I’d recommend hitting the grocery store immediately — because vegan or not, you will want to make this recipe ASAP. It smells and tastes like cheesy buttery goodness — but it’s vegan! Introducing “Cheesy” Vegan Coconut Sauteed Chickpeas and Kale:
I made this this morning in my pajamas because class was cancelled today! I was sad because it’s one of my favorites (Medical Nutrition Therapy), but so excited to have a free day to catch up on laundry, emails, etc. following my trip. Plus — I can’t even remember the last time I invented something new in the kitchen. Hooray for free time to COOK creatively vs. just relying on staples!
After all my travel last week, I was craving something vegan or vegetarian with lots of beans and veggies. I always eat more meat when I travel! I was also itching to try out the new coconut oil and nutritional yeast I picked up recently. Both are reportedly nutritional superstars!
I was going to make roasted chickpeas (this recipe looks delicious), but ya’ll know I like my recipes to take approximates 5 seconds and be as easy as possible. Plus, I wanted to include kale, so I decided sautéed would be a better option 🙂
I was really pleased with how this recipe came out — the nutritional yeast makes it super cheesy! It almost tastes like mac and cheese with a slight hint of coconut from the oil. Perfect. Comfort food at its healthiest 🙂
“Cheesy” Vegan Coconut Sautéed Chickpeas and Kale
(makes 2 to 4 servings, depending if having as a side or main dish)
Ingredients:
- 1 can cooked chickpeas, drained & rinsed
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin coconut
- 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 to 2 C fresh kale (loosely packed)
- 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. water (to keep it from drying out)
- Salt & pepper to taste (I used a pinch each)
Instructions:
Toss everything into a pan and heat, stirring frequently, on medium for 5 to 10 minutes, or until kale is fully wilted. Enjoy!
Coconut oil has been getting some attention lately in the media for it’s health benefits and deliciousness — did you see the NY Times article about it earlier this month? I’m looking forward to creating more recipes with it 🙂
I’m off to a noon power yoga class, and then I need to get down to some schoolwork. Have a wonderful day!
