"chickpea flour does it all" review

Today I am reviewing the hot new cookbook, Chickpea Flour Does It All (Amazon), by Lindsey S. Love.

This book uses chickpea flour in all its recipes, although not exclusively. For instance, baked goods might require other flours as well, besides chickpea flour, which is very high in protein and is very dense if baked with solely.

The book is well made, printed on high-quality paper with great photography throughout.

The book is arranged by season and month, which is nice if you live in her neck of the woods, but comes as a bit of hindrance when searching for a recipe since it can be located in any month; however, the index is very thoughtfully arranged.

The recipes in this book are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, but not egg-free. In fact, out of the 96 recipes, 49 are vegan, which means that, unfortunately, 46 require eggs (1 requires bee pollen).

Since chickens are among the most horribly treated animals exploited for their eggs, I am quite disappointed that the author does not make an attempt to offer a replacement for their use. The lack of any options to substitute eggs comes as a blow to the positivism that the book is otherwise full of.

Because so many recipes call for eggs, I have taken the time to mark the recipes that do. The ones with an asterisk (*) need at least one egg, the ones that have no asterisk are vegan. I'll leave it up to you to decide if this book is a good fit for you.

I am also sharing a recipe below, to give you an idea of how good the vegan recipes are in this book -- and they are! But Ms. Love should definitely take the leap to being a more compassionate recipe developer, because obviously she is talented, creative and a great cook.

WINTER

January

Sauteed Pear & Sage Pancakes with Almonds*
Breakfast Sweet Potato Cakes & Baby Arugula Bowl
Onion Poppy Seed Bread*
Za'atar Crackers
Sunchoke & Leek Soup
Ginger-Shiitake Miso Broth with Chickpea Tofu
Caraway Spatzle with Kale & Balsamic Onions*
Chocolate Banana Loaf*

February

Collard Wrap with Turmeric Scramble
Hearty Morning Glory Loaf*
Chickpea Waffle Avocado Toast*
Chipotle Queso Dip
Mini Polenta Pizzas with Caramelized Fennel & Garlic Paste
Flatbread with Harissa, Kale & Gaeta Olives
Acorn Squash Tart with Caramelized Onions & Collard Greens
Chocolate Olive Oil Cakes with Chocolate Glaze*

March

Fresh Ginger & Pomegranate Muffins*
Irish Soda Bread*
Chickpea Frites with Sriracha Ketchup
Chickpea Banh Mi
Spiced Black Bean Tostadas with Kiwi Salsa
Mung Bean Pancakes with Carrots, Scallions & Ginger*
Sweet Crepes with Kumquat Marmalade*
Almond Butter Brownies*

SPRING

April

Clumpy Granola Bowl with Stewed Rhubarb & Yogurt
Mango Poppy Seed Cornmeal Muffins*
Skillet Spinach & Chive Quiche*
Easy-Spring Veggie Bowl with Warm Hummus Drizzle
Chickpea Noodles with Miso-Kale Pesto*
Spring Onion & Lemongrass Stew with Cauliflower & Yams
Grilled Harissa Cauliflower with Quinoa Toss
Lemony Panelle Sandwich with Grilled Ramps & Balsamic Vinegar

May

Asparagus Chickpea Fritters
Lemon-Rhubarb Snacking Cake*
Alfredo with Watercress & Chives
Chickpea Polenta with Sauteed Spring Vegetables
Kalamata Chickpea Wrap with Pickled Leeks & Microgreens*
Herbed Sweet Pea Pockets
Vanilla Bean Lavender Cupcakes*
Strawberry Tart with Cardamom-Coconut Cream

June

Cherry Dutch Baby*
Baby Chickpea Quiches with New Potatoes & Chard
Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Macadamia Ricotta
Chickpea-Halloumi Salad with Crispy Quinoa
Chickpea Pizza with Asparagus & Pea Shoot Tangle
Grilled Zucchini Tacos with Chickpea-Chipotle Crema
Nutty Oat Ice Cream Sandwiches*
Strawberry S'mores

SUMMER

July

Lemon-Blueberry Coffee Cake*
Everyday Socca
Fried Heirloom Tomatoes
Kofta Wraps with Sumac Tahini*
Spiced Chickpea Pancakes with Charred Corn & Radish Salsa*
Grilled Summer Vegetables with Chickpea Flour Dukkah
Cookies-and-Cream Icebox Cake
Raspberry-Nectarine Pie with Lemon Basil

August

Savory Zucchini, Shiso, & Black Quinoa Muffins*
Stone Fruit Breakfast Crisp with Yogurt & Bee Pollen* for bee pollen
Ratatouille Tartlets
Sweet Corn & Cilantro Chowder
Eggplant Schnitzel Plate*
Grilled Vegetable Kebabs with Green Goddess Sauce
Blackberry-Lime Cobbler*
Sweet Flatbread with Grilled Berries

September

Goji Berry & Cacao Nib Granola Bars
Fig & Hazelnut Clafoutis*
Baked Squash Tempura with Hemp Dip*
Creamy Harvest Tabbouleh Salad
Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Chickpea Sour Cream
Quinoa Falafel with Romesco Sauce
Chewy Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pink Himalayan Salt*
A Late-Summer Birthday Cake*

FALL

October

French Toast with Grape Compote
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies*
Chickpea Omelet with Shiitakes & Microgreens
Chickpea Tzatziki Dip
Baked Buttermilk Onion Rings
Savory Crepes with Beet Pate*
Spaghetti Squash Fritters*
Beetballs with Rosemary White Bean Cream*

November

Chai-Spice Swirl Breakfast Bread*
Apple Crumb Bars
Buttermilk Chickpea Corn Bread*
Herbed Sweet Potato Biscuits
Root Vegetable Crumble
Moroccan-Spiced Lentil & Pumpkin Burgers*
Chili-Roasted Pumpkin with Chickpea-Miso Gravy
Squash Doughnuts with Almond-Butter Glaze*

December

Spiced Scones with Crushed Cranberries*
Cacao Waffles*
Baby Kale Caesar Salad
Celery Root Latkes*
Roasted Kabocha Squash with Black Rice & Chickpea-Sesame Dressing
Matzo Ball Soup*
Jammy Almond Thumbprint Cookies*
Parsnip-Pear Bundt Cake*   

Photo by Lindsey S. Love

Chickpea Tzatziki Dip

Tzatziki is a Greek yogurt–based sauce and dip. It’s served cold and is flavored with cooling cucumbers, garlic, and lemon juice. Chickpea flour is used here to form that creamy base that tzatziki is known for without the yogurt and does a remarkable job of duplicating it entirely. This is best made the day before you plan to serve it, but can also be made the morning of; it needs time to cool and for the flavors to meld. This dip is great to serve alongside chickpea flatbread for dipping (see Flatbread with Harissa, Kale, and Gaeta Olives, page 39), olives, and a big salad.

Makes: roughly 1 1/2 cups // serves: 4 to 6 // prep time: 12 hours // cook time: 4 hours

• 1 medium cucumber, grated with a box grater
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• ¼ cup (30 g) chickpea flour
• ¼ cup (45 g) raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped dill

1. Place the grated cucumber in a fine-mesh sieve. Use your palm and push to squeeze out as much liquid as possible; set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and flour until smooth. Turn heat to medium and continue whisking until the mixture thickens, about 6 to 7 minutes; the mixture will resemble a roux or melted cheese. Remove from the heat.

3. Place the flour mixture, cashews, garlic, vinegar, oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a high-speed blender; blend for 1 minute, until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl; stir in the grated cucumber and dill. Let the tzatziki come to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

4. Remove from the refrigerator when ready to serve and give it a good stir.


Credit line: Recipe from Chickpea Flour Does It All: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian Recipes for Every Taste and Season © Lindsey S. Love, 2016. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold.  theexperimentpublishing.com 

ethiopian sweet potato + peanut burger

Day 5 of #VeganMoFo #Burger Extravaganza is an Ethiopian Sweet Potato and Peanut Burger with Nitter Kibbeh Aioli. Both the name and the burger are a mouthful, but, I promise, really damn good!

This burger requires the making of the Ethiopian spiced butter (oil, in this case), Nitter Kibbeh, however, that only takes about 2 minutes to assemble and 15 minutes to simmer. At this point anyone entering your home will be hypnotized by the aroma of simmering cinnamon, cardamom, clove and garlic and crash your dinner; be sure to make plenty of burgers.

As Kittee from Cake Maker to the Stars, aka Vegan Ethiopian Queen [can't wait for her cookbook!], will undoubtedly tell you, Nitter Kibbeh and Berber are the two top Ethiopian flavorings that you simply cannot do without.

To simplify this burger, but keep all the flavors, I've combined the two into one easy to make oil. This super spiced oil weaves its magic through the burger and right into the sauce. Ginger, garlic, clove, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, paprika and cayenne will fill your kitchen. THAT right there is reason enough to make this.

Long burger post short, sweet potatoes, peanuts and lentils are the burger base, the Nitter Kibbeh Aioli is the sauce and a cooling celery-tomato salad is the crowning glory.

Time to gather your spices.

ETHIOPIAN SWEET POTATO AND PEANUT BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Ethiopian Sweet Potato and Peanut Burger with Nitter Kibbeh Aioli

Serves 4

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons Nitter Kibbeh, divided, recipe below

½ cup brown or green lentils

2 cups water

⅔ cup quick-cooking oats

⅓ cup roasted peanuts, chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

3 scallions, minced

2 celery ribs, minced

1 medium ripe tomato, chopped

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon neutral oil

½ cup vegan mayonnaise

4 burger buns, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 450-degrees F. Combine sweet potatoes and 2 teaspoons nitter kibbeh on a baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until tender. Cool lightly and transfer to a food processor.

2. Combine the lentils and water in a medium pot. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and add to the food processor.

3. Add the oats, peanuts, paprika, coriander and 2 tablespoons nitter kibbeh to the food processor. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Pulse just until combined and you can form burgers that will hold together. Form into 4 burgers about 3-inches in diameter.

4. Combine the scallions, celery, tomato, cilantro, lime and oil in a medium bowl. Toss well to combine and season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.

5. Combine the mayo and 1 tablespoon of nitter kibbeh in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.

6. Heat a large grill pan over medium heat. Spray the burgers lightly with oil and grill the burgers until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes per side.

7. Assemble the burgers by spreading aioli on the bottom buns, adding a burger and topping with the salad. Serve with the top bun.

Nitter Kibbeh

½ cup neutral oil

¼ cup chopped onions

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, sliced

6 cardamom pods

2 whole cloves

1 cinnamon stick

2 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds

¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon paprika

1 to 3 teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon sea salt

1. Combine the oil, onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, pepper, fenugreek and turmeric. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Strain and stir in the paprika, cayenne and salt. Cool and store in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

I am linking to these recipe parties: Healthy Vegan Fridays, What I Ate Wednesday and Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck. 

 

farmer's market salad with eggplant vinaigrette

As many people are want to do weekly, we headed to the Farmer's Market on Sunday. It is amazing how Farmer's Markets have changed over the past few decades - completely aside from the fact that there are so many more than there used to be.

They have grown not only in numbers but in scope as well. I remember them being small events consisting of produce vendors, the occasional jewelry stand and a few scout groups selling their ware. Nowadays, it is full of organic produce, music, flowers, artisan foods of jams, cookies, tamales, baskets, pottery - you name it, chances are, whether it be food related or not, you'll find them at your nearest market. Here is a great site for locating a Farmer's Market: Local Harvest.

I could do without the animal body parts, which are also quite common these days, but overall, I'm very happy with how far things have come and am looking forward to seeing more support for the markets and, hence, even more progress.

In addition to going to the market for fresh produce, I also go for inspiration. You'll never know what special herb, or common one for that matter, will be the trigger for your next dish. For me, it was grape tomatoes and garlic chives.

Since I also subscribe to our local CSA box, I had an eggplant hanging around that needed to be cooked. That's when things really took off.

I cooked the whole eggplant in a skillet until tender - reminiscent of Baba Ghanoush, where the eggplant is roasted whole, thereby imparting a smoky flavor. I chopped the cauliflower into pieces about the size of rice and sauteed it with garlic, I sauteed the green beans and tomatoes with lemon juice and, finally, I made the eggplant into a vinaigrette.

Sounds like a mouthful, but everything balanced out beautifully and it was a perfect, post-Farmer's Market meal. As a bonus, the remaining vinaigrette (which only contains a few tablespoons of oil) serves as a wonderful dip for raw veggies.

The best thing about this salad was that most of the ingredients went from ground to plate in twenty-four hours - almost as good as having my very own garden in the backyard.

FARMER'S MARKET SALAD PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Farmer's Market Salad with Eggplant Vinaigrette

Serves 4

1 tablespoon neutral oil, divided

1 medium eggplant, about 1 pound

1 medium cauliflower, coarsely chopped

5 garlic cloves, halved, plus 2 teaspoons minced, divided

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

8 ounces green beans, trimmed

1 cup grape tomatoes

1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, divided

¼ cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon tahini

2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

6 cups fresh spinach

1. Coat the eggplant with the oil. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the whole eggplant and cover the skillet with a stainless steel bowl. This will create smoke; use a kitchen fan to keep the air clean. Turn the eggplant a quarter turn when the bottom is charred. Turn as needed until the eggplant is tender. Cool the eggplant and peel. Set aside.

2. Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until the size of grains of rice. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower, the halved garlic cloves, season with salt and black pepper, and stir and cook until golden, about 7 minutes. Set aside.

3. Toss the green beans, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon oil, minced garlic and season with salt and black pepper. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat and cook the green beans until charred and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Set aside. Add the tomatoes to the grill pan and cook only until lightly charred, about 1 minutes. Set aside.

4. Add the peeled eggplant, vegetable broth, olive oil, tahini, chipotle, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and any garlic you can pick out of the cauliflower saute to a personal blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper and stir in the chives.

5. Toss the spinach with about ¼ cup  of the vinaigrette and serve with the cauliflower, green beans and tomatoes.

© Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

I am linking to these recipe parties: Healthy Vegan Fridays, What I Ate Wednesday and Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck. 

 

     

grilled chimichurri tofu with lime-scented couscous + "vegan planet" winner

I love the flavor that grilling imparts on vegetables, tofu, tempeh, mushrooms, lemons - you name it, grilling makes it taste decidedly unique. And while grilling outdoors in not to be missed in the coming months (check out Grills Gone Vegan by Tamasin Noyes for some kick-butt grilling recipes), I love to grill year round.

That is not exactly an impossible feat, being nestled here in the moderate temperatures of San Diego, but even then, I'm more often than not too lazy to light the charcoals and wait for them to get ready. In the instances that that occurs, I'm happy as a lark, but mostly I settle for indoor grilling. Not exactly, the same, but delicious none the less.

There are other reasons to utilize grilling besides the flavor grilled food achieves - less oil. Grilling versus sauteing uses much less oil and fat required for the cooking. If you are cooking with little or no oil, you have a few choices: steaming, broiling, boiling, cooking in paper, baking or ... grilling.

I use a well-seasoned cast-iron grill pan, which as it happens, never leaves the stove top. Call that further proof of my laziness at not putting away dishes, but I just call it practical - I use the thing so often that putting it away would mean an extra preventable step come dinner time.

This recipe, Grilled Tofu and Squash with Easy Chimichurri Sauce and Lime-Scented Couscous, might sound like a mouthful, but is actually quite easy to prepare. The sauce is simple to make, as it utilizes the blades of a food processor, the veg and tofu is just skewered and grilled, the couscous is cooked and then tossed with beans, spinach and pepitas.

The best part is that it is a complete meal - grain, protein, dark leafy greens, seeds and herbs. Another great thing: you can skip the tofu and increase the vegetables since there is protein in the couscous. Gluten free? Use quinoa instead of couscous. Oh, the versatility!

We were completely smitten with this dish! The only trip-up could be that the recipe might not make enough chimichurri sauce if you are as liberal with its application as my husband was. On the bright side, this recipe calls for a fraction of the oil than the typical traditional chimichurri sauce does.

I just KNOW you have been waiting for the winner of Robin Robertson's updated and revised edition of Vegan Planet! Before I get to the winner (of which there is, unfortunately, only one), let me entice the rest of you who can also be winners in your own right if you purchase the book. As a reminder, this cookbook has been hailed  the "vegan bible," "vegan joy of cooking" and the "ultimate vegan cookbook."

It has 50 new recipes and all the information is updated for relevance to today. Here are some pictures I took during testing.

AUTUMN ROASTED VEGETABLES

CRISPY KALE STRIPS

CURRIED LENTILS WITH CARROTS AND PEAS

LEMON RISOTTO WITH PEAS AND SCALLIONS

SMOKY MAPLE KALE AND BEANS

I've strummed you along long enough! The winner of "Vegan Planet," out of 58 entries, is comment number 11 by Papa Dragon. [I feel terrible, but I was not contacted and had to choose another winner :{ ] Please email me at zsu [at] zsusveganpantry [dot] com so I can send this to you as soon as possible. Congratulations! You have until April 14 to contact me before I will have to sadly move on to another winner.

Return for another vegan cookbook giveaway on the very next blog post. I love passing out vegan cookbooks! Use the convenient follow-me buttons on the top right-hand side and don't miss a single opportunity.

I am linking to these recipe parties: The blogs hosting Healthy Vegan Fridays are Suzanne at Hello Veggie, Anna at Herbivore Triathlete, and Kimmy at Rock My Vegan Socks.  

I’ve decided to submit this dish to What I Ate Wednesday hosted by Peas and Crayons.

...and Pickled Okra.

tamale-inspired bowl with pinto and black beans

This tamale-inspired dish is made with cooled polenta, which is much easier to prepare than the traditional corn husk encased filled masa dough.

Prepared logs of organic polenta are now readily available eerywhere and make this meal ready for the table in less than 30 minutes. If, however, you want to make your own polenta, simply cook it and cool it on a baking sheet spread to about 1-inch thick. Once cooled, slice as needed.

The polenta roll (or log) is sliced and sauteed lightly. It is then topped with a combination of black beans, pinto beans, fire-roasted tomatoes and vegan cheese. Because vegan cheese melts easier on the stove-top than in the oven, there is no need to bake this dish and thus makes it even speedier. 

The beans are a bit spicy and a bit piquant. Add some vegan sour cream, salsa fresca, cilantro and more fresno pepper, if you wish.

This meal was a hit with the family and the cook. Not much beats a quick, easy meal that also happens to be delicious. 

And if you need a fast and equally fabulous Salsa Fresca recipe, there is one in my upcoming cookbook, Everyday Vegan Eats, which hits bookstores in a matter of weeks!

TAMALE-INSPIRED BOWL WITH BEANS PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

If you haven't entered, yet, to win Robin Robertson's updated Vegan Planet cookbook, your days are few, so get to it!

I am linking to these recipe parties: The blogs hosting Healthy Vegan Fridays are Suzanne at Hello Veggie, Anna at Herbivore Triathlete, and Kimmy at Rock My Vegan Socks.  

The blog hosting Gluten-Free Fridays is Vegetarian Mamma.

I’ve also decided to submit this dish to What I Ate Wednesday hosted by Peas and Crayons.

grilled buffalo tofu po' boy

Ever since Buffalo, New York, introduced Buffalo Wings to the world, buffalo sauce has inserted itself into almost every genre of food. Now you can find all sorts of recipes with buffalo sauce, which is a mixture of butter and hot sauce, from Buffalo Cauliflower, Buffalo Seitan Wings, Buffalo Sandwiches, Buffalo Pizza, Buffalo Shrimp, to Buffalo Chicken Salad, and list goes on.

Traditionally, the item to be sauced is battered and deep fried until crispy and then tossed in the butter and hot sauce mixture. It is then served immediately, to keep the texture crisp, with bleu cheese dressing, which has a cooling effect, thus balancing the heat of the spice.

While I, too, love a great vegan buffalo-ed anything, most of the time the ingredient is deep fried. I wanted to have a buffalo sandwich without all the unnecessary side of fat that usually comes served with the spicy and tangy flavor.

I’ve lightened up the typical buffalo sandwich by eliminating the breading and the need for deep frying the protein. Instead, this sandwich features a grilled tofu and is made into a po’ boy by adding a creamy slaw. The cabbage and apples in the slaw add crunch, the vegan mayo adds creaminess and the vinegar gives it some needed acidity.

The tofu is marinated in the buffalo sauce and then grilled. Once you have the tofu pressed overnight, using a Tofu Xpress or my towel method, this sandwich will come together in about 30 minutes, including marinating. Use a gluten free bread or a gluten-free wrap to make this sandwich completely gluten free.  

GRILLED BUFFALO TOFU PO' BOY PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Cookbook Update: While my upcoming cookbook, Everyday Vegan Eats, has been available for pre-order for a few weeks, Amazon has updated the information on the book. Look-inside is not available, yet, but a few recipes have been published. Check it out! 

And here is another picture from the book, Fried Vegan Omelet.

I am also linking to these recipe parties! The blogs hosting Healthy Vegan Fridays are Suzanne at Hello Veggie, Anna at Herbivore Triathlete, and Kimmy at Rock My Vegan Socks.  

The blog hosting Gluten-Free Fridays is Vegetarian Mamma.

I’ve also decided to submit this dish to What I Ate Wednesday hosted by Peas and Crayons since, well, it will be Wednesday soon enough!