Plus, they are very nutritious and incredibly affordable. By incorporating chickpeas recipes into your meal plans, you can achieve your nutritional goals and keep your food budget on target.

Here’s a look at what chickpeas have to offer, as well as some amazing recipes.

Beyond Hummus – What You Need to Know About Chickpeas

When most people think of chickpea recipes, hummus is the first thing that comes to mind. But that barely scratches the surface of what you can do with garbanzo beans.

These versatile legumes have an amazing, buttery taste that works well in a range of scenarios. Plus, they’re brimming with fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals, making them worthy of being the main focus of any meal. If you are considering veganism or want to reduce your meat consumption, chickpeas are an invaluable source of protein.

10 Great Chickpea Recipes

1. Vegetarian, Soy-Honey Glazed Meatballs

With hints of sweetness and spice, these vegetarian meatballs are a great main course. Chickpeas and shitake mushrooms bring a buttery earthiness while the honey-soy glaze also features a bit of heat. As the meatballs cook, the glaze caramelizes, making it incredibly decadent.

2. Classic Homemade Falafel

If you want to try your hand at a Middle Eastern staple that is also Israel’s national dish, this classic homemade falafel is a great place to start. As with many chickpea recipes, this one is vegetarian, but that doesn’t mean omnivores won’t adore it, too.

Plus, it’s pretty simple to make. Along with chickpeas, you simply need an onion, flour, oil, and a few spices. Falafel is also incredibly versatile when it comes to how it is served. It can be an appetizer when served with a dip or, if you want to make it part of an entrée, include some pita bread, a small salad, and sauce.

3. Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Chickpeas can make a great snack, especially when nicely spiced and roasted. Plus, like many chickpea recipes, it’s reasonably easy to make. You just need to combine cooked chickpeas, olive oil, and seasoning, and then bake them.

However, do keep in mind that chickpeas can “pop” when baking, though usually only a few will do so in every batch (if any). If you want to make sure that exploding chickpeas don’t make a mess in your oven, consider covering the pan lightly with some foil or baking in a loose foil pocket instead of on an open ban.

4. Vegan Quinoa and Chickpea Lettuce Wraps

Chocked full of trendy healthy ingredients like quinoa and kale, this is one of the chickpea recipes that’s also vegan. Plus, it’s incredibly simple. Beyond cooking the chickpeas and quinoa, the rest really only requires combining ingredients.

A range of vegetables provide crunch, and the seasoning makes these wraps very flavorful. Plus, you could make a big batch of the wrap filling in advance and use it for wraps over more than one day. Just keep it in the refrigerator.

5. Zucchini Pasta with Broccolini, Chickpeas, and Gremolata Breadcrumbs

If you love turning veggies into makeshift pasta, this chickpea recipe is for you. Not only is it incredibly flavorful, but it’s also very hearty and satisfying. It also isn’t complicated or overly time-consuming to make but looks impressive when served.

6. Chickpea Coconut Red Curry

For anyone who wants to try their hand at Indian food but worries that it’s too complicated, this recipe is a great place to start. Along with being simple and kick, the end result is a sweet and savory delight featuring subtle spices. Plus, it’s a vegan recipe that many non-vegans would also enjoy, making it ideal for a variety of situations.

7. Smashed Chickpea and Avocado Sandwich

If you’re looking for a lunch sandwich worthy of taking to work, this is a great choice. It’s incredibly filling and remarkably flavorful. This sandwich also features a ton of healthy ingredients, including spinach, cucumber, and celery. It’s a meal you can feel good about eating that will also leave you feeling satisfied until it’s time for dinner.

8. Chickpea Protein Bars

Protein bars have been all the rage for years now, but store-bought options can be spendy, and they aren’t always the healthiest. This chickpea protein bar recipe is a great alternative to those products. Not only is the recipe flavorful, but it’s also affordable.

Plus, these chickpea protein bars and incredibly simple to make. It only takes eight ingredients and, if you store the bars in the fridge, you can keep a few stashed away for up to 2 weeks.

9. Chickpea Flourless Chocolate Chip Blondies

One of many dessert chickpea recipes, these chocolate chip blondies are mainly made of chickpeas, nut butter, and maple syrup. It’s a great way to squeeze more protein into what is essentially a cookie. Plus, they are gluten-free and vegan.

10. Dark Chocolate Chickpea Brownies

If the blondie recipe above doesn’t give you enough chocolate, this brownie chickpea recipe might be right up your alley. The brownies are incredibly decadent and packed with protein. Plus, if you use vegan egg replacements, they can be vegan, too.

Tracy

www.happywifey.net

The post 10 Great Chickpea Recipes appeared first on Happy Wifey.

When you go gluten-free, you might struggle to find alternative ingredients for your favorite meals. Luckily, if you adore homemade pizza, there are a surprising number of high-quality gluten-free pizza crusts available. Plus, you can order many of them on Amazon, allowing you to get your dough sent directly to your door.

If you are looking for a convenient way to make homemade pizza and have a restricted diet, here are the best gluten-free pizza crusts on Amazon today.

Udi’s Gluten-Free Thin & Crispy Pizza Crust

Udi’s aims to provide those who live gluten-free with amazing ingredients that can help them make delicious food. The Udi’s Gluten Free Thin & Crispy Pizza Crust (shipped frozen) doesn’t have any gluten. Plus, it’s dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free, allowing it to work for people with other diet restrictions too.

Cooking with this pizza crust from Udi’s is very simple as well. Just add your choice of toppings and bake. You don’t even have to thaw it first if you’d rather not. However, if you do, it still has a shelf life of seven days on the counter. By leaving it frozen until you are ready to use it, the pizza crusts can last up to six months in the freezer, allowing you to stash them to use as a quick dinner when the need arises.

Each pack contains two pizza crusts, making it great for a family of four.

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix

For families that prefer thicker pizza crust, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix is a great option. Since you are making your own dough, you have more control over the thickness and size. Just follow the package directions to create your dough and adjust your baking time as needed to get your ideal pizza.

Plus, you get the experience of cooking from near-scratch by using this pizza crust mix. While the dry ingredients are more or less ready to go, you do go through the mixing and rising process. If you cook with children, this can be a great way to introduce them to cooking, as it isn’t as complex as combining all of the dry ingredients but still makes creating a pizza an experience. Just use the time the dough needs to rise to prepare toppings, like fresh-cut veggies or homemade sauce.

gfJules Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

gfJules Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix features all of the dry ingredients you’ll need conveniently combined together. Making a pizza using this mix is incredibly straight forward, and you get the ability to adjust the size and thickness of your dough if you prefer.

This gluten-free pizza crust is non-GMO and is also nut and soy-free. While the mix itself is vegan, the recommended recipe does contain eggs, so it’s important to seek out a substitute approach (like a vegan egg replacer and a bit of xanthan gum) if you are a gluten-free and vegan who wants to use this mix.

Schar Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts

Another ready-to-use option, Scar Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts are a fast and easy way to have a gluten-free pizza at home. The cooking time can be as little as 15 minutes, making it a great option for quick meals when you don’t want to do a ton of cooking. Many people also appreciate that these crusts are a bit thicker than some other premade gluten-free pizza crust options, so they might support more or heavier toppings with greater ease.

Each package contains two pizza crusts, giving you the ability to craft pizzas with different toppings for feed a family of four (up to six) with a single package. Plus, these crusts are shelf-stable, so you don’t have to worry about freezing them when they arrive.

Simple Mills Almond Flour Pizza Dough Mix

Featuring an incredibly simple ingredients list and no artificial preservatives, the Simple Mills Almond Flour Pizza Dough Mix is a great choice for families that want thicker pizza crust. The ingredients are non-GMO, vegan, and paleo-friendly too, making this mix a solid option for people with a range of dietary restrictions or preferences. Plus, it doesn’t require eggs or other animal products in the pizza crust recipe, so the end result is vegan, too.

Each box contains enough ingredients for two pizzas, allowing you to make them both at once or save half of the ingredients for another meal on a different day. When using the whole thing, it could easily feed a family of four to six, depending on ages and appetites.

Plus, when you buy multiple packs at the same time, the Simple Mills Almond Flour Pizza Dough Mix is a bit cheaper than many other gluten-free crust options. If you make pizzas regularly, a few bucks saved on every meal adds up fast, which makes this mix better for gluten-free families on a budget.

Tracy

www.happywifey.net

The post Best Gluten-Free Pizza Crust on Amazon appeared first on Happy Wifey.

A few weeks ago, hubby and I decided to do a 15-day detox diet to help get our weight and unhealthy eating habits under control. We were both pleased with the results and are working to incorporate more fruits and veggies into our diets and eat less meat.

I’m not a big breakfast eater but I’ve always been a fan of muffins. Unfortunately, a lot of muffins are less healthy than eating a slice of cake.

When I stumbled across a recipe for low-calorie zucchini (courgette) muffins, I decided to tweak it a bit and this is what I came up with.

If you bake these muffins, I’d love to know what you think! Leave your comments below. 

Tracy

www.happywifey.net

The post Zucchini, Sun-dried Tomato, and Halloumi Cheese Muffin Recipe appeared first on Happy Wifey.

[Super important caveat: Don’t go picking mushrooms in the wild unless you are 100% sure you know what they are. Some of the deadly poison mushrooms look similar to their edible cousins so if there’s any doubt leave them alone.]

I know there are folks out there who won’t eat mushrooms other than those bland white buttons at the grocery store. If you haven’t eaten wild mushrooms like cepes or chanterelles, trust me, you owe it to yourself to taste them! I just can’t get enough of those delicious little fungi.

Last night I had my first wild mushrooms of the season. so I decided to try out a new recipe. My Wild Mushrooms in Cream recipe is adapted from one in my favourite Jamie Oliver cookbook, Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes. It was so easy and delicious I wanted to share it with you.

Do you love wild mushrooms too? What’s your favourite way to eat them?

Tracy

www.happywifey.net

The post Wild Mushrooms in Cream Recipe appeared first on Happy Wifey.

I’m not entirely sure why I was afraid to try roasting a duck. I roast chickens and turkeys with great success, and I love cooking duck breast. For some reason though, the prospect of cooking the whole duck was a bit scary.

I think part of the problem was I had never even eaten duck before our trip to France. Duck isn’t a common sight on menus around these parts unless you’re at a Chinese restaurant. When we visited the farmer’s market last week though, I spotted fresh, local duck and had to buy one on the spot.

I searched the internet high and low for a good roast duck recipe. As is common for me, I ended up combining a few different recipes and coming up with my own version. (Mostly because I never have all the ingredients on hand I need to follow someone else’s recipe faithfully!)

I’ve added Amazon links to a few of the harder to find ingredients below, in case you can’t buy them at your local store:

• pomegranate molasses
• Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce
• Soy Sauce This is the best one I’ve ever tasted!
• Balsamic Vinegar Don’t use your expensive Balsamic for this recipe (but don’t use a super cheap one either!) This is a good, everyday balsamic.
• Tabasco If you can’t find this locally, I’m sorry.

If you’ve never tried roasting a whole duck before, I hope you give it a try.

Tracy

www.happywifey.net

The post How to Roast a Crispy Duck Recipe appeared first on Happy Wifey.

Puy lentils, lentille du Puy, (or French green lentils) come from the Le Puy region of south-central France. These small, green, peppery lentils are often called ‘poor man’s caviar’ in France. I hadn’t really eaten lentils, outside of the occasional curry, before our trip to France a few years ago. But Puy lentils have since become of favourite. They do taste better than regular green lentils and the texture is much better for salads like this one. If you can’t find them at your local grocery, these ones from Amazon are good.

If, like me, you’ve never cooked puy lentils before, don’t be intimidated. Rinse the lentils in a colander until the water runs clear.  You can cook them in stock or water with a bit of salt. Boil them for about 25-30 minutes. They should be slightly al dente. Drain off any excess water and you’re done!

Halloumi (or haloumi) was something completely new for me and I am now in love. This salty cheese is a mixture of sheep and goat milk and comes originally from Cyprus. It can be found in Greece and Middle Eastern cooking as well. The interesting thing about this cheese is that you can fry or grill it and it doesn’t lose its shape.

I have been wanting to experiment with this cheese for some time now, so when I found this recipe for puy lentils with grilled halloumi I had to give it a go.

Here’s the recipe as I cooked it (because you know I had to tweak a bit):

It’s easy and delicious and I will definitely be making this again soon! Have you cooked Puy lentils or Halloumi? Share your comments or recipes below.

Tracy

www.happywifey.net

The post Puy Lentil, Cherry Tomato, and Halloumi Salad appeared first on Happy Wifey.

In some places, pearl couscous is a bit hard to find but check your international and pasta sections. Of course, you can always find it on Amazon. Here are a few options:

• I’m a big fan of Red Mill’s products and they have a variety of pearl couscous options in natural, whole wheat, and tri-color.
• Another good choice is WildRoots Organic Pearl Couscous
• Or if you want to buy in bulk, try Roland Israeli Couscous

You can do so many things with pearl couscous. It’s great in soups. You can cook it a bit like risotto. It also works either hot or cold meaning it’s a great alternative to pasta salad.

I’ve made a couple of variations of this summer salad and I’m in love.  It’s so versatile you can use whatever you have on hand. You can add or switch ingredients as you see fit but here is my starting recipe.

Have fun! If you make it let me know what you put in it.

Tracy

www.happywifey.net

The post Pearl Couscous Salad Recipe appeared first on Happy Wifey.

I used to only buy boneless chicken breasts – expensive and wasteful.

Like a lot of you, I bought chicken breasts for a couple of reasons – I thought they were healthier and (mostly) they were easier to deal with. Living in Europe for two years changed a lot of my thoughts on food. (Ok, I actually started thinking about food and where it comes from.) One of those changes was thinking about the quality and origin of the chicken I buy. You don’t have to move to Amsterdam to have an epiphany; just do a simple test. Buy a regular battery farmed chicken and a chicken that lived outdoors and ate wild food. If you can’t taste an incredible difference, carry on. If, like me, you hadn’t realised what you’ve been missing, ask yourself, “Would I rather eat flavourful healthy meat that is more expensive less often, or cheap bland meat more often?”

Wouldn’t rather eat chickens that got to enjoy life outside? Me too.

My own answer was clear. I wanted the best tasting and healthiest meat for my family. We’re not rich though, so eating quality meat means making some compromises. Simply put, we eat less meat but make the most of it when we do. I also found the perfect cost-saving way to eat chicken. Instead of buying pre-cut pieces of chicken: breasts, legs, whatever, I’ve been buying whole organic chickens and butchering them myself. When I’ve cut all the chicken I need from the bones, I then make my own chicken stock from the carcass.

Too time-consuming and Martha Stewart-ish you say? I thought so too until a chef friend showed me his secret. Once you know what you’re doing, you can get the whole thing done in about twenty minutes (except for simmering the stock).

How to Butcher Your Chicken

Instead of roasting your whole chicken, butcher it for multiple meals

1. First I remove the chicken thighs and put them in a freezer bag so we can eat them as part of a meal later.
2. Then I carefully carve off the breasts which I also freeze separately. If you prefer skinless chicken, you can remove this now. I normally leave it on so it gives me more options later. (Also the skin IS the best part, amIright?)
3. Next, I cut off the wings and put those in a freezer bag. I save these and keep adding wings to the bag as I carve up chickens so we can have a big hot wing feast. Mmmm wings.
4. Then I remove and throw away any extra skin and fat from the carcass and cut it in half. I brown it in a pot with some olive oil.

Now for the Martha-esq (but very economical) part – I use a lot of soup stock when I cook. I make sauces, soups, and risottos that require stock as a base. I detest those little salt laden stock cubes so I used to buy jars of soup stock at the grocery store. They were pretty expensive. Now, instead, I make my own.

How to Make Soup Stock

It all starts with vegetable peelings. (Use this tip to make great veggie stock too!

1. Whenever I cut up veggies, like carrots, leeks, parsnip etc, I make sure I clean the vegetables well before I peel them. Then I toss all the pealings and other waste in a ziplock and throw them in the freezer. If I have some celery or parsley in the fridge which is beginning to wilt (but have not spoiled yet) I also throw these in the ziplock.
2. When I’m ready to make stock, all I have to do is toss some of the frozen vegetable bits in the pot with the browned chicken carcass and fill the pot with water. I add some salt, pepper, and any spices I want and leave it to simmer on low for 3-5 hours. When it’s done, I just strain out all the solids and throw them in the compost.
3. Bonus tip – I also pick any leftover chicken bits from the carcass and use it in soup or pasta.
4. I can store the stock in the fridge for about a week or freeze it and use it when I need it. It’s so easy I don’t know why I was so intimidated to do it before.

Beautiful homemade chicken stock!

The best part is I normally paid around 5-7$ for a couple of chicken breasts or thighs. I paid around 3-4$ for 400ml of stock. Now I’m spending around 10-12$ for a whole chicken and getting: 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts and about 1.5L of stock. Oh, and my family gets to enjoy tasty nutritious meat that’s been ethically raised – while we save money!

Tracy

www.happywifey.net

The post How to Make Chicken Stock (or Any Soup Stock) from Scratch appeared first on Happy Wifey.