Chickpea "Tots"

Original Recipe HERE

 

My kids thought these were great: many were consumed at dinner, and they were happy to hear there was leftover dough to make some more the following day.  Naturally, they were dipped in ketchup.  I wasn't blown away by them, but they were a somewhat nutritious side dish (or snack) that they had fun helping with, so I will make them again and see if it was a fluke or if this should be a reliable option.

 

Ingredients

2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 large egg

1 garlic clove

1 cup Panko

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

(2) Add all ingredients to a food processor.  Process until it's a smooth and uniform dough; remove from processor.

(3) Take a small handful of dough at a time and roll it into a "snake" about 3/4" in diameter.  Cut into 1" pieces.  Flatten or round edges if desired.

(4) Grease a baking sheet or use a silpat or parchment.  Bake tots for 10 minutes on one side.  Turn them over; bake for an additional 5 minutes (or until golden and crispy).

 

Kid Participation: Shape tots into snakes.

Chickpea, Peanut Butter, & Chocolate Chip Bites

Original Recipe HERE

I was eager yet apprehensive to try these.  Eager because I was intrigued by the chickpea element; apprehensive because I was scared I would like them a lot and eat them all and go back and make more.  I am nothing if not self-aware.

The original writer insisted that they were better warm and would be too chickpea-ish if eaten at room temperature.  I didn't have that experience.  All I tasted was the peanut butter with a nice hint of honey.  Most were eaten the night they were made, but 24 hours later the remaining ones were delicious and still ever-so-slightly gooey in the center.  They will remain soft after baking; don't wait until they get crispy.  Mine had a barely detectable crust on the top when I took them out.

Update: I made these again, and they DID taste too chickpea-ish (FYI, when something has chickpeas in it and I don't like it, I refer to them as garbanzos because that awkward, alternate name seems to fit my impression better than the benign "chickpea").  I eyeballed the amounts and probably didn't put in enough peanut butter or honey.  Next time I'll also try a bit of ground cinnamon in my quest to perfect this recipe.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed & patted dry

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter [I used Smart Balance creamy}

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt (if peanut butter doesn't have salt in it)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

(1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

(2) Combine all ingredients, except for chocolate chips, in a food processor.  Process until very smooth.

(3) Add chocolate chips.  Process until just combined. Mixture will be very thick and sticky.

(4) With wet hands or a mini scoop, form dough into 1-1/2" balls. Place onto Silpat or piece of parchment paper lining a baking sheet.  They can be close together; they do not expand much.

(5) Bake 10 minutes. Yields about 30 1" bites.

Kid Participation:

* Add ingredients to food processor

* Operate processor

* Use scoop to place dough on cookie sheet

* Eat too many of them because they're so small that Mama would allow, "OK, just one more."

Couscous & Feta-stuffed Peppers

Original Recipe HERE

I was nervous about this dish because I don't always like cooked peppers.  Roasted, yes.  But so often they're served as part of something else and are mushy, limp, and almost bitter.  I'm pleased to announce that this dish has assuaged my fear and will be made again.  I assume the trick is to use sweeter peppers instead of green.

*J* ate the filling but didn't like the pepper shell, which was not a surprise.  What did shock me was how much *N* loved the entire thing, even asking for seconds.  I was so excited that she was eating peppers for once, instead of fastidiously picking them out of her meal, that I even let her use a "grown up knife" (under eagle-eyed supervision) to cut the pepper into bite-size pieces.

Ingredients
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup couscous
4 extra-large or 5 large bell peppers [red, yellow, or orange]
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 zucchini or yellow squash [or a combination of both] peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced across thinly
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half [or one large tomato, diced with seeds removed]
15 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons tomato paste

Directions
(1) Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray.
(2) Bring the broth to a boil in a small pot.  Add the couscous; cover and remove from the heat.
(3) Cut stems and top half inch off peppers.  Scoop out seeds and membranes.
(4) Place peppers upright in the baking dish.  Roast for 15 minutes or until they soften.  Remove from the oven.
(5) Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add onion, zucchini, squash, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
(6) Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes, chickpeas and tomato paste. Scrape the couscous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Stir in crumbled feta.
(7) Fill peppers with the couscous mixture. Bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
 
Notes: Only change I would make is to make the tomato flavor more pronounced (via pasta sauce or more tomato paste) to fit my personal preference.
 

Kid Participation: None.

Garbanzo, Tomato, & Pasta Soup

Original Recipe HERE

*N* read a book in which the young characters ate tomato soup, so guess what she asked me to serve for dinner.  I had already had this recipe in the hopper to make this week, so I figured it would be close enough.

Both kids enjoyed most of it: *N* picked out the onions and some tomatoes, and *J* ate everything except the chickpeas (which I find strange, since he adores hummus, but he always locates the garbanzos in anything I make and leaves them on his tray).  Both asked for second and third helpings, so this will be made again.

I followed the recipe closely, and next time I'll just use any type of canned tomato I have on hand (usually diced).  Also, any sort of small pasta, like ditalini or orzo, would work just as well - but they aren't as fun.  Toward the end of the meal, *N* enjoyed hiding various elements of the soup between two shells and asking me to guess what was in there.  Dinner and a show!

Ingredients

45 to 50 oz vegetable broth

1 1/2 cups small seashell pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups fresh spinach leaves, finely chopped

1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon dried ground thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

(1) Bring vegetable broth to a boil in large pot. Add pasta; cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente.

(2) Meanwhile, heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until translucent.

(3) Add spinach and garbanzo beans to pan.  Increase heat slightly; sautee until spinach is wilted.

(4) Stir vegetables into pasta.  Add tomato paste, basil, thyme, salt and pepper. Heat through and serve.

Notes: I assume chicken broth would work just as well.  *J* may accept different beans (cannellini?).

 

Kid Participation: None.