Menu
Healthy, hearty comfort food
Family Features
During the short days and cold nights of winter, many of us crave comfort foods. Unfortunately, the rich dishes we usually think of tend to be low in nutrition and packed with fat and calories. Well, take heart. It's possible to enjoy satisfying dishes that are tasty, hearty and nutritious.
Dry peas, lentils and chickpeas (garbanzo beans), all part of the legume family, are one way to make comfort foods more healthful. These ingredients pack a nutritional punch while adding flavor to recipes: just one cup of dry peas, lentils or chickpeas gives you more than half the recommended daily dosage of fiber and up to 18 grams of protein. They also contain little to no fat, making them a healthy meat alternative.
Chef Tracy O'Grady, from Willow Restaurant in Arlington, Va., knows how to make the most of these versatile ingredients. "You may already love lentil soup," she says. "But lentils have a wide range of uses, and are a great addition to hearty fare like enchiladas, veggie burgers -- even chocolate cake."
And while chickpeas are best known as the key ingredient in hummus, they also appear in rich-tasting foods like Willow's Chickpea Fries (see O'Grady's recipe).
For more recipes and information from the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, visit www.pea-lentil.com.
Willow's Chickpea Fries
Serves: 8 (6 per person)
| 2 1/2 | cups water |
| 1 | garlic clove, minced fine |
| 2 | cups whole milk |
| 2 | teaspoons kosher salt |
| 1/4 | teaspoon cayenne pepper |
| 1/4 | teaspoon smoked paprika |
| 3 | cups chickpea flour; reserve 1 cup for dusting |
| 1 | cup cooked chickpeas, roughly chopped |
| 2 | cups Parmesan cheese, finely grated |
| 1/2 | cup extra virgin olive oil |
| 1 | gallon canola oil |
Place water, garlic, milk, salt, cayenne and paprika in a non-reactive sauce pot and heat until it boils.
Lower heat to gentle simmer and whisk in chickpea flour. Whisk just until smooth and then use a high heat spatula to finish the process. Cook mixture for about 5 minutes, constantly stirring to make sure there is no scorching.
Once flour is nearly cooked, fold in chopped chickpeas, Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil. Stir until well incorporated and hot. This should take about 3 additional minutes.
Place in a plastic wrap lined 10 x 12-inch tray. Cover with plastic wrap and push down so it is even. Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator or until completely chilled.
After well chilled, turn the chickpea mold onto a cutting board. Cut fries 12 times in 1-inch pieces and then cut each strip into 4 pieces, forming 48 pieces.
Heat canola oil in a large stainless steel fry pot to 350°F. Dust fries with remaining chickpea flour and fry in 4 batches until hot and golden brown.
Drain in paper towels to remove excess oil. Serve immediately with Orange Preserved Lemon Dipping Sauce.
Orange Preserved Lemon Dipping Sauce
Makes: About 1 cup
| 2 | oranges, juiced and zested with a microplane zester |
| 2 | preserved lemons juiced, the peel minced fine* |
| 1 | tablespoon red wine vinegar |
| 1/4 | cup extra virgin olive oil |
| Kosher salt to taste |
*If preserved lemons are unavailable, can be substituted with 2 fresh lemons, juiced and zested.
Chickpea, Shrimp and Caper Ragu
Serves: 6
| 1 | tablespoon extra virgin olive oil |
| 2 | cloves fresh garlic, finely sliced |
| 1 | cup cooked chickpeas |
| 2 | tablespoons capers |
| Peel of 1/2 a preserved lemon | |
| 1 | teaspoon espelette or smoked paprika |
| 1/2 | cup water, plus more if needed |
| 18 | peeled and deveined shrimp |
| Kosher salt, to taste | |
| 1 | tablespoon unsalted butter |
Heat large stainless steel pan until moderately hot. Add olive oil and sliced garlic. Once garlic starts to soften and just brown, add chickpeas and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add capers, lemon peel, espelette/smoked paprika and water. Bring to a boil, then add butter.
Reduce heat and add shrimp; stew gently until just cooked, about 4 minutes. If water evaporates too quickly, add a little more. Season with salt to taste.
For the complete version of the Weekend Menu page, including more great recipes and food talk, see the print edition of the McCook Daily Gazette or subscribe to the Electronic Edition.