House Warming
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to host friends in my newest residence – the church parsonage!
I moved in July, and it was wonderful to finally have all of the cardboard boxes broken down, the dishes unwrapped, the walls painted, and the artwork dressing the bare canvas of each room. And of course, it was wonderful to have everyone stop by for a visit!
One of the ways I show my love for people is by cooking for them. So if I ever cook for you, you know it’s a done deal: I love you. For the party, I focused on items that could be kept warm in a crockpot because the weather is finally getting to be crisp – it’s my favorite time of year. I made three dishes – hearty three-bean beef chili with all the fixings, curried coconut chickpeas with roasted brussels sprouts, and a way-too-delicious dark stout hot pub cheese that paired so well with a crusty loaf of grainy beer bread one of my friends brought over.
The curried chickpeas will always continue to be on my menu because they’re so satisfying, filling, and they freeze super well; it makes meal prep so easy. I can’t take all the credit for the recipe though; I learned how to make this delicious dish when I was working at a retreat center, but I’ve added a bit more complexity to it to cater to my taste, balance the flavors, and add a few more layers. Feel free to steal, adapt, and enjoy!
Curried Coconut Chickpeas (vegan, gluten-free)
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 medium onion, medium dice
1 tsp sea or kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP ginger, minced
2 TBSP yellow curry powder + more to taste
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
Juice of half a lime
One 13.66 can coconut milk
One 13.66 can coconut cream
Two 15.5 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
24 oz brussels sprouts
2 TBSP olive oil
1.5 tsp sea or kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions, salt, and pepper. Stir frequently until onions begin to take on golden brown color, about fifteen minutes. By slightly caramelizing onions, it will add depth and sweetness to the curry.
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F for the brussels sprouts.
Add garlic and ginger to onions and saute until fragrant, about three minutes, careful to not get too much color on the garlic – burned garlic is terribly bitter!
Add curry powder to saucepan and stir. Toast for two minutes to “bloom” the spices.
Add brown sugar and lime juice. Stir well, then add coconut milk and cream.
Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to a light simmer – careful, coconut milk/cream can and will boil over!
Continue simmering uncovered for twenty minutes to reduce mixture, which creates a creamier and richer curry.
While curry is simmering, trim the brussels sprouts and halve. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place in pre-heated oven for fifteen minutes.
Add drained and rinsed chickpeas to curry mixture. Stir well and bring back to a simmer to heat chickpeas through.
After fifteen minutes in oven, toss brussels, then place back in oven for five additional minutes or until the leaves are crispy and brown. They’ll look a little burnt, but they are DELICIOUS. Don’t throw those out!
Last step: taste the curry and adjust to taste. Does it seem flat? Add more salt. Does it seem heavy? Add more lime juice. Does it seem bland? Add more curry. And if anything seems off-balance (i.e., too salty, too acidic, too spicy), try adding a bit more brown sugar. It’s all about dialing in the flavor profile – and the best way to learn is by tasting! Taste constantly and see what happens. (Check out Salt Fat Acid Heat for more info on developing a palate. I love it!)
Okay, I lied, one last step: enjoy! Serve the curry over the roasted brussels in a deep bowl. Eat with a spoon and savor. You could also serve over a variety of grains: think rice, quinoa, pearled farro, barley – the sky’s the limit!
(For a lighter version, use two 13.66 cans coconut milk; I would stay away from lite coconut milk because they tend to add sweeteners, but you lose the flavor of the coconut.)