firecracker chickpeas and vegetables

Meal 2 of Week 4 Prep Ahead menu is Firecracker Chickpeas and Vegetables.  This delicious dish is full of vegetables and beans and is cooked in a spicy chili sauce.

This fiery dish is very versatile because you can adjust the heat level to suit your taste. You can use the called-for jalapeno or not. Or you can use 3 jalapenos. You can increase the garlic chili sauce or reduce it - the choice is yours.

This is a very easy and quick dish to make - made even faster as a Prep Ahead meal, but can still be ready in around 30 minutes, if you make the rice using my Fast and Easy Brown Rice recipe.

The dish is served with steamed broccoli but you can serve it with mustard greens, bok choy or even cauliflower.

Firecracker Chickpeas and Vegetables

Serves 4 to 6 

Firecracker sauce ingredients:

1/3 cup ketchup

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon sweetener

12 ounces broccoli, cut into florets

2 bell peppers, sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (use gloves if needed)

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (2 cups cooked)

3 cups cooked rice

1. Combine the ketchup, vegetable broth, garlic chili sauce, garlic, tamari, cornstarch and sweetener in a small bowl. Stir very well and set aside. 

2. Steam the broccoli until tender. 

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced peppers and onions. Stir-fry (cook, stirring constantly) until lightly charred. Add the chickpeas, cook to heat. Mix the sauce and add to the vegetables. Cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve the stir-fry with the broccoli and rice.

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