Tag: marinated

Wine Marinated Crispy Chickpeas (Vegan, Vegetarian, Meat-Free, Dairy-Free)

Simple Tasty Winter Meals(Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Meat-free)
It’s “officially” fall in the Pacific Northwest. All of the normal indications are here: I need sunglasses, a jacket, a scarf, a tank top, gloves and an umbrella all in the course of about five minutes. The sun is setting earlier, waterproofing boots is on my to-do list, and my shorts get packed away.

Another indication that it’s fall is here is the lack of daylight. There is an impending sluggish feeling that starts to set in when we realize that we go to work when it’s dark and leave work it’s dark. Unless you’re one of the lucky few that has a window near your cubicle or in your office, it’s possible to only catch a glimpse of real “light” through ever distant windows on the run from the  much needed afternoon coffee break to back to back afternoon meetings.

When the rain starts, the fall flavor craving starts. These cravings battle the ever sluggish feelings and makes us torn when it comes to dinner. Either it’s the event that keeps me going during the day and I can’t wait to rush home and cook something that I’ve pinned, liked, saved or stashed. Or, the last thing I want to do is be in the kitchen as a continuation of my daily servitude but am conflicted when I mentally explore the ease of ordering pizza.

Marinated Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas, drained
White Wine
Minced garlic
Dried Parsley, garlic, rosemary pepper
EVOO or cooking spray

  1. Open the can of chickpeas, drain and rinse
  2. Marinate the chickpeas in spices, white wine and a few dashes of balsamic in a bowl or tupperware
  3. When you’re about 17 minutes away from the other dishes being ready, pre-heat a pan with some EVOO or cooking spray
  4. Remove the chickpeas from the marinade, I use a slotted spoon to do so, and toast on medium-high until the exterior starts to brown (usually about 10-15 minutes)
  5. Shake the pan every few minutes  to move the chickpeas around so they brown evenly
  6. Once they’re browned to your linking, remove from the heat and serve

I usually pair with baked butternut squash, sauteed garlic kale or kale chips and toasted quinoa.

Cooking Notes:

–The Wine:  I NEVER cook with a wine I wouldn’t drink. So, choose whichever you’d like. Anything from a Chardonnay to Riesling works. I usually use a traditional table white wine or a dry Pinot Grigio

–Marination Time : Since this is a go-to meal I usually only marinate them for about an hour, but if you can remember in the morning to prepare them it will taste MUCH more delicious

Roasted Red Peppers

Lovely Red Peppers ready to roast
Lovely Red Peppers ready to roast

Roasted Red Peppers are a love affair of mine. It feels like I’m getting caught in the act of hijacking cookies secretly from the cookie jar when I eat them…yes…straight from the container. It “feels” like I’m doing something wrong because how can such a delicious treat be SO good for you!?

When the peppers are roasted it brings out their sweetness and lends a wonderful charred flavor to them which also makes them a wonderful addition to any sandwich, salad, tapas or antipasto plate, pasta, humus, dip, need I go on?

I decided that it was best to read up a bit before jumping in and ruining 5 wonderful red peppers and I was SO surprised by how easy the process was! The roasting process is painless, the hardest part will be the options of what to DO with the peppers once you’ve roasted them.  You can use them right away, put them in a jar to eat through the week, freeze them or can preserve them. The thought of freezing them makes me a little skeptical, I feel like they’ll be mushy when they’re thawed out again. For this recipe I made enough for two weeks(ish) so I didn’t need to do any sort of preserving but this afternoon I’ll get another batch of peppers and a few mason jars (which I also have a crush on) and giving this Marinated Roasted Red Bell recipe from Simply Recipes a try.

Tips:

  • CHAR the peppers! Not only does this create the smoky flavor but it will also help you pinch off the pesky and indigestible skins.
  • Once out of the oven, place in a paper bag for  20-ish minutes (or longer if needed) to help steam the skins apart from the pepper. You can also use large bowl and cover with saran wrap or place in a large Tupperware. If you don’t let them  char OR steam long enough and it is a PAIN in the rear to pinch off all the skins! So, make sure you char and steam them long enough!

There are SO many recipes that I want to try with roasted peppers! I’ve listed a few of them below. Please feel free to post comments with your favorite red pepper recipes! I’m always looking for more!

Red Pepper Recipes to Try
Panini with eggplant, onions, roasted red pepper and basil
Roasted Red Pepper Humus
Marinated Red Peppers
Tapas Plates (Pimientos Rojos con Anchoas)
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Grilled Eggplant with Roasted Red Pepper Tapenade

Roasted Red Peppers

Ingredients
Red Peppers (Yellow or Green work also, I just prefer red)
Reynolds Wrap Non-Stick Aluminum Foil
Cookie Sheet
Large Tupperware container or bowl and saran wrap for steaming the skins off

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450F then change to it to broil.
  2. Wash and dry the peppers.
  3. Core them from to remove the seeds. My method is the cut off the stem and cut around the top stem area like you would if you were coring a tomato. Pop out the core and chop them in half to remove all the seeds and white membrane inside.
  4. Place the red peppers on an aluminum lined baking sheet with the cut side facing down.
  5. Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 20-25 minutes. Check them at the 15 min mark just to see how they’re charring…everyone’s oven is different.
  6. Place the peppers in a the Tupperware or in a glass bowl covered with saran wrap and let them steam and cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes.
  7. Pinch off the skin from the peppers and place directly into jar or your preferred method of canning/preserving/freezing.