Food: Chickpea Salad, Garlic Anchovy Linguine, Cilantro Lime Coleslaw, Roasted Beets

Yesterday I avowed to become more vegetarian, but somehow managed to eat the biggest chicken salad sandwich I've ever had today at lunch. It was delicious. What in the world.

I have neglected to update some of cooking adventures lately so I'll have to combine them all here in this post.

"Probably won't make again..."

Chicken in a Pot 

• 5 cups chicken broth 
• 6oz. can tomato paste
• 1 2/3 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 6-7 cloves garlic, minced 
• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves 
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs 
• 2-4 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1/2 box of fresh mushrooms (sliced)

Rating: 3.8 out of 5
Comments: I know that's kind of a weird rating, but I feel like a 4 out of 5 dish is one I would make again. Not saying this chicken was bad, but I felt like the tomato paste made it a little bitter and sour. Maybe I could have just reduced the amount of tomato paste? The original recipe actually call for much less tomato paste so maybe I would have liked it better that way. But I am trying to cut down on processed ingredient in my cooking anyway, so perhaps no great loss here. Chicken in a Pot

Healthy Garden Salad

• 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar instead)
• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (Used olive oil instead)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
• 2 limes, juiced 
• 1 teaspoon white sugar 
• 3/4 teaspoon salt 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 (1 pound) package frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans) 
• 3 cups frozen corn kernels (did not add)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered 
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced 
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Comments: Maybe it's because I've been making a lot of salad's like this recently (see chickpea salad) or because I changed some of the ingredients, but I couldn't finish eating this. I didn't really like the way the edamame tasted in this dish. It's also kind of a lot of ingredient / work. I probably won't make this again, and would probably stick with Texas Cavier instead, which has a similar taste to it. Healthy Garden Salad

"Will make again"

Chickpea Salad with Red Onion and Tomato (pictured above)

• 19 ounces garbanzo beans, drained
• 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas, red onion, garlic, tomato, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 2 hours before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: This was easy to make and had good flavor for the most part. I think I put too much onion in which overpowered the dish somewhat. I needed to cut the onion into tinier pieces but I cry so badly every time that I cut onions that I really rush through the process. Ugh don't know really what to do about that. In fact this dish would have tasted better I think if I had chopped everything up in a food processor. Chickpea Salad with Red Onion and Tomato

Garlic Anchovy Linguine (pictured above)

• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3/4 cup finely chopped broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 6 ounces anchovy fillets, chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta
• 1 1/2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes (did not add this)

Directions: Heat 6 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then stir in garlic, broccoli, and mushrooms; cook until lightly browned. Add anchovies and water, cover, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in green onions, tomatoes, and parsley, cover again, simmering until vegetables are soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, bring a large pot of water and one teaspoon of olive oil to a boil. Add linguine and cook until al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes; drain. Toss with anchovy mixture and crushed red pepper flakes. If desired, season with black pepper. Serve immediately.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Comments: Good pasta dish that was pretty easy to make. Warning: you may find small anchovy "hairs" (bones?)  in your pasta. Garlic Anchovy Linguine 

Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise 
• 1 lime, zested (did not zest)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar (used apple cider vinegar)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce (did not use)
• 2 teaspoons white sugar 
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1/4 red onion, finely diced, or more to taste 
• 4 cups shredded green cabbage, or more to taste

Directions: Whisk mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, rice vinegar, garlic, sweet chili sauce, and sugar in a large bowl, stirring to dissolve sugar. Mix cilantro and red onion into dressing. Stir cabbage into dressing mixture, about 1 cup at a time, until all cabbage is coated.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Comments: I really liked the taste of this coleslaw even thought I was very lax about the following the recipe directions I think I used even less mayo then called for and used more cabbage and I thought there was definitely enough dressing. I ate this with fish tacos or sometimes just with corn tortillas. Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw

Roasted Beets and Sauteed Greens 

• 1 bunch beets with greens
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided (just guestimated this)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (used balsamic vinegar)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (175 degrees C). Wash the beets thoroughly, leaving the skins on, and remove the greens. Rinse greens, removing any large stems, and set aside. Place the beets in a small baking dish or roasting pan, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. If you wish to peel the beets, it is easier to do so once they have been roasted. 

Cover with foil, and bake for 60-90 minutes, or until a knife can slide easily through the largest beet. When the roasted beets are almost done, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and onion, and cook for a minute.
Tear the beet greens into 2 to 3 inch pieces, and add them to the skillet. Cook and stir until greens are wilted and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the greens as is, and the roasted beets sliced with vinegar.
Ratings: 4.5 out of 5
Comments: This was so good! Who knew beets were so tasty especially the greens. Beets themselves are naturally sweet, and the greens had a bit of that sweet flavor as well. Not a bitter vegetable at all. I added some soft cheese to the beets; I think some feta and toasted pecans would have been delicious additions (will try this next time). It's also very satisfying to use the entire vegetable for some reason. Although the entire cooking time is long (the beets took a long time to roast), the actually time prepping and cooking is not too bad.
I made roasted asparagus again too to eat with the beets. This time the asparagus was a lot more fibrous and chewy, which I attribute mostly to the asparagus being of the regular variety instead of thin stemmed and my roasting them at a lower temp (with the beets). Also didn't use real grated Parmesan cheese, and therefore didn't get that delicious cheesy crunch. Roasted Beets and Sauteed Greens 

Next week: More veggie dishes along with a good chicken dish.