Roasted Garbanzo Beans with Nutritional Yeast (Gluten/Dairy free)

This is a new twist on an old favorite. It was over a year ago that I originally wrote about Roasted Garbanzo Beans and our consumption has not changed around here except for a slight hiccup during my first trimester when all-things-not-hot-and-sour-soup were off the list.  Since clearing that hurdle, we are all in again.  I rarely deviate from my favorite mix of Old Bay seasoning and Curry powder, but on a whim the other day, I used some Nutritional Yeast I had in the drawer and it was DYNAMITE! 

I keep hoping I will magically drum up the courage to make Nutritional Yeast 'cheese' sauce, but somehow I just keep forgetting.  I know it is all the rage in vegan cheese sub-in's but I am a little scared.  Mostly because its called nutritional yeast. I mean, really.  The name's a little rough.  Even so, its delicious on popcorn, so it must be delicious on garbs, right? 

Because of the shear volume of consumption of these around here, I always make these from dry beans, but you can use canned beans if you want, just try for a lesser sodium brand and start in step 2.

Roasted Garbanzo Beans (preheat oven to 425)

• 1lb dry garbanzo beans or 2 cans, drained and rinsed
• 2-4tbls olive oil (use how much you want or are comfortable with, I just drizzle it out of my bottle and coat the garbs)
• ~1/2tsp salt
• ~1/4tsp freshly ground pepper
• ~1/4cup Nutritional Yeast

Directions
1. Toss your dry garbs in a pot of water with at least 3 inches water over the top of the beans and bring to boil, then simmer gently for about 2 hours, then drain. 

2. In small/medium bowl, toss the garbanzos with the oil, then add the S, P and NY.  Spread the beans in a single layer out on a cookie sheet and roast approximately 25-35 minutes, stirring and flipping them every 10  minutes or so.  They should generally be firmly chewy when done.  I like it when I occasionally over cook a batch and have garbanzo nuts, but Mike and I differ there...

* You could very easily make these and a batch of Chocolate Chip Blondies and be set with a delicious power snack combo.

Roasted Garbanzo beans (Chickpea poppers)

These have become somewhat of a problem around here.  Mike and I are going through them extremely quickly- like 1-2 cans a day - he says they taste like fried chicken.  I finally got around to making some from dry beans to have a little more say in the salt factor, cut costs and get away from the BPA in the cans with the rate we were consuming them!  At any rate, these are delicious, easy to make and very versatile.  Any kid except mine should love these.  They make a great packable snack full of great fiber and protein and are much more satisfying than other snacks I seem to stuff my face with until I feel some sense of fullness.  I have fallen love with making them using curry powder &/or Old Bay, but you can use any spice you think of that sounds tasty. 

If you are using canned garbanzo beans, keep an eye on the amount of sodium used in the brand you are choosing.  I have found they vary wildly and can quickly veer away from being quite as nutritious when you are eating 2g of sodium in a sitting.  Like baking with butter, I think it is best to use unsalted or lowest salted then add your spices as you like it. I will include a note about cooking your own from scratch below, but out of convenience, the recipe is written for canned.

Roasted Garbanzo Beans (preheat oven to 425)

• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed*
• ~1tsp-2tbls olive oil (use how much you want or are comfortable with, I just drizzle it out of my bottle and coat the garbs)
• ~1/2tsp salt
• ~1/4tsp freshly ground pepper
• ~1tsp optional spice (curry, Old Bay, smoky paprika, cumin....)

Directions
In small/medium bowl, toss the garbanzos with the oil, then add the spices you want.  Spread the beans in a single layer out on a cookie sheet and roast approximately25-35 minutes, stirring and flipping them every 10  minutes or so.  They should generally be firmly chewy when done.  I like it when I occasionally over cook a batch and have garbanzo nuts, but Mike and I differ there...

*If cooking from dry beans, simply toss your dry garbs in a pot of water with at least 3 inches water over the top of the beans and bring to boil, then simmer gently for about 2 hours, then drain.  I found that when I did it this way vs. from canned beans, they cooked a little more quickly and were a little crunchy, more like corn nuts.  You could very easily make these and a batch of Chocolate Chip Blondies and be set with a delicious power snack combo.

MOST IMPORTANTLY:  YOU MUST TRY THESE TOSSED WITH THE TUSCAN KALE SALAD!!!

I don't want to sell this smoked salmon wonder salad short, but the Kale salad truly is over the moon.  I just lost my pictures with a computer crash.  boo.

Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons

Adapted from Ina Garten via Smitten Kitchen. (Wheat-Free or Gluten Free Option)

I saw this recipe and couldn't wait to try it.  When we are finally getting our tomatoes in Seattle fresh in late September, you have to get creative to use them all as the bounty arrives.  I'd say any tomato will work fine here, but  I was lucky to have a boatload of heirloom tomatoes ready to go and I think that put this over the top in the intensity of its deliciousness.  I am not very good at 'exact measurements', so I don't think I put enough croutons in when I made it and it was pretty soupy.  Perhaps I will go a bit more bready next time.  I will also try using Gluten-Free bread to make the croutons next time without fear.  The flavor of this dish was absolutely amazing.  Once our guests left, Mike and I practically drank the left-over juice out of the dish. 

3T Olive oil
2C Bread of your choice (I used a hearty wheat bread, despite the original recipe calling for a French boule.  It is what I had on hand)
2 1/2 lb tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch dice (I used a mix of cherries and heirlooms.  Again, it is what I had)
3 cloves garlic minced
2T sugar (really!)
2t salt
1t freshly ground pepper
1/2 c thinly slivered basil leaves (or pesto sub ok, too)
1c freshly grated pecorino or parm

Preheat oven to 350F.  heat olive oil in large saute' pan over med-high.  Add the bread cubes and stir so that they are evenly coated with oil.  Cook bread, toasting on all sides, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper and a good pinch of the cheese in large bowl.  When the bread cubes are toasted, add the tomato mixture and cook them together, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in basil.  Pour into shallow (6-8c) baking dish and top with remaining Pecorino cheese.

Bake 35-40 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly.  Let rest 5-10 minutes before cutting into it.  Amazing!!!

Pre-cooking here.  I might use a shallower dish next time to allow the juice to evaporate more.