas, drained and well-rinsed

for the dressing:
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp mustard
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsps olive oil

to assemble the dish:
1 cup cooked quinoa, still warm
handful of raisins
handful of sliced almonds
fresh parsley, chopped, amount to taste

Heat oven to 400F. . Line a large, rimmed baking tray with non-stick aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Mix cauliflower florets, smoked paprika, ground cumin, olive oil, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Spread cauliflower on the prepared tray and roast in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes until golden and tender. Add the drained chickpeas, a little more olive oil and roast everything together for 5 to 10 additional minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Prepare the dressing by mixing balsamic vinegar, grain mustard, lemon juice and zest and olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well.
To assemble the salad, add warm quinoa quinoa to a large bowl. Add spring onion, raisins, toasted almond flakes and roasted cauliflower. Top with parsley and salad dressing. Mix well to ensure the dressing coats everything evenly. Serve with your main dish of choice.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Amazing combination of flavors and textures, I do think it is much better warm than it would be cold, but as I always say, your kitchen, your rules. Make it as a salad if you prefer, or if perhaps you are living the height of the summer right now. The balsamic vinegar is quite prominent so I advise you to choose a brand you love. The original recipe called for grainy mustard, which I did not have, so I went with regular, smooth mustard. Everything worked great, from the raisins to the almonds, and leftovers were delicious two days later. This one is a keeper all the way, and we will be enjoying it regularly. Thank you, Eha!

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