HOMEMADE HUMMUS

I greatly enjoy making dips myself, as I then know exactly what ingredients go into them. Store bought Hummus can often be disguised as a healthy dip, but the huge quantities of oil and preservatives added to it can be very scary. In addition dips always taste so much better when they are made out of your own kitchen. This is one of my go-to dips when I have friends coming over or when I am asked to bring snacks somewhere. 

Ingredients

• 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon tahini paste 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• the juice of 1/2 a small lemon
• 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• Optional - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 

Preparation

1. Place all the ingredients except for the oil in a blender or food processor and blend/process for a few minutes or until all the ingredients are combined. You may need to stop the machine a few times to scrape the mixture from the sides so that it all mixes evenly. Slowly pour in the oil whilst the blender/processor stays on. If the hummus is not smooth in consistency after adding 2 tablespoons olive oil you may add a 3rd and/or add more lemon juice. 

Serve the hummus alongside sliced raw vegetables, such as carrot, capsicum, celery, cucumber, zucchini, etc. 

CORN, CHICKPEA & CHICKEN SALAD

I fed this salad to my dad and myself after we had spent a gruelling few hours in my garden on a hot day, as I wanted to pump us full of protein! Hence the chicken and the chickpeas. You can get creative with this corn salad and use different meat, such as turkey or ham and/or toss other vegetables in to the mix; capsicum, beans, tomatoes, herbs, etc.  To me, this is a perfect summer salad! If you have a bbq or a grill plate take the opportunity to grill your corn cobs, as they taste superb. 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g chicken breasts, fat removed and cut into even 5cm strips
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, washed & drained
• 1 small red onion, cut into thin strips
• 1 large or 2 small ripe avocado/s, diced into small pieces & combined with a few teaspoons of lemon juice 
• 40g feta cheese, crumbled 
• 2 generous handfuls baby spinach or mixed lettuce
• 2 medium corn cobs, cut in half and ends removed 
• 200g mango pieces 

COOKING 

1. Cook the corn by bringing a medium saucepan of water to the boil, covered. Once boiled add the corn and steam for 4 minutes or until the kernels are just tender. 

2. Remove the kernels by standing the cooked corn round on its end and using a sharp knife to run down the length of the round. Place in a large serving bowl. Add the chickpeas, red onion, avocado, feta, lettuce/spinach and mango pieces (or leave the mango separate as the photo shows).  

3. Toss the chicken strips with the oil. Heat a grill plate or a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the chicken until grill marks appear or until the chicken is golden in colour. 

Add the chicken strips to the salad bowl, tossing well to combine or leave separate as the photo shows. Serve warm or cold. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

x Emily 

CHICKPEA, BACON & ALMOND SALAD

This salad initially started off as a Lentil & Bacon salad, made with tomatoes, red onion, sheep's pecorino cheese and a vinegary dressing. Having none of these ingredients in the kitchen the other day, I opted for a green type of salad with cooked bacon and toasted almonds thrown in. My little secret to avoiding salad dressings is to toast nuts or seeds and scatter them on top of salads for a bit of texture and a whole lot of flavour. I use sunflower seeds, pepitas, coconut chips, almonds, cashews, you name it. You could serve this salad sans (without) bacon and add a hard boiled egg or some more chickpeas to buff it up. I try to add meat to salads as it is a sneaky way for me to get my partner Chris to eat salads. Also omitting the lettuce makes him more partial to them. As the weather cools down at night, this warm salad is perfect for a light fall dinner. 

INGREDIENTS

• 80g bacon with fat removed, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, washed & drained
• 1/2 a large green capsicum, finely chopped 
• 1 lebanese cucumber or 1/2 a continental cucumber, roughly chopped
• 1/2 an avocado, finely diced 
• 1/4 cup almonds, whole or halved, toasted 
• Optional-a handful of watercress

COOKING 

1. Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces when pan is hot and dry fry (using no oil) for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the bacon is golden. 

2. Meanwhile, combine the chickpeas, capsicum, cucumber and avocado in a medium to large salad serving bowl. 

3. When the bacon has cooked, remove from heat and leave to cool for a few minutes before adding to the salad. Dry fry the almonds in the bacon pan over medium heat until toasted (you will be able to tell this when the air is fragrant with the smell of almonds). Remove from heat and toss the almonds and bacon in the salad bowl. 

Serves / 2 for a very substantial meal 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 5 minutes 

x Emily 

SILVERBEET & CHICKPEAS with TAHINI DRESSING

Janella Purcell’s Wholefood Kitchen is one of my all time favourite cookbooks. It got a little misplaced in our big house move, so I was so happy to dig it up the other day and immediately started tagging away at the recipes I wanted to make. First up is this vegetarian delight Silverbeet & Chickpeas with Tahini Dressing. If you are not a fan of silverbeet or have none on hand, Janella suggests using kale. Purcell writes that this dish has Lebanese origins and is one that she grew up on. The spices & salt really liven up the taste of the silverbeet and chickpeas, so make sure to use them. 

INGREDIENTS

Silverbeet & Chickpeas

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 brown onion, finely sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 5 generous handfuls of silverbeet, stems removed, washed & roughly chopped
• 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, washed & drained
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Dressing

• 1/2 cup hulled tahini 
• juice of 1 medium lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• sea salt 
• water 

COOKING 

1. Heat a large deep frying pan or saucepan over medium heat and swirl the oil to coat. When the oil is warm add the onion and garlic, stirring frequently until the onion is transparent. Add in the cumin and coriander, adding a few splash of water if the spices stick to the pan. Stir in the spices, then toss the silverbeet into the pan. Toss the silverbeet in with the other ingredients until it is well combined. Place the lid on the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the silverbeet has wilted. Change the stove to low heat, add the chickpeas to the pan and mash a little until the chickpeas are slightly deformed. Remove from heat, add the salt and season to taste. 

2. To make the tahini dressing; first stir the tahini so that the oil no longer separates from the tahini paste. Combine all ingredients except for the water and stir/whisk to combine. Add small splashes of water (or more lemon juice if you like a sour taste) until the dressing is smooth and runny. 

3. To serve; place the silverbeet and chickpeas in a bowl/plate and drizzle the tahini dressing on top. 

Total Preparation time / 12-15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 15 minutes 

Serves / 4 

x Emily 

MEATLESS MONDAY- PUMPKIN, CHICKPEA & BLOOD ORANGE SALAD

It’s been rough and tough renovating a house over the last eight weeks. It has been emotionally and physically draining being at work and the house 12-14 hours a day, however the most difficult part for me has been not having time to cook. I feel lost and adrift without my ‘me’ time to experiment with new recipes, seasonal flavours and writing my thoughts down every day. So when I get a window of a few hours that does not consist of work, renovating or exercise I jump at it with arms wide open. That is exactly what I did yesterday (Sunday) and my enthusiasm lead to this sunny salad. Happy meatless Monday everyone. 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 450g Jap or other type of pumpkin, skin and seeded removed, cut into 4cm pieces
• 200g cooked chickpeas
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3cm fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 large handfuls of baby spinach, washed 
• the flesh of a blood orange, skin removed and chopped into even pieces
• the seeds of one pomegranate, washed 

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water 

COOKING

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Combine the cut pumpkin, chickpeas, oil, ginger and garlic in a large bowl and toss/stir well to combine. Spread the pumpkin mixture out on the prepared tray and roast in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft but not mushy. Remove from the oven. 

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a small jar or cup and stirring well. 

3. Prepare the salad by placing the baby spinach in a large serving bowl, then topping with the cooked pumpkin and chickpeas, then add in the blood orange and pomegranate and the dressing. Toss to combine all the flavours and serve whilst the pumpkin is still warm. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x Emily 

KALE, PUMPKIN & CHICKPEA CASSOULET

I wish I could take credit for this beautiful, rustic Cassoulet but all the glory must go to creative Tasmanian farmer and cook Matthew Evans. I found this recipe in the latest edition of Feast magazine and couldn’t take my eyes off it. What really intrigued me was Evans quote re this dish; ‘this is such a great one-pot meal that you’ll probably want to become a vegetarian for winter’. I just had to try this one. Loaded with healthy and wholesome vegetables including kale (or the less available Cavolo nero), pumpkin, onions, chickpeas and tomatoes and topped with breadcrumbs, this meat-free cassoulet is divine. It is the tastiest way I have ever eaten kale and chickpeas and is a true blue winter dish. If you try any winter warmers on this blog- this is the one! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 onions, 1 red & 1 brown, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh rosemary
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 600g pumpkin, peeled & cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 x 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 2 large handfuls of kale or cavolo nero, stems removed and leaves washed & shredded
• 140g (2 cups) gluten free breadcrumbs

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and stir, cooking for 4 minutes or until onion has softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute or until it becomes fragrant. Reduce the heat to low and add the smoked paprika, coriander & cumin and stir well into pan until combined. 

2. Pour diced tomatoes and 750ml (3 cups) water into the pan to slow down the cooking. Return the heat to high and add the pumpkin, chickpeas and kale/cavolo nero. Add a pinch of sea salt and pepper and stir well to combine all ingredients. 

3. Transfer the ingredients to an ovenproof casserole pan unless you have used a deep frying pan in steps 1 & 2 that is ovenproof and will fit in your oven. Sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs (1 cup) on top of the vegetables and bake in the oven for 1 hour. After this time, remove from the oven and stir in the slightly browned breadcrumbs on the top, taste and add more salt & pepper if needed. Check the moisture level as well; you want there to be a small amount of liquid just below the chickpeas, so top up with some water if it is looking dry. (I added around 1/2 cup of water). Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of breadcrumbs evenly over the top and bake for another hour or until the breadcrumbs are golden and the pumpkin is tender. Serve hot. 

Serves / 6

Total Preparation time / 15 - 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 2 hours 15 minutes 

x Emily 

SPRING PANZANELLA

On of the fifth day of salad I really needed something substantial. The sun was beating down relentlessly and I was more than a little cranky because of this - who knew that endless sunshine could make you irritable? So I decided some toasted bread would be needed in my salad. Panzanella is a salad traditionally made from bread and tomatoes and originates in Florence, Italy. The bread is meant to be stale, however you can toast your bread like I did if it is not quite at this stage. Onions, basil, olive oil and vinegar are also commonly found in this salad, however I opted for eschallots, parsley and celery. Having been filled to the brim with tomatoes I chose to omit them from my summer Panzanella, which I am sure the Italians would have frowned upon!

INGREDIENTS

Salad 

• a generous handful of any type of lettuce, rinsed & drained
• 1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 1 large celery stalk, rinsed & finely chopped
• 1/2 a medium eschallot, finely chopped
• 2 slices gluten & dairy free bread, torn into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Dressing 

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 heaped tablespoon dijon mustard 
• pinch of sea salt 

COOKING

1. Preheat fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine torn bread, parsley & 1 garlic clove in a small bowl, tossing well to combine. Scatter bread on tray in a single layer, then bake in the oven for 8 minutes or until bread pieces are lightly toasted and golden in colour. Remove from oven. 

2. Meanwhile, prepare dressing by mixing together all ingredients. Place lettuce, chickpeas, celery and eschallots in a large serving bowl and add dressing, tossing well to combine. Only add bread pieces right before serving the salad, or the bread will go soggy. Serve immediately after adding bread. 

Serves / 2-3 as a main / 4 as a side 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 10 minutes 

x Emily