And now for something simple

There are times when i love big complex flavors. Lots of spice, lots of ingredients.

And then sometimes i just want something pure and simple.

Yesterday was one of those nights.

I had been eating meatloaf for a couple days and shockingly i got a bit tired of it and was craving something healthy and filled with veggies. From time to time i crave a really good vegetarian dish, usually it's after i've been indulging in unhealthy things like lots of bad carbs, meat-heavy dinners or too much take-out food.

In college i had a roommate who was vegetarian. Most of the time we'd whip up something super simple, with only a few ingredients and 99% of the time it would turn out amazing. If it weren't for my roommate, Sonia, there's a chance that i would have never tried tofu. Granted, one of the tastiest preparations of tofu is lightly fried in olive oil till golden brown with a little salt and pepper... but it certainly isnt the healthiest. Extra firm tofu by itself has around 4-5 grams of fat per serving, but none of it is saturated. Overall it's a very healthy with 9g of protein per serving and about 80 calories. Alone it doesnt have a ton of flavor but can be easily enhanced by absorbing flavors that it's cooked with. Honestly, i've gotten used to the taste of it plain and it has a nice soft but firm texture. If for some reason you really don't like tofu or want to try it, by all means, replace it with some chicken.

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, have quickly become one of my other favorite things to cook with (in addition to eggplant). They're very cheap-- anywhere from 80 cents to a dollar per can, and pack a ton of protein and fiber as well. Generally the healthiest and most economical way to use all beans is to buy them dried and soak them over night so that you avoid all that sodium that usually comes with canning anything. I often do not plan out my meals ahead of time so generally this doesnt work for me, but it's something that i've been meaning to do to save even more money on food.

In my free time at work i'm often reading recipes and blogs about food, and stumbled upon this blog, 101 cookbooks, by way of Bon Appetite's website. I'll be coming back her website often to look for more tasty things to make. This recipe combines lots of readily available healthy ingredients that you may already have in your pantry, freezer or fridge and is very low in cost. It serves roughly 3 large main course servings.

Lemony Chickpea Stir-fry

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small onion or a couple shallots, sliced or diced
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 8 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup chopped kale (can substitute other dark leafy greens)
• 2 small zucchini, 1/2 inch dice
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and chickpeas and saute until the chickpeas are deeply golden and crusty. Stir in the tofu, season with salt and pepper. Cook until tofu is just heated thru, about a minute or so. Stir in kale (or other greens) and cook for a minute or two more. (At this point i also added my own additional seasoning of a little "italian seasoning blend" and a small pinch of nutmeg.) When the greens have slightly wilted, remove everything from pan. In the same skillet add one more tablespoon of olive oil and the zucchini and saute until it starts take a little bit of color. Add everything back to the skillet, add the lemon juice and zest, and adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve & Enjoy!

I would assume that this recipe is really a no-brainer to most vegetarians. But what i liked about it is the toasting of the chickpeas and the ease of how quickly the whole thing came together. You can substitute out other ingredients to adjust for what you have on hand, but i wouldnt leave out the chickpeas-- they're my favorite part of the dish. For some reason i couldnt find any kale so i used a box of frozen chopped spinach. While i know that most purist would probably say to always use fresh when you can, i just think that you get so much more out of a box of the frozen stuff rather than the bag, and it's cheaper.

Basically i didnt change anything else except for adding a little italian seasoning and a pinch of nutmeg. I also cheated and used bottled lemon juice that i had in my fridge. I'm sure it would have been even better with a fresh lemon and the zest. Dinner smelled delicious while cooking it and was delicious while eating it! I had a massive portion for dinner, so much so that my stomach hurt afterwards from being so full. Those chickpeas are deceptively filling!

I had this as leftovers for lunch two days in a row at work. People asked me what smelled good. I love making my coworkers jealous with my home-cooked meals while they spend their money on not-so-great stuff they buy at deli's or other places. Big money saving tip: bring lunch from home! By the time i get to work in the morning i'm already looking forward to eating lunch-- it keeps me going throughout the day.

Sidenote: The more i read other people's food blogs, the more i realize that my writing stinks. Please bear with me as i try to improve :P