Meatless Monday with Mediterranean Chick Pea Stew

Hello and welcome (back) to the Miratel blog for another Meatless Monday. We took the Meatless Monday pledge as part of our CSR business initiatives in support of reducing meat consumption one day per week (15%) to improve the health of people and the planet. Every Monday we feature a new vegetarian recipe and try to keep them as simple to make as possible.

On the menu tonight is Mediterranean chick pea stew. The recipe comes courtesy of Food Network Canada star and host of Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen, Montreal native Nadia G. Nadia’s new cookbook Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen: Cookin’ For Trouble was recently released and she has been making appearances on television shows such as The Marilyn Denis Show to Access Hollywood Live. The host of the first ever comedy cooking show also participated in Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital’s second annual Chef’s Challenge: The Ultimate Battle For a Cure with Bobby Flay this past weekend which helped raise funds to find a cure for breast cancer.

Mediterranean chick pea stew image courtesy of foodnetwork.ca

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 head of garlic, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt
• 3 unit scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 unit sweet red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 unit red finger hot chili pepper, seeds removed, minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 can whole, peeled, organic san marzano tomatoes, hand crushed (796mL)
• pinch of brown sugar
• 2 cups chick peas
• Zest of half a lemon
• handful of fresh parsley, minced
• 5 large mint leaves, stacked, rolled up and sliced into ribbons (chiffonade)
• toasted whole wheat pita, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
2. Slice the top off of the head of garlic; lay it on some aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil and black pepper. Seal aluminum foil over garlic and roast for 40 minutes.
3. In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add peppers and scallions into the pan, stir and coat with salt, paprika and cumin. Pour in the hand-crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Peel 4 cloves of roasted garlic and crush with a fork. Add garlic, chick peas, lemon zest, mint and parsley to the stew then stir until heated through.
5. Ladle stew into big bowls and serve with toasted whole-wheat pita wedges.

This hearty stew makes the perfect lunch or dinner and if whole wheat pita chips are not your thing, you can substitute with whole wheat crostini. This dish packs bold flavours in a warming winter stew. You can always make this stew on a Sunday and you can reheat it on Monday if you are going to be short on time.

We encourage you to visit the Meatless Monday website and join us in taking the pledge to reduce meat consumption one day per week. It’s easy with simple and delicious recipes like this one. Spread the word at work to promote the value of CSR business initiatives and make your green call centre, office, factory, shop, restaurant, hotel or salon even greener.

Buon Appetito!
________________________________________________________________________________________
For nonprofit, CSR business, digital and other news,please connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services and mail house operations and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.

Please be sociable and share!

•