Fresh-Start Challenge Week 2, Day 6: The Three Faces of Chickpeas

Sometimes people ask me if I get bored eating healthy food. Never! Just look at the versatility of the humble bean. In today's menus, you can find chickpeas in three very different forms. The Plant-Strong meals start with a chickpea flour scramble for breakfast and end with a stew featuring whole chickpeas in a tomato sauce. The Classic menu calls for warm hummus, or chickpea puree, over roasted vegetables like a gravy. (This is my favorite winter comfort meal).

Roasting Vegetables

Cut vegetables into pieces that are about the same size so they will cook at the same rate, toss with a little olive oil, and arrange in a  single layer on a rimmed cookie sheet. Roast until the vegetables start to brown, showing they are sweet and tender. Using parchment paper under the vegetables speeds cleanup but isn't necessary.

Today's Plan

Cook a hot breakfast, relax for lunch with the Spicy Peanut Noodles you made on Day 4, and do a little more cooking for dinner. For the Plant-Strong track, just steam greens. For the Classic track, roast vegetables and warm the Hummus you made on Day 2, when you also made dessert.

Plant-Strong Menu

breakfast	Oatmeal, Chickpea-Flour Scramble,  tea
lunch	Noodles in Spicy Peanut Sauce with Winter Vegetables, orange
snack	banana
dinner	Chickpea Stew on quinoa, steamed greens (kale or collards), Sweet Sixteen Oatmeal-Raisin Bars

Classic Menu

breakfast	Oatmeal, egg your style,  tea
lunch	Noodles in Spicy Peanut Sauce with Winter Vegetables
snack	banana
dinner	Roasted Vegetables topped with warm Hummus, Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies