Guest Food Blogger - Belinda Y. Hughes

There are thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of food bloggers who are posting their own recipes and techniques, making demonstration cooking vlogs, and basically wanting to get appreciated for their culinary skills.  Some are professionals who are coveting a spot on Food Network Channel or the Cooking Channel; maybe even that Top Chef position at a famous restaurant.  The majority are home cooks, like myself, and while many get that great opportunity to have a cookbook published, the rest depend on a following online.

Personally, I think we should all support each other, but then again, I'm naive and still believe in fairness.  So, I don't mind having another be a guest on my food blog.  I don't mind giving credits to a recipe I found on another food blog.  It certainly is wonderful to know that many feel the same as I do, and I've been a guest, or been credited by others.

So, I'm shutting up for now, and let me introduce you to Belinda Y. Hughes and one of her recipes from Cafe Belinda...Crispy Chickpeas.  It is a vegetarian recipe Belinda obtained from Tupperware, so they're credited with that.  Belinda enjoys vegetarian cuisine, and I know many of you will enjoy reading her blog for new recipe ideas.  With all that said...here's Belinda Y Hughes!

Belinda Y. Hughes proudly represents Avon and Tupperware and food blogs at Cafe Belinda. She is also the author of Confessions of a Red Hot Veggie Lover 2, a veggie cookbook, available on Amazon. When her nose isn’t buried in a gripping mystery or sizzling romance, you can find her hiking, watering her organic, companion-planted container garden or deep in a bubble bath with the dial set on public radio or classic rock.

Avon: https://www.avon.com/myavon/belindayhughes

Tupperware: http://belindayhughes.my.tupperware.com

Cafe Belinda: http://cafebelinda.blogspot.com/p/recipe-index.html

Confessions of a Red Hot Veggie Lover 2: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H4L35NM

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TupperwareLGBTVegan

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/belindayhughes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BelindaYHughes1

Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans, are like a really good yoga teacher - unbelievably flexible. No, these limber legumes won’t do your planks, but you can blend them into hummus (see Mary's yummy recipe here) sprinkle them into salads, soups and stews, or nosh on them as healthy low-carb keto snacks.

The quick and easy, keto vegan recipe I’m sharing today, Crispy Chickpeas, can spice up all of the above. Keep them on hand and you’ll always be ready for snacking, gifting and camping.

Important Note: Keep chickpeas away from non-human family members. For some, their bellies and reproductive systems are not chickpea-friendly. Resist “the look”.

Did You Know?

The great Italian orator Cicero’s family got their name because they raised chickpeas (cicer). No chickens were used in the naming of chickpeas. It’s a long crazy story across eons, lands and languages. As for garbanzo, that comes from the Basque word garbantzu, which means “dry seed”.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas

Chickpeas are powerhouse superfoods! Just a few things they do for you:

●       Balance blood sugar

●       Ease bowel movements & improve regularity

     ●       Reduce cholesterol & inflammation

●       Dial back cancer risk (fight cancer & help eliminate sick & dying cells)

If you’re not already scarfing down chickpeas, you need to be. These guys are your new bffs.

Per cup, chickpeas contain:

●       ~269 calories

●       ~4 g fat

●       34 (canned) to 45 (dried cooked) g carbohydrates

●       9 (canned) to 12 (dried cooked) g fiber

●       6-7 g sugar

●       10 (canned) to 15 (dried cooked) g protein

Of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals, they contain, per cup:

●       6-8% of calcium

●       40% of fiber (incl. pre-biotic fiber)

●       8 (canned) to 22 (dried cooked)% of iron

●       15 (canned) to 70 (dried cooked)% of folate/folic acid

●       17 (canned) to 39 (dried cooked)% of phosphorus

While this recipe calls for canned chickpeas, I recommend either getting cans marked BPA-Free or going for the dried beans. They’re more budget-friendly and far more beneficial nutrition-wise, as you can see. Plus, this addictive, versatile recipe gives you a reason to buy in bulk.

You may notice some links in the Crispy Chickpeas recipe. That’s because Mary graciously agreed to do a guest post swap with me, to help me introduce you to my Tupperware store. In exchange, she shared her recipe for Vegetable Lasagna Rustico (two words: Alfredo sauce!) on my veggie food blog, Cafe Belinda. Merci beaucoups, Mary!

Now, grab your favorite beverage and let’s whip up some superfood snacks!

Sources:

Did You Know:

https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/the-history-of-the-word-chickpea

Health Benefits: https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-chickpeas#1

Photo courtesy of Tupperware

Recipe: Crispy Chickpeas (courtesy of Tupperware)

Serves 4

Serving size ¾ cup

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Two 15 oz./425 g cans chickpeas, drained

(reserve the liquid, aka aquafaba, to sub for egg white in other vegan recipes)

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. paprika

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. kosher salt

1. Place chickpeas in a medium bowl and add olive oil. Add remaining spices, seal and shake to evenly coat.
2. Place chickpea mixture into the base of the MicroPro® Grill and place the cover in grill position. Make sure the cover is touching the chickpeas.
3. Microwave on high power 10 minutes.
4. At the end of cooking time, uncover and stir chickpeas. Replace cover in grill position and return to microwave to cook on high power for an additional 5 minutes. Serve.

Thank you Belinda for sharing your information, about chickpeas, and this recipe from Tupperware.  Need more information on Vegetarian Cuisine, Tupperware or one of Belinda's other interest, contact her at one of the links listed above.

Mary Cokenour