chickpeas

This is a recipe with history. The original inspiration was posted over 3 years ago by Selma from Selma’s Table, she won a Food 52 competition for the “Best One Pot Meal” with a recipe entitled Extraordinary Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Chickpeas. I have made Selma’s recipe several times, and highly recommend it. You can find her original recipe by clicking on the link here.

My vegetarian adaptation using cauliflower is a spin off from both the original and several posts by Elaine of the blog foodbod. The marinade has been around in the blogging community for some time, based on some of Elaine’s past dishes…roasted chickpeas and potatoes and cauliflower and chickpea magic, not to mention marinated cauliflower nirvana. I have dubbed Elaine the “Queen of Roasting” because of the high quality of her recipes for roasted vegetables, it is definitely a blog to bookmark.

Marinated Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Potatoes

If you read Selma’s post, she was also inspired by Elaine, so we have come full circle.

My vegetarian version uses cauliflower, chickpeas, and potatoes. It is an excellent side dish to serve with roasted meat but can also stand alone as a vegetarian entree with a green vegetable or salad. My non-vegetarian family couldn’t keep their fingers out of the baking pan.

I am a big fan of toasty bits on potatoes and cauliflower, so I changed the original recipes a bit. I precooked the potatoes for a couple of minutes before adding them to the marinade (the softened and pre-cooked potatoes soaked up the flavors of the marinade), then roasted everything uncovered for the entire cooking period. The chickpeas became crisp and crunchy in the open pan, the potatoes and cauliflower were nicely browned around the edges.

Ingredients

2 – 3 large russet or Idaho baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks about 1 1/2 inches
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
3 – 5 lemons, juiced
I head of garlic, cloves separated and pealed
1/2 cup of olive oil
3 teaspoons of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon of Harissa paste or other hot chili paste
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Fill a saucepan big enough to hold the potatoes with cool water, add a rounded teaspoon of salt. Add the potatoes to the saucepan as you peal and cut them to prevent discoloration.
Bring the water with the potatoes to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, turn down the heat slightly and cook for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, shaking the pototes around to rough up the edges. Cool slightly. More information on the why here.
Prepare a large baking sheet or baking pan by lining with aluminum foil.
Preheat your oven to 435 degrees F.
Prepare the marinade in a large bowl. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, mayonnaise, Harissa paste, and tomato paste. Whisk to mix completely.
Add the potatoes, cauliflower, garlic and drained chickpeas to the bowl with the marinade. Mix to coat.
Spread everything out on the baking pan, all in one layer if possible.
Transfer the pan to the hot oven and roast for about 40-50 minutes until everything has a slight char and is cooked through. If you think about it, you can turn the potatoes and cauliflower over after about 30 minutes to brown the other side.

Marinated Cauliflower, Potatoes, and Chickpeas

Thank you Elaine and Selma for this amazing recipe.

Marinated and Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas and Potatoes

I seem to be stuck on dishes that work on a buffet these days. It’s the impulse to cook foods that are excellent warm or at room temperature, easy summer food perfect with something tossed on the BBQ. This dish could also be a main course for a vegan or vegetarian meal.

Warm Squash & Chickpea Salad with Tahini Sauce

The recipe is adapted from Food 52 “The Genius Recipes“.

Warm Squash & Chickpea Salad with Tahini

2 lbs of winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes.
1 garlic clove, minced finely
1 teaspoon Zahtar
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups of home cooked chickpeas or 1 can of cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup of roughly chopped cilantro

Tahini Sauce

1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a pinch of salt
3 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons of tahini paste
2 tablespoons of water (plus more if needed to thin)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the squash with the garlic, allspice, Zahtar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in one layer on the baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes until soft and starting to brown. Let cool for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce. Mix the crushed garlic with the lemon juice, add the tahini paste. Thin with water and add the olive oil. Whisk into a smooth sauce and taste for seasoning.
To assemble, place the warm squash, chickpeas, red onion, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the tahini sauce and mix carefully. Season with salt and pepper to taste.