Chickpeas, cumin and fresh herbs patted into tasty little cakes, sautéed and served with a cucumber, tomato and feta topping. The original recipe appeared in Vegetarian Times in 2009…shows you how long I’ve been making (and eating!) them .

Sometimes I skip the Greek salad topping and go with sriracha + mayo, my favorite all-purpose sauce, but I do love the briny feta, cold crunchy cucumbers and tomatoes, and the acidity of the lemon juice…mmmm, I want some more right now!

Chickpea Croquettes with Greek Salad Topping

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber quartered and sliced (1 cup)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes – quartered
• 2 green onions – chopped
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese – optional (Omit for vegan)
• Croquettes
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas – rinsed and drained
• 4 green onions – chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic – minced (2 tsp.)

Directions

To make Topping:

Toss together cucumber, tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, and oil in bowl. Gently stir in feta crumbles. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and set aside.

To make Croquettes:

1. Whisk together chickpea flour, cumin, chili powder, and salt in bowl. Whisk in 1/3 to 1/2 cup hot water. Stir in remaining ingredients, and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

2. Coat nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Scoop 4 ı/4-cup dollops of chickpea mixture into skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden.

3. Flip with spatula, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Repeat with remaining chickpea mixture. Serve each Croquette topped with 1/4 cup Topping.

SaveSave

The post Recipe: Chickpea Fritters appeared first on TaylorMade Meals.

The humble chickpea – simmered in a savory tomato sauce, topped with briny, salty feta and luscious farm-fresh eggs – becomes positively swoon-worthy. There is something about both feta and chickpeas; something that happens to them when you cook them even for a few minutes…the texture becomes a little bit chewy, and a lot of delicious. I’ve been saving this dish to make a for a while, waiting for a night when no one else but me was eating dinner at home, so I could avoid the chickpea suspicion that sometimes emanates from the other people that live here… so I made this dish “for 1” tonight. I prepared the the whole tomato/chickpea mixture, but then just added about 1/4 of it to a small baking dish, added some feta and one egg, and baked it.   I’ll have the rest of the tomato goodness for lunches etc for the rest of the week.  YUM!

My version (for one, so just one egg on top of 2 cups of the chickpea/tomato sauce):

PS: as in all cooking that isn’t baking – which is to say all FUN cooking, haha –  don’t sweat the details.  I used frozen diced onions (LIFE CHANGING), smoked paprika, fresh oregano & basil because I had it, and a box of Pomi tomatoes. If you have jarred marinara, just use that! Easy and super fast. Oh, and please stop buying feta crumbles and reward yourself with a block of good feta.  The salty, briny, clean and sharp taste; the firm, almost meaty texture – sooo much better than the crumbles, and it lasts for weeks in the fridge (you can change the water every so often if you feel like it; I’ve never had one last long enough to spoil though.)

Here’s what block feta looks like:

A brand I like, though there are others:

The flavor and texture are SO much better than the crumbles. It will cost you more than the crumbles, but you GET more, and it’s better.  So, you win.

Oh, and here’s the beautiful Bon Appetite photo from the original recipe:

Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas

The post Recipe: Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Chickpeas appeared first on TaylorMade Meals.

Isn’t this lovely? Pretty much any time you combine a wealth of fresh veggies, herbs, olives etc, you get a beautiful and healthful dish.  This is kind of a “Hey, let’s see what’s in the fridge” type of dip; you may have all or most of the ingredients on hand right now.  I didn’t use exact amounts; I had most of a thing of cream cheese; “some” hummus; no garlic so I sprinkled in some garlic powder…like most dishes it lends itself well to improvising.

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese – softened (I had a little bit of plain and a little garden veg – worked great mixed together)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1-2 cloves garlic – minced
• 1 1/2 cups prepared hummus
• 1 cup chopped cucumber
• 1 cup chopped tomato (I used roasted peppers)
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions (or not)
• Pita chips for dipping

Directions

The post Layered Greek Dip appeared first on TaylorMade Meals.

This mushroom risotto is simple and lovely and delicious.  The method is Martha Stewart’s, and you know Martha does NOT mess around.  You can use this method to make any kind of risotto – shrimp, scallops, asparagus, sausage, peas and ham, etc.  I like to cook those items first with the shallots and remove them to the side while I get the rice nice and creamy, and then add them back in.

Now: go forth and make risotto!!

Recipe: Mushroom Risotto

• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cups unsalted butter
• 1 shallots (large – diced small)
• 1/2 pound mushrooms (cremini, baby bella, button – any type, pre-sliced is easiest!)
• coarse salt
• ground pepper
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 cups dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (1/4 ounce)
• 3 tablespoons fresh herbs (chopped mixed – such as parsley, marjoram, and chives)

1. In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a simmer; reduce heat and keep warm. (You can also pour it into a large Pyrex measuring cup and heat it in the microwave – mine is a 4-cup, so I start with the 4 cups and add the other two and heat it later). In a 10-inch heavy- bottomed skillet or pot, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high. Add shallot and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, until rice is translucent at edges, 1 minute.

2. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 2 minutes. (If you drink, now is a good time to pour yourself a glass, too!). With a ladle, add about 1 cup broth to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed, 4 minutes. (Ok Martha, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO STIR CONSTANTLY.  I’m sure this is the best/most traditional way, but it really is not required.  Add broth, stir, go about your business, come back every so often to stir and check the level of liquid. When it’s almost all absorbed…) Repeat, gradually adding broth by the cupful and stirring constantly, until rice is tender but still al dente and sauce is creamy (you may not need all of broth), 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter and Parmesan, along with herbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

The post Don’t Be Afraid of Risotto! appeared first on TaylorMade Meals.