Do you ever get the feeling, too many recipes, too little time? It's my own fault that I subscribe to four food magazines, read newspaper dining sections weekly, and am always prepared to add the next cookbook that catches my eye to my Amazon cart. Recipes envelop me. And it's with enthusiasm that I accept them, but sometimes it can leave me feeling overwhelmed, even when I tend to try new recipes almost every night of the week.
I recently received two new cookbooks in the mail. One is by the talented Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks. I tend to read cookbooks with a pad of fuchsia post-it notes nearby to tag the recipes I'm interested in, but even before I sat on the couch to read her cookbook cover to cover, I didn't bother. I knew I'd want to make most of the recipes. For the next few weeks at least, most of my meals came from her book, and in a way it was liberating to have one direction to go, letting the gray dissipate like heavy rain clouds moving through after a storm. The clouds parted, and I could see clearly.
I hope you'll try this, and get her cookbook for that matter. There is a lot to love. I've been obsessing over all the healthy dishes that come together seamlessly, give me energy, and encourage me to return again and again.
CHICKPEA WRAPS
Adapted from Heidi Swanson, Super Natural Every Day; serves 4
I made a few changes from the original recipe, including adding grilled zucchini and fresh tomatoes. It's something I enjoy about Heidi's recipes, that they're adaptable to the circumstance. You could add yellow squash, sprouts, or other vegetables you have handy. Rather than copy her recipe word for word, I wrote it from memory a few minutes after eating, so I hope it's just as easy to follow.
1 can chickpeas
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 small celery rib, minced
A large pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Juice of half a lemon, or more to taste
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise about 1/4"-inch thick
1 roma tomato, sliced
4 whole wheat wraps
A few handfuls of arugula
Pulse most of the chickpeas in a food processor until coarsely ground. (They'll look like wet breadcrumbs.) Add them to a medium bowl with the whole chickpeas. To the chickpeas, add the onion, celery, cayenne pepper, and some salt. Stir to combine.
Whisk yogurt, mustard and lemon until well combined and add 1/2 cup to the chickpeas and mix well. Quickly sear the zucchini drizzled with some olive oil, salt and pepper over a medium-high grill, about 3 minutes per side.
Spread a few spoonfuls of the remaining sauce on each wrap, then spread on some arugula. Add two slices of zucchini and a few tomatoes. Using the back of a spoon, spread the chickpeas as the last layer and gently roll. Cut each wrap in half and serve.
