Michael Pollan Recipe - Crispy Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Two 15-ounce cans organic chickpeas, drained, rinsed well, and patted dry (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas)
1/2 cup firmly packed, finely shredded Parmesan cheese (not pre-grated or it will not melt)
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a large baking dish. Place it in the hot oven.

In a small mixing bowl combine the chickpeas, 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil, the Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Mix well until the chickpeas are thoroughly coated.

Carefully remove the hot baking dish from the oven and pour the chickpea mixture in. Use a wooden spoon to spread the chickpeas into a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes; stir them once with the wooden spoon. Continue to cook until crispy and golden brown, an additional 7 to 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper as desired, and serve hot or at room temperature. (Do not drain on paper towel or they will loose their crispiness.)

*Once cool they also make a great salad topping.

Taken from this blog with other healthy snacks: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-pollan-family-table/3-addictive-snacks-that-a_b_8964682.html

Squash (or sometimes pumpkin) Curry

Ingredients
1/2 winter squash cubed (or sometimes pumpkin)
half an onion diced
kale
heirloom tomato
1 can coconut milk (I like Thai Kitchen)
curry paste (I like Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste)
chicken or tofu diced
garlic minced
ginger diced or grated
coconut oil
basil
Directions
1. Throw the onion, garlic and ginger into a big soup pan with the coconut oil and let simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Add the coconut milk and a spoonful of the curry paste diluted in hot water or chicken broth add some extra water as well.
3. Add the squash and bring everything to a boil then down to a simmer.
4. Wait until the squash is soft enough that you can cut through it with a fork (about 10 minutes depending on the size of the cubes).
5. Add the chicken or tofu and bring it back to a boil again and down to a simmer again . . . cook until the meat is no longer raw (about 5-10 minutes).
6. Add the kale and let the dish simmer for about 10 minutes.
7. At the very end add the tomato and basil.

If you like you can serve it over rice or quinoa.

Baked Squash

Now that it's fall, I make a lot of squash dishes. An easy one is baked kombocha squash. I cut the squash in half, and then cut thin slices. I place the slices on a cookie sheet and drizzle them with a sauce made out of canola oil, mirin, sesame oil, braggs or tamari sauce, red pepper spice or hot sauce, and mapple sugar or ground sugar. I mix up the sauce and flip the squash to make sure it is coated on both sides. If I have them on hand, I sometimes cut up carrots in flat strips and add them to the cookie sheet. I put the dish in the oven and cook it for 14 minutes at 350, flipping the pieces over at the mid point. You know they are done when you can put a fork through the thickest of the pieces (though ideally they are evenly cut).

Kombucha

Kombucha is known to have several healing effects because of the fermented process in which it is made. You can read more about it via the Weston Price website.  You can continually brew kombucha once you get a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) or "mother." I was luckily enough to get a SCOBY from a friend. As you brew the drink, you will start to grow new SCOBYs that you too can pass a long to others. You will also need a large glass jar that won't break when exposed to hot water. You can make batches in gallon containers (double the recipe) or 1/2 gallon (shown below).


1) Brew two caffeinated tea bags (black, green, or other) in hot water in a 
1/2 gallon jar
2) Add 5/8 cups of sugar and let dissolve
3) Leave the tea to cool, covered, for several hours
4) Once the tea is room temperature, add the SCOBY. If this is your first batch, you will also need to add a starter, which could be the bottom portion of a store-bought kombucha. If this is your second or third batch, just pour in some of the bottom part of the previous batch
5) Cover the jar with a clean sock
6) Place the jar in a dark cool location and let it sit for 5-10 days (the longer you wait the more vinegary the flavor).

As a note, the SCOBY cannot touch metal, so make sure you use plastic or wood spoons.

You can blend the kombucha with other flavors. I like adding cranberry juice, seltzer water and ginger.

You Are Such A Smoothie

Smoothies are like healthy milkshakes (well, I think they are better than the ice cream version).  Here is one of my favorites from Dr. Oz.

Ingredients
1/2 cup soymilk, regular milk, or almond milk
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 banana
1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed or chia seeds
1/2 cup ice

Blend the ingredients until smooth.

Sometimes I blend frozen strawberries, milk, and sugar together too. Another great combination.

Eat Your Greens! They Are Yummy...

Kale is one of the most nutritious foods. It is good for you, and tastes good too. I like to saute the kale in garlic and coconut oil. Once it cools I toss the kale with diced steamed beets, pumpkin seeds, sauerkraut, and vinegar. This is a great dish on those nights when you want to clean out your fridge. You can add vegetables, such as fava beans, and different types of protein including chicken, tuna, cheese or tofu.

Creamy Polenta

Polenta is one of my favorite go-to foods. It is quick, easy, and comforting. Plus, it is so versatile.

I start by putting polenta grains into boiling water, at a ratio of 1:2, and wait for the combination to boil. Then, I put it on low, and start adding different ingredients. There are so many different combinations, the final dish usually depends on what I have in my kitchen. I either use milk and butter, chicken broth, and/or miso and water to make the polenta creamy. Then I add it cheese, herbs, and other flavors (like tomato paste, soy sauce, garlic, etc.).

Next I place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and ladle out the creamy polenta so it starts to make a sheet. I bend the paper over to contain the mixture. You can adjust the paper to make the polenta thiner or thicker.

Now it is time to get creative. Once the polenta is cool, you can use your favorite cookie cutters to make it into shapes (see hearts below). You can fry these up, or use them as a base for other dishes.

For example, I make polenta pizza! I put tomato sauce, cheese, and baked black beans on top and put all in the oven until the cheese melts and the polenta is warm. Enjoy!