Mole Roasted Chickpeas
It’s been a minute since I posted a recipe, and I am super excited to share this with you today. This mole is something different and also something truly special.
| Mole Roasted Chickpeas | Print |
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup low sodium veggie broth broth
- 1.5 cups Cinnamon flavor KeVita tonic (or 1.5 more cups veggie broth + 1 teaspoon extra cinnamon)
- 2 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup raw cacao powder
- 2 ounces unsweetened baker's chocolate
- 3 cups chickpeas
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
- Place the coconut oil in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently until softened. Feel free to add a splash of water if it appears to be drying out.
- Add the tomatoes, veggie broth, KeVita, peppers, and spices (oregano through cacao powder). Reduce heat to low and simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- While sauce is cooking, skin your chickpeas. This is not 100% required, but really helps the beans soak up the Mole.
- Add the Baker's chocolate and cook over low heat for another ten minutes until the chocolate is melted.
- After the sauce is cooked, use a stick blender (or regular blender in batches) to puree until smooth.
- Pour chickpeas on to a baking sheet and pour the mole over the top, giving everything a quick toss. Bake in oven for one hour, or until liquid has dried up, leaving your chickpeas with crispy bits.
I hope you enjoy!
Mung bean pasta, roasted chickpea and cauliflower bowl with tahini ginger sauce.
If that title isn’t a mouth full, I dunno what is. 
With the onset of my gym’s new strength program, I am noticing a bit more muscle soreness than I am used to. After four months of doing more reps with lighter weights, I am back to the heavy barbell work and it is amazing and challenging and although my muscles are clearly more defined these days I can definitely see that I have lost strength when my focus shifted away from Olympic Lifts. My heaviest lifts are lighter than they once were, and the day after I go for it, my body definitely feels it.
When I feel sore more often, I get proactive because I know there is no need to be in pain all the time. I jump up on my turmeric and ginger. I make sure to eat within an hour of finishing my workouts. I pay attention to my protein- which conveniently brings me to my new friend: bean pasta. 
Before I delve further, I have the following words to say: I am in no way affiliated with Explore Asian, the company that makes theses pastas. I am not paid to write this post. I did not get the product for free.
And now:
Holy shit this stuff is great.
One serving of your average pasta off the shelf contains 6.7 grams of protein. That’s not terrible (the same as an egg, roughly), but it’s certainly not great. One serving of this edamame and mung bean pasta contains 24 grams of protein.
TWENTY FOUR.
The same amount as a scoop of my favorite protein powder.
And it tastes great.
That’s awesome.
The first thing I thought of making when I decided to up my protein a bit was a green + grain + bean bowl using this pasta as a grain. (yes, I know beans aren’t grains, but use your imagination. Pasta is certainly grain like) I used fresh produce from my farmers market, my special pasta, roasted chickpeas, and a quick and simple tahini sauce and pulled together the best damn lunch I’ve had in quite some time.
Here’s the recipe:
| Mung bean pasta, roasted chickpea, and cauliflower bowl with tahini ginger sauce. | Print |
- Spray oil (I used coconut)
- 1 medium head cauliflower, chopped into small florets
- 2 cups chickpeas
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bag Explore Asian Mung bean and Edamame fettucini
- 2 large carrots (I used an heirloom variety)
- 1 head curly kale, chopped small
- ½ cup tahini
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 inch fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon miso
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Spread your chopped cauliflower on one half of the baking sheet, and your chickpeas on the other. Pour two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar over the chickpeas and liberally coat the whole pan in spray oil. Add a dash of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Bake for 25 minutes
- While your beans and cauliflower are baking, set a pot of water to boil on the stove. Cook pasta according to instructions.
- Using a peeler, shave your carrots into long strips
- De-stem your kale, and lightly steam on your stovetop for 3-5 minutes
- To make your sauce: mix tahini, water, apple cider vinegar, ginger and miso in a blender. Puree until smooth.
- Split all ingredients except sauce between four large bowls.
- Drizzle sauce on top of your mix and enjoy! This keeps well in the fridge and is great as a leftover lunch!
Bon appetit!
Weekend Reading: Podcasting edition
My friends! I am doing a couple of very exciting things in Mendocino, CA right now.
1) I am photographing the amazing Stanford Inn Eco-Resort and its accompanying restaurant, Raven’s Restaurant for a new all-vegan travel magazine called Driftwood.
and
2) I am getting interviewed for one of my absolute very favorite podcasts ever, Approaching the Natural.
WOW. Have I mentioned how stoked, amazed, terrified, nervous, and delighted I am when I think of all the cool-ass shit vegans do and all the ways I can be a part of said shit? It’s truly beautiful and incredible and I am so pleased to wake up every single day and know that my work with Super Strength Health is both fun and has a purpose. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t shedding a tear right now.
I’m such a cheeseball.
A cashew based cheese ball.
(Okay, I’ll stop)
Due to my escapades, I am going to leave you with these wonderful links and not my two cents. Trust me when I say all these articles are very very worth reading, and click on over to get the full scoop.
1) Letting Go of Busy by Ashley Neese
2) Why the Hourglass Figure is the Only Version of Plus Size That We See by Jes Baker
3) How to Not Care What Other People Think of You by Tavi Gevinson
4) How to Pack a Balanced (Vegan) Diet in Your Backpack by Anna/Bug
5) Dietician Perspective on Protein, Calcium and Vegan Bone Health by Ginny Messina, R.D.
See you on Monday!
