Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew.

Last night was kind of the night when I was trying to make something vegetarian, healthy and  plant protein based.

Beans are the best choice for plant protein source, and you can experiment with them many ways from stews to veggie burgers.

We had the first snow yesterday, so the stew was the appropriate dish for the yesterday’s cold weather, and the head of cauliflower in the fridge just saved my time and imagination to prepare something delicious and healthy.

I also made some quinoa to serve with the stew and it made the perfect combination for the fall dinner dish.

Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
Sea salt and black pepper
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed
1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into small florets
1 5 oz. package baby spinach, chopped

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the cumin, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you add them, and their liquid, chickpeas, cauliflower, and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Fold in the spinach and cook until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.

I served mine with quinoa. You can also serve it with couscous or brown rice, or just eat it by itself.

Nevertheless, it’s great fall meal that will keep you full for a long time.

Rosemary Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes”.

Potatoes are very popular in Ukraine. I remember from my childhood, we ate potatoes almost every day. My favorite dish was mashed potatoes with piece of chicken. I could eat mashed potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. To tell you the truth, I still love it, but don’t cook it very often.

Because it is not recommended to mix the starchy vegetables with the animal protein, I kept looking for some recipe that will work and taste as good as my favorite dish from the past.

When I found Cauliflower ” mashed potatoes” idea, I wasn’t sure if it tastes good. It might taste good as a cauliflower, but not as good as mashed potatoes.

Anyway, I got the huge head of cauliflower and tried to cook it at home.

This cauliflower-based version is the same texture to enjoy as mashed potato, but sans the butter, whole milk and table salt that make mashed potatoes a beauty-busting food.

It turned out so delicious for me, and tasted like REAL mashed potato. My husband still doesn’t know, how I made it, because he called it mashed potatoes:)

Rosemary Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes”

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets, stem and leaves removed

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup almond or coconut milk

1tbs olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sea salt, to taste

1tsp. dried rosemary

Bring water to a boil and steam cauliflower in a steamer for about 6-7 minutes, until softens.

Put the cauliflower florets in a food processor with the blade in place. Add garlic, almond milk, olive oil, black pepper, sea salt and rosemary. Pulse long enough to achieve the desired consistency.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

I served it with baked salmon and fresh veggies salad.