feel food club

Vegetarian

Super Easy & Saucy 15-Minute Cajun Chickpea Bowl

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To be fair – I do not think you could ever go wrong with something saucy & spicy. And when you combine it with some chickpeas, tomato and coconut milk, there is no way you could go wrong. These soft beans in a creamy, rich and spicy sauce on top of fluffy quinoa and served with some thick greek yoghurt. The perfect lunch.

What is special about this dish?

Usually you you use cajun seasoning to marinate something, which you then fry or grill. So mostly that it becomes crispy. You could definitely do this with chickpeas but in this recipe it is used to make a sauce in which the chickpeas are in. It is not like any other sauce, maybe a bit like the tomato – coconut mixture in tikka masala but without the curry spices.

And we do no serve them on a regular salad or bowl but with some greek yoghurt, which adds a lot of flavour and its richness pairs perfectly with the sauciness of the chickpeas. Also the quinoa soaks up the sauce perfectly and completes the dish.

Is this dish healthy?

Yes, yes, yes! The quinoa, as a food of the month January, is loaded with protein, carbohydrates and fibre. Plus many essential vitamins and minerals. Then we have the greek yoghurt, which also is an excellent source of protein.

he chickpeas, also, are packed with fibre, which helps you with digestion and they are a great source of plant based protein. For all those who currently are or are considering a plant based diet – chickpeas are a great staple to always have at home. Plus, they are super handy and convenient since you can buy them pre-cooked and canned. Just make sure you drain and wash them before eating, otherwise you will eat the liquid they are stored in, which can cause you having gas in your stomach.

How to make this dish

This is one of those dishes, which you can make in one pan. You start by frying some onion and oregano in some oil. Once these become nice, glassy and fragrant, you can add the chickpeas and the (homemade) cajun spice mix. This is just fried for a few minutes, so the flavours really are absorbed. Now we are adding some tomato paste mixed with water to thin it out, and some canned coconut milk. This makes the sauce nice and rich. This can now simmer for about 5 minutes before we add in some sort of greens such as arugula or spinach. Once this has wilted down we are ready to serve it.

For this you quickly whip the greek yoghurt with a spoon, so it gets nice and creamy and then spread it on the bottom of a bowl or plate. Add the quinoa on top and then the chickpeas along with the sauce. You can garnish with some parsley and that’s already it! Fairly simple!

How and when to best have it + meal prep?

This works great as a quick lunch to have during a busy day. You could for example also make it a bit saucier and serve it with some naan bread as a comforting dinner. The chickpeas do work very well for meal prep. You can either reheat them in the microwave or with a splash or water or coconut milk on the stove.

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Super Easy & Saucy 15-Minute Cajun Chickpea Bowl

Creamy, saucy, spicy chickpeas flavoured with cajun spice and serve with some rich greek yoghurt and fluffy quinoa to round up the tanginess of the chickpeas.

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 2 servings

What you will need

  • 120 g quinoa
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 4 tbsp canned coconut milk
  • 1 handful arugula or spinach
  • 200 g greek yoghurt
  • 1 tsp oregano

For the Cajun Spice Mix: (or just use 1,5 tbsp cajun spice mix)

  • 2 tsp paprika powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 ts chili flakes
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

How to

  1. Prepare the quinoa according to package intructions or just cover it with twice the amount of water and add some salt. Then bring to a boil, the reduce to simmer and let simmer until all water is absorbed. Then turn down to very low heat, cover and let it stand and fluff until finished with the rest.

    In a pan heat up the oil. Finely dice the onion and fry it along with the oregano for 1-2 minutes until fragnant. Drain and wash the chickpeas and add them to the pan along with the cajun spice mix. Fry for about 2-3 minutes.

  2. Combine the tomato paste with the water. Add this and the coconut milk to the chickpeas and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add in the arugula and let it wilt down.

  3. Whisk the greek yoghurt with a spoon so it is creamy and spread it onto the bottom of a bowl of plate. Top with the quinoa and the chickpeas. Serve with some parsley and enjoy!

I hope you’ll enjoy this and have fun cooking this!

Enjoy,
Love,
Katie

Incredibly Quick & Easy Tomato Soup w/ Caramelised goats Cheese Bread

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Tomato soup in winter? Yes that’s possible – because we are using canned tomatoes! Don’t worry – it is at LEAST as delicious as the one with fresh tomatoes. Creamy, tangy and really easy. Plus, with the bread on the side you do not have your average one but a fancier (still super easy) version of it!

I, as a HUGE tomato lover (more like addict), have the hardest time in winter not eating everything with tomatoes. Tomatoes really are one of the things I miss most about summer! Anyway, we cannot have them fresh, but we can have the in their preserved way. Canned tomatoes are harvested when they are in season and then preserved in cans. Therefore you can enjoy them all year around, which is life-saving for tomato lovers like me.

What is special about this dish?

First of all it is made with canned not fresh tomatoes. Why? Tomatoes are not in season at this time of the year. You could still buy some but they are 1) not as tasty as in summer, 2) more expensive, 3) not good for the climate. Just because they are not in season right now, does not mean that we cannot enjoy some tomato soup – we just have to find other ways to make it! So we are using canned ones!

Plus we do not have some baguette to dip or some regular grilled cheese but a way fancier version of grilled cheese. Crispy wholegrain bread with goats cheese & honey straight out of the oven and still warm. This really goes perfectly with the creamy tomato sauce.

Is this dish healthy?

I would say so. We have got vitamins from the tomatoes, onions and garlic. Some carbs and fibre from the bread and some protein from the cream cheese. It definitely is no nutrient-bomb but it does provide your body with some essential nutrients! If you wanted to make it a bit more nutritious, you could serve it with a side salad!

How to make this?

Really, super easy!! It essentially comes down to frying some garlic, onion and herbs in some oil until golden. Then we only need to add some tomato paste, vegetable broth, canned tomatoes and some fresh herbs. This just simmers for about 15 minutes so it can absorb the flavours of the herbs. In the meantime we can prepare the bread.

Therefore we slice up the wholegrain bread and place it on a baking tray. To this we are adding some goats cheese. The creamier and fresher it is, the easier it is to spread on top of the bread, but here you can go for whatever you like most! Just add a drizzle of honey and bake it for about 10 minutes and that is it for the bread.

To finish off the tomato soup, we are now removing the herbs and adding it to a blender. To make it creamy and a bit tangy, we are also adding some ricotta cheese and a little touch of honey to recreate the sweetness of those beautiful summery honey tomatoes! Blend and serve!

Meal prep friendly and how to have it:

This really works great for meal prep or also for being made in a big batch. You can just make more servings, let it cool down and freeze it in Tupperware. Whenever you want to have some, just heat it up in a pot and you have got it ready in minutes.

The bread can not be meal-prepped but it really does not take very long to make 🙂 Beside the bread, I also love to serve it with some burrata cheese and balsamic vinegar!

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Incredibly Quick & Easy Tomato Soup w/ Caramelised goats Cheese Bread

Comforting, healthy, easy and super quick tomato sauce. Yes, you can have it in winter and it is really really good! Plus the caramelized bread with it is absolutely amaaazing!!!

Course Appetizer, dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cook Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 30 Minuten
Servings 2 servings

What you will need

  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 cans tomatoes
  • 500 ml vegetable broth
  • a few branches fresh oregano & thyme
  • 3 tbsp ricotta cheese
  • 2 slices whole grain bread
  • 4 tbsp goats cheese (the younger and fresher it is, the easier it is to spread)
  • 2 tbsp honey

How to

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

  2. Finely dice the onion and chop the garlic. Heat up the oil in a pot and sautée both of them in there for about 2-3 minutes until fragnant and glassy. Add the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth and fresh herbs and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

  3. In the meantime spread the bread slices with the goats cheese and drizzle about 1 tbsp of the honey onto them. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

  4. Remove the herbs from the tomato soup and either transfer them to a blender to blend with an immersion blender in the pot along with the ricotta.

  5. Divide onto bowls and serve with the bread! Enjoy!

I hope that you’ll enjoy this recipe and make it on repeat! It is super comforting, cozy and actually fairly easy! I would love to hear and see how you like it and am wishing you a fun time cooking!

Enjoy,
Love,
Katie

30-minute spicy Muhammara Breakfast Shakshuka (w/ NENI am Tisch)

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A creamy, spicy, tangy and so flavourful tomato sauce with muhammara. In it, perfecty baked eggs with runny yolks, set whites and topped off with some fresh Tahin and paisley. Dip it with some warm and soft pita bread and your brunch is perfect!

What is shakshuka?

Shakshuka is a dish that is believed to have originated in the Middle East, although it is not sure. It usually consist of olive oil, onion, garlic, tomatoes, peppers and sometimes cooked vegetables and minced meat. In this sauce there are poached eggs, which then are baked. It most of the times is sprinkled with a spice mixture of cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper and nutmeg. Today you can find it at many brunch spots or oriental restaurants.

What is special about this dish?

Instead of regular bell peppers, we are using Muhammara. What is Muhammara? This is a dip or spread made out of red bell peppers, walnuts and olive oil and it is SOSO good! It originally comes from Syria and now is very popular in oriental Cuisinie. Where do I get it? It is possible to make it yourself, but it definitely is easier, more convenient and quicker if you buy it ready! And there truly is no better one than the one from NENI am Tisch! You can get this at SPAR, EDEKA, Globus & tegut, so there are many supermarkets! If you do not have one of those near you – it is worth a little trip!

Besides our star of the show, it also is pretty spicy, although this is optional. If you like spicy, go for it (because chilli makes everything better) and if you don’t, just leave it out!

Is this dish health?

Yepyepyep. The muhammara is, as previously mentioned, made from roasted red peppers, and walnuts, which means you are getting a lot of Vitamins, healthy fats and protein. Besides, we have the tomato sauce, also high in vitamins and has some fibre. The extra onions and garlic do not only add more flavour but also more nutrients and the eggs add extra protein and healthy fats! That already is it – super simple!

How to make it?

Also not difficult! You start by frying the onions, garlic and chilli to the oil and let them sautés until soft. Next you add the Muhammara and stir it in so it cooks a little. Then we’ll add some canned (and crushed) tomatoes as well as tomato paste, water, salt and pepper and let it simmer for a few minutes to get really flavourful. If you want, you could now also add some kale or spinach to it to add some extra greens!

To poach the eggs, we are creating some mould in the sauce with the spoon. Then we’ll crack the eggs in and it already goes into the oven for 10-15 minutes until the whites has set and the yolks are still runny. To serve, we are just garnishing it with some parsley and dipping some pita! That is it – super delicious and super easy!

When to best have it?

This is great for a brunch with the family, as it is easy to prepare beforehand if you premake the sauce! Another great occasion is a quick lunch as it really comes together quite quickly and still is full of flavour. Or you could have it as a light dinner – I also really love that!

I hope you are enjoying this at least as much as we did, and that you’ll be making it on repeat! I would love to hear how you like it

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30-Minute Easy Muhammara Shakshuka

A delicious, spicy and creamy tomato – red pepper sauce (with the best Muhammara from NENI), along with some poached eggs and warm pita. Breakfast dreams coming true!

Course Breakfast, brunch, Main Course
Cuisine middle eastern
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Cook Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 30 Minuten
Servings 2 servings

What you will need

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 red onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 chilli (optional)
  • 1 package muhammara (125g)
  • 1 can tomatoes (400g)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3-4 tbsp water
  • 1 handful greens such as spinach or kale
  • 4 eggs
  • fresh pita to serve with

How to

  1. Finely slice the red onions and chop the garlic and chili and add them into a cold pan with the oil. Heat it up and fry for 2-3 minutes until soft and glassy.

  2. Add the Muhammara, stir in and let simmer for about 2 minutes.

  3. Add in the canned and crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt & pepper and let simmer for another 3-4 minutes.

  4. Then grab a wooden spoon and make four molds into the tomato sauce. Crack one egg into each mold and then bake for 10-15 minutes until the whites set and the yolks are still runny.

  5. Take out of the oven, serve with some fresh Tahin and warm pita bread! Enjoy!

Happy cooking & enjoy,
Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Not your average, super quick beetroot and couscous Kisir

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Fluffy (not dry) couscous in a packed-with-flavor beetroot sauce, all tossed together with crunchy and fresh veggies and topped off with tangy, crumble feta cheese. Every bite is an explosion of flavours in your mouth, and every bite is pure enjoyment!

What is Kisir?

Kisir usually is a Turkish dish made from roasted red bell peppers and bulgur. The peppers are blended into a sauce and the bulgur is cooked with vegetable broth. The both then are tossed with different, chopped up vegetables and a marinade from lemon juice, pomegranate juice and olive oil.

What is special about this dish?

I am not even sure if I can call this Kisir because the only aspects we are keeping from Kisir is the sauce out of a roasted vegetable, that a grain is cooked in vegetable broth and that it both is mixed with chopped up vegetables.

Instead of bell peppers we are using beetroots. They are in season now, they are super nutritious, they are a flavour-bomb and they add a pretty colour :). Instead of bulgur we go for couscous because it is quicker and easier to make. And instead of only adding cucumber and tomatoes, we are upgrading our couscous and making it more international with spring onions, edamame beans and feta.

So, you can see it is pretty far from Kisir and at the same time really similar. And it needs to be said, it is at least as delicious, I promise!

Is this dish healthy?

Oh, yes! It is not only packed with flavour but also with many many nutrients. The star of the show, beetroot, is an extremely healthy, immune system boosting vegetable, with many many healthy benefits, If you are interested in it, you can check out my September Top 5 and learn more about it!

Besides the star, we also have many other small stars. Edamame, for example is not only super delicious, but also packed with protein and nutrients. Cucumber, vitamin loaded. Bell Pepper, fibre star. spring onions and the herbs also add another nutrient kick! So, there are many ingredients that will make you feel amazing!

And then we also have the couscous, which is a great source of carbohydrates, and when bought wholegrain also a great source of protein. The olive oil, which we are adding, also adds some healthy fats and the lemon some vitamin C!

How to make this dish?

Easiest thing ever. Because no-one wants to spend an hour cooking lunch when their tummy already is groaning. It essentially comes down to preparing the couscous, blending the beets with vegetable broth and oil, chopping the veggies and mixing everything! Yes, it is as easy as it sounds!

When and how to best have it?

It is great for a quick lunch, a leftover side for dinner but also as a delicious meal prep idea. You can store it very well in the fridge (the flavours will only get more intense) and have it the next day!

I love to serve it with some feta or goats cream cheese and some fresh herbs. If you are more on the meat side you could add some grilled chicken or if you are plant based, go ahead and add some chickpeas or vegan feta!

I hope you’ll enjoy this as much as we do and that it will be a healthy staple in you winter cuisine! Have a fun and delicious time cooking and enjoy!

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Not your average, super quick beetroot and couscous Kisir

a flavor packed, creamy (not dry) couscous in a beetroot sauce, tossed with fresh, crunchy veggies and topped with tangy feta. All ready in 15 minuntes!

Course Appetizer, dinner, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine turquish (inspired)
Prep Time 15 Minuten
Total Time 15 Minuten
Servings 4 servings
Calories 473 kcal

What you will need

  • 300 g couscous
  • 600 ml vegetable broth
  • 2 rather small beets
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 100 g edamame beens (cooked)
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 150 g feta
  • 1 tbsp parsley
  • 1 tbsp mint
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 lemon

How to

  1. Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Take off the heat and add about 3 tbsp of it to a blender with the beets. Pour in the couscous to the rest and let it soak up the liquid and fluff.

  2. Chop up the cucumber and bell peppers into small (about 1cm sized) pieces. Finely slice the spring onions and chopp the herbs. Add them all to a large bowl. In a seperate bowl combine the olive oil, honey and lemon juice.

  3. When the couscous is done, add it to the bowl with the veggies, the beetroot sauce and olive oil mixture. Mix it through until the sauce has covered everything.

  4. Divide onto plates and crumble the feta on top. Serve with some fresh herbs and enjoy!

Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière