Tonight for dinner I decided to roast chickpeas (a good source of protein and fiber) and serve them over a bed of rice, spinach, and kale, and topped with mushrooms sauteed in coconut oil (which has healthy fat). As I do with many things, I added turmeric, which is a particularly potent plant part of the ginger family. Since ancient times, turmeric has been renowned for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (just to name a few), and can even be used as a natural dye-so be aware that it will stain your hands, your dish rags, your pots and pans, and anything else that it gets on. Turmeric also supposedly possesses the power of opening up the third eye-which is perfect for today’s theme of detox Monday. With a slightly sharp taste resembling, but still dissimilar to, mustard and ginger, turmeric is an incredibly versatile seasoning to use in every day cooking, so don’t be afraid to try it in different things!
Here is my recipe for tonight’s turmeric-inspired meal:
Ingredients:
1 25-oz. can of organic chickpeas (or two smaller cans, it really doesn’t matter), rinsed (canned non-GMO/organic beans can be expensive, so buy them when they’re on sale and stock up)
1/2-1 1/2 tsp. (depending on how much you love it) Turmeric (powder)
1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper (powder)
1 1/2-2 tsp. Balti Curry Seasoning (or any curry that you wish)
(seasoning measurements are estimates, as I season to taste and appearance)
Cooked white basmati rice or rice of your choice (organic white basmati rice cooks for about 20 minutes covered on low-heat after boiling, and the water:rice ratio is 2:1) (cook extra if you want to save time and use leftovers to make lunch or dinner the next day!) (As a reference point, I made 2 cups of rice uncooked, I ate about 1 1/2-2 cups with my dinner and Mike the same, and I have about 5 cups left over)
2 C Spinach
2 C Kale
1 C Mushrooms
1-2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Tbsp. Coconut oil
Pink Himalayan salt to taste (you won’t need much, as Himalayan salt is quite flavorful)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (for crispier chickpeas that are great for snacking, cook at 425 or 450 for 30-40 minutes). Line a baking sheet with foil (I use foil made with recycled aluminum to help support the reuse and elimination of waste, but it is just fine to use the normal stuff). After rinsing and drying the chickpeas, lay them out on the foil and drizzle them with the olive oil. Sprinkle the seasonings and salt on the chickpeas and shake the chickpeas around on the pan until they are coated. Put the chickpeas in the oven and cook for 20-35 minutes, agitating them a few times as they cook in order to roast them evenly.
In the meantime, you can cook your rice if you haven’t already, and it should be done around the same time as your chickpeas are!
In a pre-heated saute pan, add about 1/4-1/2 C of water and the spinach and kale. Cook on medium heat until ready, about 4 minutes (the greens will be much smaller, flat, and dark green).
In a different pre-heated pan (or the same pan, if you want to save time), add the coconut oil, and then the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms become soft, about 3 or 4 minutes.
After taking the chickpeas out of the oven, top a bed of rice with some of the spinach, kale, and mushrooms (I made this recipe to make 2-3 servings of the veggies), and then some chickpeas (1/2 C-1 C is a reasonable serving of the chickpeas), or just put it all together in a bowl and you’re good to go!
Radiantly Living 