Infinite Plant-rich Meals - A Template

Join Chef Instructor Lauren Chandler to discover how to easily integrate healthy ingredients into your meals every day. She'll teach you a recipe template rather than a strict recipe, so you can understand how to make your own variations. You'll learn about vibrant ingredients that will bring flavor, color, and texture to your plate that just happen to be good for you. Lauren will share tips and tricks along the way to help you find ease and efficiency and up your cooking game.

Cabbage Mango Slaw with Chickpeas      
Broiled Lime Cabbage
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

(don’t be fooled by these recipes - we will end up with full meals!)

Cabbage Mango Slaw with Chickpeas

Serves 4-6
For the dressing:

1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, optional
Pinch of chili flakes, optional
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the slaw:

1 ½ cups shredded green cabbage
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 cup chickpeas
1/3 cup cilantro leaves
¼ cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste    

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, lime juice, honey, mustard, and if you are using them, paprika and chili flakes. Continue whisking and slowly drizzle in the oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Alternatively, combine all the ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake.

2. Place the cabbage in a large bowl and add enough dressing to coat, tossing it thoroughly to combine.

3. Gently fold in the mango, chickpeas, cilantro, and pepitas, adding more salt and pepper to taste if you wish.
   
   
   

Broiled Lime Cabbage

This very simple preparation will turn anyone into a cabbage lover. It’s buttery, sweet, and has an addictive quality. 

1 small or medium head of green or Savoy cabbage
2-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lime, halved crosswise
2-3 Tablespoons roughly chopped delicate herbs (like flat leaf parsley, cilantro, chives, mint), optional
3-4 Tablespoons roughly chopped toasted nuts (like walnuts, pistachio nuts, almonds), optional

1. Turn the oven on to the high broil setting. 

2. Chop the cabbage in half through the core. Place the halves flat side down and slice it into thin slabs, keeping the core intact. Place the cabbage on a rimmed baking dish and use your hands to gently coat with the olive oil, salt and pepper. (You may need two baking sheets.) Try to keep the slabs intact. Nestle in the lime halves cut side down. 

3. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the top oven rack until the cabbage starts to turn brown in spots and the cabbage turns more of a vibrant hue. Remove from the oven. Flip over with tongs or a spatula and return to the oven for another 2-3 minutes until the edges of the cabbage are browned. Keep a close eye - ovens vary and it can cook quickly! 

4. Remove from the oven and use a spatula to smoosh the juice out of the limes, removing any seeds. (If the cut side of the limes aren’t caramelized and browned yet, you can return them to the oven briefly.) Toss the cabbage with the lime juice and serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
   
   
   

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

Adapted from The Kitchn
Makes about 2 cups

You can do this with any bean!

1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt

2 to 4 teaspoons spices or finely chopped fresh herbs, like chili powder, curry powder, garam masala, cumin, smoked paprika, rosemary, thyme, or other favorite spices and herbs – optional

1. Heat the oven to 425°F: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Rinse and drain the beans. Open the can of chickpeas and pour the chickpeas into a strainer in the sink. Rinse thoroughly under running water.

3. Dry the chickpeas. Pat the chickpeas very dry with a clean dishtowel or paper towels. They should look matte and feel dry to the touch; if you have time, leave them to air-dry for a few minutes. Remove any chickpea skins that come off while drying, but otherwise don’t worry about them.

4. With your hands, toss the chickpeas with the remaining ingredients on a baking sheet, making sure they are evenly coated, then spread them out in an even layer. 

5. Roast the chickpeas in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or longer, if you’d like a crunchier chickpea. Stir the chickpeas or shake the pan every 10 minutes. A few chickpeas may pop – that’s normal. The chickpeas are done when golden and slightly darkened, dry and crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle.

6. Serve while the chickpeas are still warm and crispy. They will gradually lose their crispiness as they cool and will have a nice chewier texture.

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Remember, you can mix and match! Here are different combinations:

• Cabbage Mango Slaw with Chickpeas

• Cabbage Mango Slaw with Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

• Broiled Cabbage with Mango and Chickpeas

• Broiled Cabbage with Mango and Crispy Roasted Chickpeas 

• Swap the proportions to make it more filling with more chickpeas for Chickpeas with Mango and Cabbage

More ideas and inspiration:

Add avocado
Change the chickpeas to black beans or another favorite legume
Replace the cabbage with a different leafy or hardy vegetable - spinach, radicchio, carrot, fennel…
Replace the mango with a different fruit or sweet/juicy ingredient like tomato or peach in the summer
Use a different herb
Switch up the dressing and use lemon or vinegar instead of the lime
Add rice noodles
And on and on to create endless variations!