Recipe Review from 2/16/2020

Taliesin West, Phoenix, AZ

The Meal Plan:
Sat (L) leftover soup (S) baked pasta (leftover spaghetti sauce)
Sun (L) leftover pasta (S) Bulger pilaf
Mon (off/yoga 2x) leftover pasta
Tues (D in St. Cloud) leftover pilaf
Wed (D in St. Cloud) leftover pilaf
Thurs (yoga) leftover pilaf
Fri - BLT's


Lunches - slow cooked chickpeas and squash

Baked Chickpeas with Orange, Lemon and Squash (Revithia me Kolokytha) (Eating Well, March 2020) vegetarian

This does require some planning ahead as the chickpeas need to soak over day, over night or for 24 hours.  Then this spends upwards of 4-5 hours in the oven.  I did contemplate cooking this in the slow cooker, but since it was only 4* outside, using the oven to help keep the house warm was not a bad idea.

The baking part?  Here's where I ran into trouble.  My gut said to set the timer for 2 hours.  My brain didn't listen.  My gut said not enough liquid.  My brain didn't listen.  Result - gut 2, brain - 0.  Four hours was way too long for the amount of liquid listed and I had burnt chickpeas stuck to the bottom of my dutch oven (because I didn't check at 2 hours).  I scooped out what wasn't burnt, combined with the squash, lemon juice and mustard and finished baking in a separate pan, and worked on soaking the burnt stuff off the bottom of my pot.  Incredibly disappointing. 

Check at two hours. Be prepared to add squash then.  I would consider making this again.

That being said, this was tasty and something I would definitely consider making again.  Chickpeas were creamy, squash added some nice sweetness, mustard and lemon added the tang.  Granted, I also had subtle undertones of "burnt", but it wasn't so much to detract.  I got 5 lunches for myself and one dinner for two out of what I salvaged.    Recommended.

Serves 10

photo by eatingwell.com

2 cups dried chickpeas
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
2 ½ cups chopped onions
1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper or 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth or no-chicken broth
1 cup coarsely chopped celery leaves, plus more for garnish
2 (4 inch) strips orange zest
5 cups chopped butternut squash (1-inch)
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard


Place chickpeas in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Let soak for 8 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the chickpeas. Transfer to a medium bowl and toss with baking soda.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, Aleppo (or crushed red pepper) and salt; cook for 30 seconds. Add broth, celery leaves and orange zest. Bring to a boil over high heat, then remove from heat. Cover the pot with a double layer of foil and put the lid on.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees . Bake the chickpeas until very tender, about 4 hours. Stir in squash, lemon juice and mustard; bake until the squash is tender, about 1 hour more.

Serve drizzled with more oil and topped with more celery leaves, if desired.



Bulger Pilaf with Eggplant, Green Pepper and Tomatoes (Eating Well, March 2020) vegetarian
After the semi-fiasco above, I made this for supper.   Observations - you need a LARGE saucepan for this.   Think dutch oven size.  Though, I think a large skillet (12-14") would also work very well, maybe even better.

Cooking times were off for the bulger.  At 10-12 minutes, I had "risotto", not "pilaf".  I really didn't need this after the chickpea fiasco above.  I think between the tomatoes, white wine and the water, there was just too much liquid.  Which is where a larger pot or a frying pan would have done a better job. 

Still, once I got the liquid absorbed, this was pretty good.   I would make this again. 

Serves 6

photo from eatingwell.com

1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus 1/2 cup, divided
½ teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 ½ cups coarse bulgur
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 large green bell pepper, cut in 1/4-inch pieces
3 cups chopped ripe tomatoes
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ cups water
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
½ cup chopped fresh mint, divided


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss eggplant with 3 tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Spread on the prepared pan. Roast until golden, 15 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast bulgur in a large saucepan over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 cup oil and onion to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is very soft, 6 to 8 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and add bell pepper and the bulgur. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper is softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and wine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes. Add water, Aleppo (or crushed red pepper) and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the bulgur is tender, 10 to 12 minutes more.

Remove from heat and stir in the eggplant, 1/2 cup feta and all but 1 tablespoon mint. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes. Serve topped with the remaining 1/2 cup feta and 1 tablespoon mint.