Chickpea Zucchini Piccata

Thanks to my friend Liz, who has been an avid reader, commenter and general inspiration here on HGK since the beginning. Last week she mentioned to me that she and her husband were really enjoying the Chickpea Picatta recipe from Appetite for Reduction. So when it came time for me to focus (have you noticed how unfocused I have been lately? Three sick kids and a kitchen renovation project will sure take your mind off of cooking!) on testing a new recipe, it was the first thing that came to mind. I love lemons and capers, so thanks Liz, for another great suggestion! 

Served over arugula, as Ms. Moskowitz recommended, it was sooooo lemony and divine! For my 11 year old, I plated it up with some brown rice. Ms. Moskowitz also suggests mashed potatoes, but I didn't have the wherewith all for that tonight. The only thing I would do differently when I make this again is to add even more vegetables--perhaps an 8 ounce package of sliced mushrooms added at the same time that I add the chopped zucchini . . .

Chickpea Zucchini Piccata

serves 8

based on a recipe from Isa Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction

Printable Recipe

2 cups thinly sliced Shallots

12 Garlic Cloves, diced
4 tbsp Bread Crumbs
4 cups Vegetable Broth (low Sodium)
2/3 cup Sherry Cooking Wine
Black Pepper
3 medium green zucchini, chopped medium
3 16 oz cans Garbanzo Beans-rinsed and drained
1/2 cup Capers
6 tbsp Lemon Juice, Freshly Squeezed
8 cups Arugula, Raw

Preheat a large heavy bottomed pan over medium. Pour in a few Tbsp of the veggie broth to just cover the bottom of the pan. As soon as the broth is bubbling, add the shallots and garlic. Saute the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes, until golden, adding a bit more broth if the mixture gets too dry. Add the breadcrumbs and toast them by stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. They should turn a few shades darker.

Add the rest of the vegetable broth and wine, salt, black pepper and thyme. Turn up heat and bring to a rolling boil and let the sauce reduce by 1/2, it should take about 7 minutes.

Add chopped zucchini and cook until zucchini just starts to turn from white to translucent. Add the chickpeas and capers to heat through, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon and turn off the heat. Taste and add salt if desired.

If serving with mashed potatoes or cooked brown rice, place the arugula in a wide bowl. Place mashed potatoes on top, and ladle picatta over the potatoes. The arugula will wilt and it will be lovely. If you are serving solo, just pour right over the arugula.

What have you been busy with lately? I'm not kidding, I would love to hear about it!!!

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Unprocessed: Chef Aj's Disappearing Lasagna Recipe



In the past few weeks, Chef Aj and I have struck up a nice little friendship on Facebook. I have been reading her new cookbook Unprocessed and been really blown away by her personal story, which is the first 52 pages of the book. I couldn't put it down.

When she asked me if I would like to blog about and publish some of the recipes from the new cookbook, I was like, absolutely! To be honest, I was going to make a bunch of her recipes and then write a review of the book anyway, so getting her permission to publish the recipes along with the review is amazing.

Me: "I would love to start with your favs. I did hear that your lasagna is out of this world!"

Chef Aj: "I think the lasagna (especially the bean/kale variation) is the best recipe in the book. I also recommend the Sweet Potato Nachos and the Spicy Peanut Noodles!"

So yesterday morning I set out to make this famous Disappearing Lasagna. I do want to warn you, this is not a recipe to start when you are in a time crunch. I recommend a lazy Sunday morning for this one! The smells that will permeate your kitchen are delightful.

So without further adieu, here is the first recipe from Unprocessed.

Chef A.j.'s Disappearing Lasagna

Printable Recipe

2 boxes of no boil rice lasagna noodles (I used 1 box of whole wheat from Whole Foods and followed the directions on the box, boiling them for 4 minutes and then rinsing each noodle well in cold water)
6 cups oil-free marinara sauce

Filling No. 1:
1 box extra firm tofu, drained and wrapped in paper towel to remove excess moisture OR 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 oz. fresh basil leaves (I used 2 Tbsp dried)
1 cup pine nuts, raw cashews or hemp seeds
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup low-sodium miso (I used regular miso)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
2 pounds frozen chopped spinach or 1 pound frozen chopped kale

Filling No. 2:
2 pounds sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup tamari
1 large red onion

4 oz can sliced olives, rinsed and drained (optional)

Faux Parmesan:
In a food processor, grind 1 cup raw cashews or almonds, 1/2 cup nutritional yeast and 1 Tbsp of salt-free seasoning, until a powdery mixture is achieved. If you like it more chunky, process less.

Make the filling in a food processor fitted with the "S" blade, by adding tofu, basil, garlic, lemon juice, miso, nutritional yeast, nuts and red pepper flakes. Puree until smooth. Add drained spinach or kale and process again.

In a large non-stick saute pan, saute chopped onion in 2 Tbsp water or broth until translucent, about 8 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Add garlic, mushrooms and tamari and saute until browned. Taste mixture, adding more garlic/tamari according to your taste. Cook until mushrooms appear to be glazed and there is no more liquid left in pan.

Pour 3 cups of the sauce in a 9"x13" lasagna pan. Place one layer of noodles on top. Cover noodles with half of tofu/spinach mix, then with half of mushroom mix. Place another layer of noodles on top and add remaining halves of tofu and mush. Place one more layer of noodles on top and smother evenly with remaining sauce. Sprinkle olives on top of sauce and sprinkle with faux parmesan. (I put black olives on top of half of the casserole for my husband and put thinly sliced red peppers on my half).

Bake uncovered 375 degrees for one hour. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

I decided to add a layer of extremely thinly sliced zucchini, 'cause I had one in the fridge that I needed to use up. It was a great addition! Next time, I'd make sure to have two zucchini around so that I could add it as two layers. The more veg, the better. 

When we ate it for lunch my husband exclaimed, "This is the best lasagna ever!" I told him to get on Facebook and send Chef Aj a message 'cause he owes it to her!' I will definitely be making this again, most likely for special occasions when I want to feed a crowd. It really is that delicious!

Check out Chef A.j.'s book and the reviews over on Amazon . . .



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Bill Clinton almost a Vegan? and Vegan Polenta Lasagna, Two Ways

Have you heard the big news? Former President Bill Clinton has adopted a plant based diet. See it here. I almost started to cry. It's incredible publicity for the work of both Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and his son, Dr. Thomas Campbell, authors of The China Study, as well as Drs. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dean Ornish.

On a lighter note, here's a great vegan recipe for entertaining a large crowd or just for feeding your family during a busy week. It's a variation on a recipe from Cooking Light magazine that I had to put my own twist on after my friend Lisa C made it and brought it to my vegan pot luck party this summer. I happen to really like polenta and I think that this polenta lasagna concept is super yummy. I hope you feel the same!

Wendy's Vegan Polenta Lasagna
makes 8 servings

vegetable broth for sauteing
1/2 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
16 ounces fresh spinach OR 2 medium zucchini, shredded
salt
pepper
25 ounce jar of your favorite pasta/marinara sauce
1 1/2 tubes prepared polenta, sliced into 24 rounds
4 or 8 ounces vegan shredded mozzarella cheese (I like Daiya brand)

Preheat oven to 350°. Can also be prepared and placed, uncooked, in the refrigerator for a day until ready to cook.

Spoon 1/2 cup marinara sauce into an 9x13-inch baking dish to cover bottom, and set aside.

Heat a few tablespoons of vegetable broth in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently, 5 minutes or until onions are tender and translucent. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add more broth, a little at a time as needed so the pan does not get too dry.  Add mushrooms and sauté 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring frequently. Add spinach (1/3 at a time) OR all of the shredded zucchini and stir. When spinach is wilted OR zucchini is cooked, add 3/4 cup of marinara sauce; reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Arrange 12 polenta slices over marinara in baking dish, and top evenly with half of vegetable mixture. Sprinkle 2 ounces of cheese (or 4 ounces if you want this more cheesy and thus higher in calories and fat) over vegetable mixture; arrange remaining polenta over cheese. Top polenta with the remaining vegetable mixture.  Place a spoonful of pasta sauce over each "mound" of polenta and vegetables. Gently press each mound and spread sauces with the back of your spoon.  Sprinkle with remaining 2 or 4 ounces of cheese.

Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to cook or cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Gotta add more broth, onions are starting to get too dry!

Mushrooms are cooking down.

Spinach has all wilted down nicely.

Tomato sauce is now in; this is yummy enough to eat all by itself!

Here is the filling with the shredded zucchini.

Cutting the rounds is so much fun! Just use a big chef's knife. Slice the polenta in half and then half again, as the chunk gets smaller holding it from above with your thumb and forefinger on both sides. Keep slicing the chunks in half until you have 24 slices.

Layering this baby up!

Ready to be spread out with a spoon.

Ta da! Ready for the oven or refrigerator.

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Vegan Italian Vegetable Casserole

Last week I was asked to prepare a vegetable side dish for a dinner party that we were attending. In my enthusiasm for vegetables, I decided to prepare two. One tried and true and one new and untested.

So I went to a handy-dandy website, http://www.fatfreevegan.com/ and decided to try Susan's Italian Layered Vegetable Casserole. http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/05/italian-layered-vegetable-casserole.html I adjusted the proportions of the ingredients from the original recipe. I was totally surprised at this casserole's awesomeness. I'm inspired too. Inspired to make it again and try out my own unique versions of it. It would be fabulous with even more vegetable layers, maybe fresh tomato and basil or portobella mushrooms. You could even add precooked whole wheat lasagna noodles and make it into a vegan lasagna. You really can take this thing wherever you want.

Here's my first version of this vegan, low calorie yummimess. More versions to follow in the near future!

Italian Layered Vegetable Casserole
makes 8 servings, 2 Weight Watchers points per serving

2 large eggplants
2 medium-large zucchini, sliced thinly (or 2-4 cups sliced vegetables of your choice, such as mushrooms)
chopped parsley, garnish
28 ounces of your favorite pasta/tomato sauce

Filling:
16oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 lb tofu (firm, reduced-fat recommended–not silken!)
1 tsp. salt (optional)
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast (adds a cheesy taste)
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Peel the eggplants, if desired (this makes the casserole easier to cut). Cut into 1/4-inch slices. Pre-cook the slices until they are partially dehydrated: To pre-cook in the oven, place on a silicone baking mat or parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake at 450 F until slices are shriveled but not brown or crispy. About 25 minutes. Remove immediately from baking sheet and place on a plate.

Prepare the filling by placing all ingredients into a food processor and processing until smooth.

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a mid-sized rectangular casserole dish (I used 9x13-inch) with canola oil or non-stick spray. Put a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the dish–just barely enough to cover the bottom. Arrange 1/3 of the eggplant slices over the sauce. Spread 1/2 of the filling over the eggplant, and put half of the zucchini or other vegetables over the filling. Drizzle lightly with sauce. Repeat eggplant, filling, zucchini, and sauce. Place the final layer of eggplant over the top, and pour the remaining sauce evenly over it, spreading it to cover the eggplant completely.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes. Check to make sure that zucchini is cooked and sauce has thickened; if not, add more time. Remove when done and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley as garnish.

So what's been going on in your kitchen lately? Let me know!

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Vegan Spinach Zucchini Soup and Puffed Corn Calorie Controversy

This is Baby Kitty. We got her last summer at the North Union Farmer's Market.  She's a wild and lovable lap kitten. Don't worry, we washed the soup pot before making this:

Healthy Girl's Best Friend Soup

In my opinion, there is just no easier way to lose weight than by adding low calorie, high nutrient, soups to your daily diet. Here's the recipe for one of my favorites.  2 cups=1 Weight Watcher point

1 large onion, peeled and diced

6 cups vegetable broth

6 regular sized zucchini, diced large

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp seasoning blend of your choice

8 ounces frozen spinach

1 box frozen winter/butternut squash

1 cup unsweetened almond milk 

Heat soup pot on medium. Pour in a few tablespoons of vegetable broth. When the broth is bubbling, add onions and saute them until translucent. Adjust temperature on pot to prevent onions from burning.

Add the remaining vegetable broth and all of the zucchini  to the pot. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp seasoning blend of your choice.  Bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer until zucchini are cooked through and soft.  Add frozen spinach and stir. Using a hand/immersion blender, puree soup.

Add frozen butternut squash and stir until squash is defrosted. Add almond milk and stir. Taste soup and adjust seasoning if necessary.

A bowl of vegan yumminess!

Ever wonder if the calorie count on a particular package is correct? Yesterday I ran into Holly, one of my Pilates buddies, at the Farmer's Market. She and her friend were excited about a product that was being sold by one of the Amish vendors. It was a pretty sizable package of Honey Puffed Corn and the label said that 1 bag is 25 calories. Imagine my excitement as I tasted some and it was crunchy, lightly sweet and really delicious.

Then I got to thinking, can this big bag of deliciousness really be only 25 calories? I hunted down the vendor and started asking questions, but all I got was a "Yes, it's 25 calories." I asked how that could be, if the other packages of puffed spelt and other puffed stuff had a lot more calories for the same volume.

So I went an little further in my exploration and found unsweetened puffed corn in the supermarket. Imagine my surprise when I saw the nutritional label. One cup is 60 calories! But the bag of Honey Puffed Corn from the Amish vendor had about 4 cups in it and it is sweetened, so how could it be only 25 calories? It's likely that the label is incorrect and the package probably contains over 240 calories of puffed corn.  

That's a serious calorie difference. Too bad, I though I had found the most perfect TV watching munchie food!

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Do these Veggies Make My Boobs Look Big?

Okay, not the most flattering photograph of me, but the good news is that I "cooked" up a storm yesterday!

Well, if you could even call it cooking. I prepared another batch of Jane Esselstyn's delicioso Kale Butter (http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/05/day-8-and-janes-kale-butter.html) which I served on top of some plain quinoa--simply amazing! Then I dressed some romaine lettuce and spring lettuce mix with my favorite Galeo's low calorie miso dressing.  Lastly, I whipped up a batch of Sesame Noodle Sauce from the Choosing Raw blog (actually using Tahini, which tastes remarkably like peanut butter when you try it plain, http://www.choosingraw.com/sesame-noodles-raw-and-cooked/) and poured it over a mixture of spiralized zucchini and carrot noodles.

I had my husband take these photos with his cell phone.  So the even better news is that my new digital SLR camera arrived today! Yipee! Now I just have to learn how to use it. The thought of gorgeous food photography is totally exciting to me.  And my husband will be a very happy camper eating all of the healthy food that I will be inspired to make. Have I told you about how much his basketball game has improved now that we have gone Plant Strong? I'll save that for another day . . .

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