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Chickpea salad I brought to friend’s party on Saturday. 3 cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)1 cup plain Greek yogurt2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives2 tsp cumin1/2 tsp cayennejuice of 1 lemondozen chopped grape tomatoessalt & pepper to taste … Continue reading
I am often challenged to prepare a meal quickly and healthily for my kids. That’s because I am not the best meal planner, unlike some who write down their upcoming meals on their calendars and buy the ingredients at the beginning of the week. I do try to buy things that I will use together in many ways and figure it which way on the day. This way of shopping is sort of like picking out clothes that are mix and match instead buying a complete outfit. And even if I do plan out some meals in advance, every so often a day goes awry and can lead to what-to-cook-for-dinner-panic. Especially when our day has gotten busier than expected and dinner should have been on the table not still in the fridge/pantry. So, here are a couple of suggestions for those kind of days: what to cook when you only have a few minutes to cook. (I’ve got it listed by protein as most in U.S. consider that the focus— I can touch on that another time.) These are separate ideas and recipes not all for one night.
Fish: I use several types as go-to meals. Most fish is quick, easy, delicious and nutritious. I mostly steer clear of the bigger fish (tuna, swordfish) especially for the kids because of mercury. I also won’t buy many farm-raised because of antibiotics, PCBs and other harmful chemicals. Here is a good resource for what to buy.
It is winter here so I don’t grill as often. I will instead pan fry (in a little canola or safflower oil) some firm, thin fish like tilapia; pan roast (start on the stove, finish in the oven) thicker fish like salmon and snapper; and roast or braise other really thin or flaky fish like sole, cod (a little lemon, butter and white wine make a great combination for those). Serve the fish with rice, potatoes, and several vegetables and/or salad.
One suggestion is firm white fish (tilapia, catfish), lightly coated with Eastern spices and a little dried lemongrass, pan fried in canola oil for a few minutes on each side. I use Penzy’s Singapore Spice blend which combines curry flavors with citrus. 
Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans): my staple for either all-vegetarian or partial-vegetarian dishes. I often use chickpeas to stretch the meat in a recipe. I put them in chili, Moroccan dishes and curries. I usually buy canned ones since they’re ready to use in a moment. Cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, garlic and ginger are all wonderful with chickpeas (in any combination). Throw in some tomatoes, kale and potatoes and you’ve got a complete meal. 
To be continued….
Not only am I on a curry kick but I am loving chickpeas (garbanzo beans) lately. Luckily my kids like them too. Hummus is one of their favorite snack foods and they won’t object to falafel or chickpeas in any dish I make. I don’t think I started eating them until I got to university and tried falafel for the first time from the cart in the Octagon. (Dunedin’s town ‘square’ is actually octagonal.)
The other night I made a different version of my Spiced Chickpeas and Potatoes from the other week. This time I added a bunch of kale from our shared harvest (CSA), lentils and fennel seeds, which added a nice flavor dimension. It was perfect for warming little ones up on these chillier autumn nights. My eldest son declared it “delicious” and that he “loved it” and not surprisingly my middle son said he didn’t like it because it was too spicy but he ate more than half of it before he gave up on it. My youngest son missed out on it because he fell asleep before dinner after a busy day of play dates and running around. 
It’s fairly easy to make especially since I used canned chickpeas and precooked belgua lentils from Trader Joe’s.
Curried Chickpeas, Potatoes, Kale and Lentils
Sauté shallot and garlic. Add spices and stir for a minute or two. Stir in chickpeas, potatoes, tomatoes, kale and stock, salt and pepper to taste. (I think I should have added it later, but it was fine). 
Cook for 20 minutes then add the lentils, basil and parsley. 
Cook for another 10-20 minutes. This can be made in crock pot but I suggest sautéing onion/shallot and garlic and then heating the spices over the stove first then adding it all to slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 hours or high for 3.
I loved the additional flavor that the fennel seeds added and the kale really went well with the other ingredients. Of course you can tailor this to suit your tastes and what’s in your pantry/refrigerator. I find that eating less meat is not only healthful and good for the environment but less expensive. Not that I ever break the food down into it’s nutritional parts; still it was interesting to find out that not only is there plenty of protein (even vegetarian version) and fiber in this dish, it also is fairly high in folate and other vitamins and minerals. Meaning it is really good for you and your kids, as well as tasting fabulous.
My eldest son and I had the leftovers for lunch the following 2 days.
I had been to Costco a few days earlier and they were sampling sous-vide (vacuum packed) chickpeas with Middle Eastern/Indian spices. I looked at the ingredients and had decided I could cook something like it at a fraction of the price. That was what I had planned for the night I invited a good friend and her daughters over for an impromptu play date.
We could sit on the back deck enjoying some wine while the kids played on the swings and in the yard. They’ve known each other since my eldest was 8 months old; her eldest daughter is only 3 days older than him. They’re like family only without the bickering. They hadn’t intended on staying for dinner, but we were all having a wonderful time together that the time just flew and why put an end to a good thing? I had set out some nuts and snacks for everyone early on and I also had my friend try the amazing pork dish my husband made the night before (will try to blog about soon), which her youngest daughter ended up devouring. 
The evening had progressed and I realized my plans to cook dinner had been delayed enough to have to throw in a couple of Mystic pizzas because the kids were starving by this point. My original plan needed at least 35 minutes from start to finish and it was already past 6:30 but that didn’t stop me from proceeding to cook the chickpeas.
I found two recipes that I melded, adapted and tweaked for my dish. One was from Big Girls, Small Kitchen Moroccan Chickpeas and the other form Molly Watson on About.com Potatoes with Chickpeas.
Chickpeas with Potatoes
Since we were so tight on time, I tried a different method for the potatoes. First I sautéed in olive oil the onions and garlic then I added the potatoes. Every time they started to stick to the bottom of the pan I would add some water (just enough so they were no longer sticking) stirring the whole time; almost similar to cooking risotto. After 10 minutes or so the potatoes were soft enough, I made a well at the bottom of the pan and added the spices, stirring often. Then I added the chickpeas, tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper. 
I cooked for a few minutes then added the lemon juice and served over rice.
My girlfriend and I both loved it; nicely spiced and filling. My eldest was the only kid wanting to try it that night and he loved it. I served it again last night as a side dish to all three— my eldest kept having huge spoonfuls before I had gotten it on their plates! My middle son who said he “liked it but it was too spicy.” My youngest didn’t try it— yet. I am definitely adding this to my vegetarian (without the chicken stock) repertoire. 
