SMOKY CHIPOTLE MAPLE T.L.T.

This is reminiscent of a B.L.T in some ways, minus the crunchiness of the bacon, but I rather prefer this one! So my version will be called a T.L.T., or better yet, Smoky Chipotle T.L.T. If you've followed my blog long enough, you will know I love adding a little spice to my foods whenever I can! 

I've had my eye on this recipe from I Love Vegan for a while and finally got around to putting it together. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! My only additions were adding a little bit of ground chipotle pepper and using a bit more of each ingredient than what is called for in the original recipe. I love the caramelized onions and the avocado mash as the condiment...so good! I tend to use avocado or a light flavored thin hummus as a sandwich spread all the time now. They both are wonderful!  A hummus spread would be great here too. If you use the avocado, I ensure you that you will not miss the old standard spreads. The tomato will also lend some nice juices into the mix. This was a great find and a keeper! Plus, it will leave your home smelling delicious. :)

Start by spreading your mustard and mashed avocado...

Add your leafy greens and tofu slices...

Top with grilled onions...

Lastly, add tomato, I used a large deep red heirloom tomato I had on hand. Place remaining slice of bread on top and slice in half. 

Pairs great with fresh sliced apples!

SMOKY CHIPOTLE MAPLE T.L.T.

Ingredients

• 1 block (15oz) organic firm or extra firm tofu
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons sesame or olive oil, divided
• 1 medium to large tomato, sliced thin
• Dijon or stoneground mustard, to spread
• 1 1/2 avocados, mashed, to spread
• a few leaves of your favorite sandwich greens, red or green leaf, romaine, iceberg, etc...
• salt to taste
• 6 slices bread of choice

Marinade

• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon tamari, bragg's liquid amino's, coconut amino's or soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon water 
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• generous dash of garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
• dash chipotle powder, to taste

Remove tofu from the package. Turn tofu on its side and slice in thirds, creating 3 large slabs. Gently press each slab between a clean dish towel or paper towels to remove some of the excess water. Cut the slabs in half. You should have six pieces that look like large domino (rectangular) shapes. 

In a medium sized shallow dish, mix together the marinade. Place tofu in the dish and let soak for about 1 hour turning carefully once or twice in between. 

Once the hour is almost up, caramelize your onions using 1 tablespoon oil. Heat oil over medium heat, add onions, turn down heat to medium low, stir often and cook until they start to brown and caramelize. May take 10 to 15 minutes or so. Once done, set aside.

In same skillet, heat remaining oil and cook tofu over medium high heat. Once tofu has browned, about 5 minutes, gently flip and brown the other side. It's ok if it gets a little crispy too! If you feel it is drying out too much, add some of the juices from the bowl it marinated in for extra moisture. When done, remove from heat.

Toast your bread. Spread one side of toast with mustard and the other with a layer of mashed avocado, about 1/2 avocado. Over the avocado, layer your lettuce, tofu, onions and tomato. Top with your other slice of bread. 

Serves three.

Enjoy! 

I'd love to see your masterpieces!
#thesimpleveganista

Pan Bagnat (White Bean Niçoise Salad Sandwich)

This recipe was inspired by a recent post on BuzzFeed for 27 Awesome Easy Lunches To Bring To Work. I'm thrilled to have been included in the roundup with the Mashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich! There is also a few other great vegan options as well so be sure to take a look. In it I saw a Pan Bagnat from Food 52 and had to recreate it for us plant powered lovers. I love Food 52, and have always been inspired by the simplicity and beauty of their photography. And of course the recipes are great too! I have a few in my collection that were inspired from there like this Mushroom Bourguignon and these Gluten Free Banana Flap Jacks. It's a great community if you haven't heard of it yet! In fact, they have a vegan column called The New Veganism with Gena Hamshaw of Choosing Raw as the recipe creator. Be sure to take a look and be inspired by both the recipes and photography!

The pan bagnat (meaning 'bathed bread') is a classic specialty sandwich served in and around the region of Nice, France. It's a sandwich version of the salade niçoise which is a combination of tuna, anchovies and/or sliced hard boiled egg mixed with raw vegetables like red bell pepper, green beans, radishes, olives and onion. You will also find there to be olive oil and possibly vinegar, salt and pepper. Here we'll be using a few of these traditional ingredients but veganizing this classic using white beans as our protein. And I can guarantee you this is just as delicious if not better than the traditional version! Not only does the salad make for a great sandwich filler but it would be just as good on a bed of leafy greens as well. This recipe may give you leftovers, and that's a good thing because it only gets better in the next day. One day make a sandwich for work, home or a picnic and the next top it on some leafy greens or just eat as is. It's pretty amazing on its own!

I love the saltiness from the olives here, you can add a tablespoon of capers if you like. The fresh bell pepper and blanched green beans add a nice crunch and sweetness while the onion and artichokes add another layer of flavor. Tie the vegetables together with the white beans, dressing made of olive oil, lemon and mustard, add a good sprinkling of mineral salt & plenty of cracked pepper and this salad will be another favorite to come back to time and time again!

To create the traditional pan bagnet you'll first want to hollow out the insides of your bread. I left the top on this alone but from now on will hollow it out as well. It gives more room for your salad, helping to hold it together better while using less bread at the same time which is great too. Brush the insides of the bread with olive oil. Layer your bottom half with the salad. Since we're going to press the sandwich you can pile it on pretty good making a very hearty sandwich. Add your tomatoes across the top. Then layer basil, top with mineral salt & cracked pepper and remaining slice.

Wrap your sandwich tightly in saran wrap, fold ends under and press with a few heavy books or pots. This is an important part or your sandwich will be very messy and fall all over. Trust me, I know this from first hand experience. Plus, this helps the bread soak up the moisture of the salad dressing making for 'bathing the bread'. So be sure to press your sandwich, even if just for an hour, it will make all the difference...although overnight is even better. This makes a perfect grab and go sandwich for lunches and picnics, once pressed it's ready to go!

 Pan Bagnat (White Bean Niçoise Salad Sandwich) 

Ingredients 

• 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini or chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed well or 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans
• 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup blanched French green beans, cut into half or thirds
• 1 jar artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 3/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
• 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
• 1 -2 greek pepperoncinis, diced (optional, not a traditional ingredient)
• mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Dressing

• 2 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 1 large lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

To assemble

• 1 French baguette, ciabatta loaf, Pain de campagne, boule or artisan loaf of choice (even good sized rolls would be great)
• extra virgin olive oil, to brush
• 8 - 10 basil leaves
• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
• mineral salt & cracked pepper

Cut bread in half lengthwise. Remove some of the insides of each half making a trough for the filling (this will help keep the filling inside the sandwich when eating). Brush both halves with extra virgin olive oil.

In a small bowl, mix the dressing ingredients together until dijon has emulsified. Set aside to let the flavors develop.

In a medium/large mixing bowl, add beans and roughly mash leaving about 2/3 whole beans. Add in dressing to the beans and mix well. Add in the bell pepper, green beans, artichokes, red onion, olives, parsley, optional pepperoncini and salt & pepper. Mix to combine.

Layer your bottom half of bread with a good serving of the mixed salad. Add tomatoes across the top, then top with basil leaves and salt & pepper. Top with other slice of bread. (You can also vice versa this layer order starting with the basil and tomato on the bottom and salad on top.)

Wrap sandwich tightly in saran wrap and press with a few heavy books/pots for at least an hour to overnight. If overnight, be sure to press in the refrigerator.

When ready to serve, slice in half or make as many slices as you like. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Store any leftover salad mixture covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Notes:

The cannellini beans have more protein and fiber than chickpeas so if that is a priority use them. Otherwise use your preferred white bean.

Try adding a splash of red or white wine vinegar to the dressing if you like.

As with all my recipes, add/subtract ingredients to your liking. Try adding a tablespoon or so of capers. I've had someone sub in asparagus for the green beans. Add sliced radishes along the top.

I edited this recipe on 11/10/13 at 12:15pm so it wouldn't make so much leftovers. The old recipe called for 2 cans white beans, 1 red bell pepper, 1/2 cup French green beans, 1 cup kalamata olives and 4 tablespoons olive oil. The old recipe was delicious, it just made a bit too much but of course feel free to use the old version instead so you'll have plenty of leftovers!

Enjoy!

Apple, Beet & Fennel Salad with Balsamic Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

 This is one of those unusual dishes that turned out to be fantastic. It's quite colorful and almost surreal looking. This came about as I had an extra fennel left over from my Butternut Squash and Fennel Lasagna and a beet that I was going to use in another recipe but decided against it. A google search of fennel and beet brought me to a few various recipes, some of which included my favorite apple, the Fuji. I came up with my own version using this wonderful dressing. To be honest, I don't really care for beets much but trying to work them into my lifestyle. This salad is perfect! The beets and all the flavors come together beautifully making it a go to salad that can give me the excellent beet nutrition that I'm looking to add to my meal rotation every now and then.

You could also use other colored beets too. I experimented with a yellow one and it was just as colorful and tasty as well. The maple pecans really add a nice touch. I can't imagine not making this salad without all of these ingredients as they each add their own special touch but you can adjust to suit your flavor palate. I'm looking forward to more of this in the future using some of the other colored beets again as well...really delicious!

Apple, Beet & Fennel Salad w/ Balsamic Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Salad

• 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 red beet (uncooked), peeled and coarsely grated
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced or diced...a few fronds reserved for garnish
• 1 Fuji apple, or hard crisp apple or pear of choice, cored and diced
• handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
• arugula or spinach, optional

Balsamic Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon or stone ground mustard
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix nuts with 1/4 cup maple syrup and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Cook for about 10 minutes, set aside to cool. Maple will be caramelized on the nuts and your home will be smelling oh so good at this point !

Prepare your vegetables, fruit and herbs, combine them in a large bowl or dish of choice. Place all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl, combine until blended adding salt and pepper to taste. Add nuts (reserve a few for garnish) and dressing to prepared mix and combine.

Serve on a small bed of arugula or spinach, garnish with nuts and a few fennel fronds.

Notes:

You may like to grate your apple and fennel. I tried it myself but didn't care for it as I prefer to have some chunkiness to my salad.

If using a lighter color beet, you may consider using apple cider vinegar in place of the balsamic so the dark color of the balsamic doesn't discolor your lighter colored beets.

Enjoy the flavor sensation !

Chopped Vegetable Salad & Citrus Garlic Dressing

This is a lighter fare from some of my most recent posts. Freshness is always welcome around here. A simple salad is one of my favorite meals, especially when I'm on the go...I like to pack a salad and some fruit to snack on for the day, maybe a raw cookie or two as well. I also like to spiralize cucumbers and zucchini for my salad base to change it up. You could just as easily use cooked pasta as a base for this salad as well. The garlic dressing is very light with a nice combination of citrus, dijon, pepper and garlic...leaving a nice taste on your lips. 

 Ingredients

Salad
2 cups English cucumbers, chopped
1 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 cup orange or red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup plum or roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup scallions, chopped

Garlic Dressing
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of one medium lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard or stoneground
himalayan salt to taste
fresh cracked pepper or lemon pepper to taste


any leafy green or cooked pasta of choice, optional

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine garlic dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Pour dressing over vegetables, tossing gently to coat. Serve salad on a bed of leafy greens, whole grain pasta or eat as is.

To make this a 100% alkalizing salad, squeeze lemon and add a sprinkle of cumin....or combine grated ginger and the juice of one orange...so fresh and good! This salad is a great place to add a sprinkle of sunflower seeds or pepitas...

Enjoy !

CRUNCHY KALE SALAD + CITRUS DRESSING

This salad featuring the king of leafy greens has been a perfect match for my lighter fare cravings. It's sweet with the cranberries and bell pepper, a bit citrusy from the dressing and crunchy from the carrots, kale and sunflower seeds. Everything adds up to nice flavor and texture. My favorite way to enjoy a kale salad is to let the kale marinate with the dressing for about an hour. This will help relax the kale and take some of the bitterness away. Making your salad this way makes for a great pack-n-go lunch option. Your salad will be softened and ready by the time lunch comes. When your looking to add some freshness into your diet, I think you'll find this to be a great inspiration!

If you don't already know, KALE is a power house of nutrients. It's loaded with anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory support as well as being rich in calcium, iron and vitamin K, A & C. It aids in the body's detoxifying process and offers cardiovascular support. But even with all this goodness, you may have heard that too much kale is not so good. That is true for some. Kale is a green that may be best consumed moderately, especially for those with kidney and gallbladder issues because of the high amounts of oxalates. If you're in good health, kale can be consumed on a fairly regular basis without much concern. Look for organic kale whenever possible. The 'dirty dozen' list has been revised to be the 'dirty dozen plus' with kale/collards greens coming in at #16 of produce with highest amounts of pesticide residue.

CRUNCHY KALE SALAD + CITRUS DRESSING

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale, julienned
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (toasted or raw)
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 -2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, optional

Prepare your vegetables and gather your cranberries and seeds. 

Mix kale, carrots, bell peppers and dressing together. Let set for about an hour at room temp or in the refrigerator (this will soften the kale nicely and reduce the bitterness). Serve in individual bowls topped with cranberries and seeds. If you don't have time to let the kale marinate with the dressing, the salad will still be great! 

Serves 2

Notes:

Use orange, lemon, lime and/or grapefruit as your citrus juice. Mix and match your citrus flavors using whatever you have on hand or is available.

Make this a creamy dressing by adding 1 - 2 tablespoon tahini when mixing the dressing.

The dijon is optional, I found that I preferred it with a small amount. Try it both ways and see what you think.

Not So Honey - Maple Dijon Dressing

The honey dijon dressing was one of my favorite homemade dressings before I became vegan. I used to make it fresh everyday for my to-go salad. I love this version using pure maple syrup in place of honey just as much, if not more. It's a single serving recipe that you can count on...quick, easy and delicious. My favorite is using stoneground mustard which gives it a great full body flavor with added texture. This dressing will compliment various salads or you can use it as a marinade for grilling or roasting vegetables. Simple and delicious!

Not So Honey - Maple Dijon Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard or stoneground
• 1 tablespoon pure maple or agave syrup
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon water

Combine ingredients in small bowl, mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serves one. 

Enjoy !

Roasted Cauliflower + Chickpeas + Mustard Dressing

Can I interest you in some roasted cauliflower? Or maybe some roasted chickpeas? These are both just about the greatest thing ever...at least in my book they are! Pair them with this mustard dressing and you've got yourself another simple dish that is sure to please. I love all the ingredients in this recipe but have to admit that once I put the mustard dressing together, I wasn't so sure if it might have too strong of a mustard flavor. I was pleasantly surprised to find that once the dressing was mixed with the roasted chickpeas and cauliflower it mellowed out immensely. This has ended up being a new favorite dish of mine for ease of preparation and great flavor. It is also a complete meal with the addition of quinoa that adds extra protein and fiber so you can be sure you are getting what you need from your plant based diet. Try adding in some brussels sprouts as well for a nice variation. 

The recipe was first spotted within the beautiful blog photos from Bluebird and originates from Gwyneth Paltrow's and Julia Turshen's cook book, It's All Good. A quick google search gave me the ingredients and more inspiration to put this together. 

Gather your ingredients and begin...

Start by preparing your chickpeas and cauliflower for roasting...roast for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare your dressing and cook your quinoa. Just a note about the dressing, I chose to use lemon instead of white wine vinegar like the original recipe called for. I also sought out a Dijon mustard that didn't use white wine vinegar. My reasoning is that white wine may or may not be a vegan product as many use animal remnants in the production. After searching on the shelves I found this great Dijon mustard from Maille that doesn't use any white wine vinegar in the ingredients, just vinegar. And as luck would have it, it is an award winning Dijon mustard! Win, win. And the lemon in the dressing to me was just perfect!

Once chickpeas and cauliflower are ready...toss with the mustard dressing and serve over a bed of quinoa. Simply wonderful!

Roasted Cauliflower + Chickpeas + Mustard Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed, drained and patted dry on a kitchen towel
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
• olive oil
• mineral salt
• 1 cup quinoa (I used tri-color)
• 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• fresh cracked pepper, to serve
• lemon wedges, to serve

Mustard Dressing

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• juice from 1 lemon or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 
• 1 - 2 tablespoons evo or olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare cauliflower and chickpeas, toss together in a large roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and dash or two of salt. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.

In a medium pot, add quinoa, water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove cover and let set 10 minutes and fluff with a fork.

In a small bowl, prepare your mustard dressing and set aside. You may like to double this recipe and have some to drizzle over top your plated serving.

Once roasting is done, let cool a few minutes. While still warm, place cauliflower and chickpeas in a medium size bowl, add dressing and toss. Add in parsley last or top your portion when before serving. Tastes great warm or at room temperature.

Serve cauliflower and chickpea mix over a nice bed of quinoa along with lemon wedges.

Serves two with left over quinoa.

Enjoy often and eat more chickpeas!

CURRY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & QUINOA SALAD

Get ready for a different flavor sensation! It's a nice balance of sweet, a bit of tang and curry flavor that I just can't get enough of. If you love roasted cauliflower and the combination of ingredients in this salad, I have no doubt you will find this to be a great addition to your meal rotations.

This recipe came about from a recent trip to a small grocery store near me. I picked up a version they had and thought it was good enough to recreate for the recipe collection. The quinoa is my own addition, I wanted to add some protein and extra fullness to the salad. The remaining ingredients are almost the same. I did have to guess at the dressing but it came out perfect, even better than theirs I think...much less oily. This can easily be a side salad or a full meal. Great for to-go lunches as well, can be served at room temp or chilled. 

To all of those who have picked up a copy of THE ARCHIVES VOL 1, thank you so much! :)

Roast your cauliflower and prepare your quinoa...



Mix the dressing and gather the rest of the ingredients...



toss everything together and you're ready for a flavorful and filling salad!

CURRY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER & QUINOA SALAD

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried quinoa
• 1 cup water (or just under)
• 1 large head of cauliflower
• 1 medium apple (I used Fuji), cored and diced
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
• 2 - 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut cauliflower into florets. Lay in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Add a drizzle of oil and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, mixing the cauliflower around half way through. Remove from oven, let cool. 

Rinse your quinoa using a fine mesh sieve (honestly, I usually skip this part but have it here for good measure. Don't feel you have to do it but you may find that you prefer it that way.) In a medium pot/pan, add quinoa and water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Once done, turn heat off, uncover and let rest for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the dressing. Set aside to let the flavors develop. Taste for seasoning adding anything extra you might like. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine quinoa, cauliflower, apple, raisins, shredded coconut and dressing, toss well to coat. 

Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 4

Notes:

If you know and love the Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar from Trader Joe's, or elsewhere, this is a great place to use it! Use it in place of the apple cider vinegar.

Sub in a tablespoon or so of water for the oil. Try using 1 tablespoon oil and 2 - 3 tablespoons water.

Feel free to use regular raisins or currants. Cranberries may even be a nice change up.

For my quinoa, I buy one bag each of white and tri-color and mix them together creating a nice blend of color and texture.

Enjoy this flavor combination, it's delicious!

Flax & EVO Balsamic Vinaigrette

It's always nice to have a balsamic dressing recipe handy and this one is pretty fabulous! It's of a two-fold goodness. For one I prefer to make my own dressing whenever possible. I like to know the exact ingredients and methods used. Secondly, I'm always trying to add healthy twists to my meals whenever I can. With this balsamic vinaigrette I have combined flax seed oil with the traditional extra virgin olive oil to add some omega-3 to my diet without much effort or loss of taste. I felt that with the strength of the dijon, mustard and balsamic vinegar it wouldn't alter the underlying flavor. And I was right, this has a nice easy flavor just like I like it, a little sweet and tangy. Perfection!

Let's get started....here's what went into this batch. Not everything is organic but I do as much as I can. I will use up some of my older stuff and buy organic when replacing if possible. Waiting for the day when everything is organic and we don't need labels. :)

Flax & EVO Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup flax seed oil or hemp seed oil
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup, optional
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard or stoneground
• 1 glove garlic, minced
• himalayan salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except the oils in a small mason jar or a medium-sized squeeze bottle (diner style). Mix by shaking well until emulsified, then add the oils and mix again. Lastly, taste for flavor adding anything you feel is needed. 

• • •

Drizzle on salads or vegetables...anything you like! Keep refrigerated and use within a week. You can also make this without the flax oil and it will last about a month.

Enjoy !

MEDITERRANEAN KALE SALAD

Summer in California is setting in, the temperatures are rising and salads are always welcome. I've been on an olive loving kick lately, as well as a chickpea kick (I'll tell you why soon), so this salad hit the spot with some salty olives, fresh sweet grape tomatoes & red bell peppers, refreshing cucumbers, red onion and fresh cooked chickpeas. All dressed up with a light vinaigrette and nice dollop of hummus. This salad didn't start with a dollop of hummus, but half way through eating I added a scoop and decided it needed to be included in the recipe (and photo), although I list it as optional. It adds such nice creaminess and rounds it out the salad well. If you find raw kale too hard to eat, even after letting it relax in lemon juice, a dollop of hummus will definitely do a world of good for you. It adds a nice creaminess to the overall salad while masking some of kale's bitterness. Similar to the Every Day Nourish Bowl, we now have another option of whole hearted goodness to choose from when a craving for salads occur! It's simple, accessible, not too expensive and good for you. Cheers to all of those things! :)

I have some fun news to share! I'm going to be immersed in all things chickpeas the next few months. I figured this post is a great place to introduce a project I've been working so hard on called, CHICKPEA: THE CHICKPEA HANDBOOK/COOKBOOK. It's all you need to know about chickpeas, with chapters containing information on nutrition, history, types, sprouting, growing (gardening), storing & selecting, flour, cooking and a few other relevant chapters. Plus, it will include upwards of 100+ recipes (not sure where to stop since there's so many good ones I want to add), including pictures of each one. It will include all of the favorite chickpea recipes from the blog and a ton of new ones. I'm excited out of my mind for this project! I was asked a few months ago what was the one ingredient that was important in my kitchen and my answer was chickpeas. They are so versatile and I use them often, especially for my hummus which is so much more than just a dip. After toying around with a couple cookbook ideas, doing a chickpea cookbook seemed so right. I want to celebrate the chickpea in all its glory and showcase its versatility, all the way from breakfast to desserts. It's a perfect fit for me and I know it will be a useful addition to any kitchen library! It's meant to be used often and will have my signature simplicity with a few recipes to kick it up a notch. I'm shooting for the end of the year but am really in no hurry as I want this book to be amazing. I ♥ chickpeas and think we should all eat more of them!

Enjoy the salad, and of course, this will be in the book! :)

MEDITERRANEAN  KALE SALAD

Ingredients 

• 3/4 bunch kale, stems removed and julienned
• 1 large lemon, juice of
• 1/2 small red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/8 small red onion, sliced
• 1/4 cucumber, sliced
• small handful cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or campari tomatoes, quartered
• small handful cup kalamata olives, pitted
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• dollop of hummus, optional (but so good!), to serve
• fresh chopped parsley, to serve

Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• juice of one lemon
• 1 heaping teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, optional
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper, to taste

Remove the stems from the center of the kale leaves, as least the thickest parts. Julienne kale leaves and place in a medium size bowl, add lemon juice, mix to coat the leaves and let set while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. The lemon juice will help soften the kale leaves. Toss every few minutes or so.

In a small bowl, add the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Whisk together until emulsified. It usually takes me about one minute, set aside.

Once you've prepped your other ingredients you're ready to assemble your salad. In a serving dish, add kale and top with bell pepper, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, olives and chickpeas. Add your vinaigrette over top and a dollop of hummus anywhere you like.

Serves one generously.

Notes:

Depending on the size of your produce, amounts will vary. Adjust accordingly to suit your taste and situation. For instance, I used small Persian cucumbers here but used a whole small one. Typically, you'll be using a regular or English cucumber and will only use about 1/4 of it, as per the recipe.

Enjoy!