1. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
2. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the almond flour, and pulse. You want to add enough corn flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
3. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts or small patties, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle-Eastern markets.
4. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add more corn flour/meal. Then fry about 6 balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Garnish with chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.

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2 medium heads cauliflower
4-6 cloves garlic
1/3 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp minced fresh sage
1/2 tsp ground fennel
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flake
1/2 tsp green or red lentils, rinsed
juice of one lemon
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
salt and pepper
1 tbsp coconut oil or grass-fed butter
Chopped parsley
chili oil or olive oil (optional)
thin lemon slice (optional – for garnish)

Cut each cauliflower head in half lengthwise through the stem (to hold the entire “steak” together). Cut each half again in the same direction so that you get 1″ thick slices. The ends may break apart – which you can just roast with everything else or save for another dish later.

Saute garlic, onion, sage, fennel, red pepper flakes, and lentils with the coconut oil or butter over medium heat for 3 minutes in a medium saucepan until fragrant. Add vegetable stock and bring mixture to a boil over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat back to a simmer. Cook covered for 45 minutes or until lentils are very soft. If you lose a lot of water from the boiling process, add more water to keep it loose.

Once the lentils are tender, remove the saucepan from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Blend the mixture in an immersion (“stick”) blender or a regular blender. During this blending process add salt and pepper to taste. Also add the lemon to taste (usually 1 tablespoon of lemon juice should do it).

Heat the grill on high or set your broiler to high with the rack at the top most position. Place the cauliflower “steaks” on the grill and cook each side for 5 minutes until the “flowers” have a nice char to them. Remove to a plate and cover to finish cooking. If using an oven, place “steaks” in a baking sheet and broil for 5-7 minutes until edges have similar char. Remove and rest for 5 minutes to finish cooking process.

Carefully plate one “steak” on a plate. Add a ladle of the lentil sauce. Top with parsley, a dash of sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and chili or olive oil drizzle.

The post Grilled Cauliflower “Steaks” with Spicy Lentil Sauce appeared first on Healthy Home Restaurant.

Image Courtesy of Flickr user Tassike.ee – Marju Randmer.

Taken from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or 2 cans
1/2 cup sesame tahini
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves of crushed garlic or 2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1-2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup bean liquid or water to desired consistency

1. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Your blender may get “stuck” with the thickness of the ingredients. Simply turn OFF the blender and scrape the sides down to the blades with a wooden spoon. Adding more olive oil or bean liquid can help.
2. You will want to taste the hummus to see if it needs more lemon, tahini, garlic or salt.
3. In a pinch I have substituted 1/4 cup natural peanut butter for 1/4 cup tahini.
4. You can also add basil or other ingredients (such as red chili flake or roasted red pepper) to vary the flavor.

Hummus makes a great, healthy snack and freezes well!

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Image courtesy of Flickr user jim_j1

Tagine is the name of both the cooking vessel and the entree (kind of like our word for “casserole”). The entree tagine usually is made with tougher cuts of meat (lamb, beef) slowly simmered in a spicy sauce. This version replaces the meat with garbanzo beans and cauliflower. Cutting up all the vegetables and measuring all the spices in separate bowls before turning on the stove saves much time and frustration.

2 tbs. olive oil (or enough to coat bottom of pan)
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tbs.)
2 14.5-oz. cans chickpeas (do NOT drain – keep the liquid in the can)
1/2 head of cauliflower florets
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds  (or handful of cut baby carrots)
3/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (or to taste)
1/4 cup raisins
2 tsp. honey
1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
3 Tbs. finely chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a large skillet or braising pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, or until onion is soft. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in chickpeas (including liquid), carrots, and all the spices (tumeric, cinnamon, cumin, red pepper). Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add honey, raisins, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Garnish each serving with a dollop of yogurt (or omit if vegan), and sprinkle with cilantro if desired. Serve over couscous or rice or by itself to keep it gluten-free. Freezes very well. Best if eaten the next day so the spices can seep into the ingredients.

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