Pureed Chickpea Vinaigrette Food

CHICKPEA PURéE

Steps:

• Stir cumin in dry skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to mortar or spice mill; grind.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cumin; stir 1 minute. Add chickpeas, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, paprika, and cayenne; sauté until chickpeas begin to darken, about 5 minutes. Pour chickpea liquid into 2-cup measuring cup; add enough water (if necessary) to measure 2 cups. Add liquid to chickpea mixture; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until chickpeas begin to soften, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Pour chickpea mixture into strainer set over bowl; reserve cooking liquid. Transfer chickpeas to processor; add 3/4 cup of reserved cooking liquid. Add 1/2 cup oil; puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cool. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

LEMONY CHICKPEA PUREE

Steps:

• Drain and rinse chickpeas and put them into a saucepan. Cover with cold water by 2 inches. Add salt and pepper, to taste, smashed garlic cloves and the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer beans until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
• Put cooked chickpeas into a food processor or blender. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, whole garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste. Process until smooth; add some of the reserved cooking liquid to thin if, needed. Serve as a base to grilled marinated lamb or put into a serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and the parsley.

PUREED CHICKPEA VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Place the chickpeas, garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel chopping blade and process into a smooth puree, scraping down the work bowl as needed.
• With the motor running, pour the sesame and vegetable oils through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream.
• The vinaigrette will be creamy and thick.
• Scrape into a screw-top glass jar and refrigerate until needed.

PUREED CHICKPEA SOUP - PASSATO DI CECI

Steps:

• Coat a large pot with olive oil, add the pancetta and bring to a medium heat. When the pancetta starts to become crispy, add the onion, celery, carrots, 3 cloves of garlic, pinch of crushed red pepper and season lightly with salt. Sweat the veggies for 6 to 7 minutes or until they become very aromatic and start to soften.
• Drain the water from the soaked chickpeas, rinse and add to the pot. Add the chicken stock, thyme bundle, bay leaves and 1 quart of water. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chickpeas are very soft and falling apart, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Turn off the heat, season the water with salt and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Fill a skillet with olive oil until it is about 1/2-inch deep, and the remaining 3 garlic cloves, the rosemary leaves and a pinch of crushed red pepper and bring it to a medium heat. Remove the garlic once it is golden; it has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the bread cubes and cook until they start to become crispy and golden. (They will absorb a LOT of the oil. That's why they taste good!) Season with salt and remove the croutons from the oil to a bowl, reserving the rosemary oil. MMMMM!
• Add the infused oil to the soup. Puree the soup in a food processor, blender or good old fashioned food mill. Correct the consistency and seasoning, if necessary. If the soup is too thick, cook it a little more to reduce it, or thin it by adding more stock or water. Taste to be sure the seasoning is perfect.
• Ladle the soup into serving bowls, top with the croutons and finish with a large drizzle of olive oil.
• See ya ladle!

CHICKPEA SALAD WITH CUMIN VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Stir together first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until well blended.
• Toss chickpeas and next 4 ingredients in large bowl, and drizzle with vinaigrette.
• Add sea salt and pepper. Add feta cheese and toss gently. Serve immediately at room temperature or chill until ready to serve.

PUREE OF CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• Soak the chickpeas in 1 quart water for six hours or overnight. Drain.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic, spices and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, for about a minute, until the mixture is fragrant. Add the chickpeas and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer one hour. Add salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon) and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour. The beans should be very tender.
• Puree the soup in a blender (in small batches, covering the top with a dish towel to avoid hot splashes) or with an immersion blender until smooth. Put through a strainer for a very smooth texture, pushing it through with the bottom of a ladle or a spatula. Return to the pot, and heat through, stirring the bottom and sides of the pot so that the puree doesn't stick. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Serve, garnishing each bowl with a few drops of olive oil or lemon juice if desired and a sprinkle of chopped fresh mint.

ROASTED BEETS AND CARROTS WITH CUMIN VINAIGRETTE, CHICKPEA PURéE, AND FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets in roasting pan; drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt; toss. Add 2/3 cup water to pan; arrange golden beets on 1 side of pan and red beets on other side. Cover with foil. Roast until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim green tops from carrots to 1 inch. Peel carrots and cut into thirds crosswise, then quarter lengthwise. Place carrots on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper; toss to coat. Roast until carrots are tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool carrots and beets.
• Using fingers, rub peel off beets. Cut each beet into 6 wedges. Place golden beets in medium bowl and red beets in another medium bowl.
• Stir cumin seeds in dry skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Transfer 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds to mortar or spice mill; grind finely. Place whole cumin seeds, ground cumin, and vinegar in small bowl; whisk in 1/2 cup oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Do ahead Beets, carrots, and vinaigrette can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill. Bring all to room temperature and rewhisk vinaigrette before continuing.
• Add parsley, shallots, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, carrots, and 2/3 of cumin vinaigrette to bowl with golden beets; toss to blend. Add remaining vinaigrette and 2 teaspoons lemon juice to bowl with red beets; toss to blend. Season both beet mixtures with salt and pepper.
• Place generous dollop of chickpea puree and 1 flatbread on each of 6 plates. Spoon golden beet-carrot mixture alongside. Tuck red beets into golden beet mixture and serve.