AIPooja: Seeking Wellness through Disease

Ingredients:

Chickpea Croutons:
1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp black pepper
(or 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp seasoning of choice)

Roasted Veggies:
Broccoli – 1 small stalk
Sweet Potatoes – 1 small or 1/2 large
Carrots – 1 large or 2 small
Cherry/Grape Tomatoes – 1 cup
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Jalapeño Pesto Vinaigrette:
1/2 jalapeño (de-seeded if you don’t want it spicy, leave the seeds in if you do)
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic
2 TB olive oil
2 TB water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice

Greens:
1 large or 2 small bunches curly kale
1/2 tsp Olive oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 
2. Drain and rinse chickpeas, then dry well with a paper towel. Try to remove as much of the peels from the chickpeas as you can, but don’t sweat it if you can’t get all of them removed.
   • Tip: lay a paper towel on a flat surface, pour the chickpeas over, then lay another paper towel over them and rub the chickpeas between the two paper towels. This will dry them well and get off many of the outer shells.
3. Toss chickpeas with remaining crouton ingredients, then spread onto a cookie sheet and put into the oven for 35-40 minutes, tossing once at the 15 minute mark and once more at the 30 minute mark.
   1. When you remove them from the oven, they will need to cool for a minute or so before they become deliciously crunchy. To test when I think they’re done, I will take one out of the oven and let it cool for a minute, then taste it. If it’s perfectly crunchy, I’ll pull the rest out. If not, I’ll leave them in for 5 more minutes then check again.
4. After you put the chickpeas into the oven, chop your veggies. Chop them into bite-sized pieces, and cut the cherry/grape tomatoes in half. Spread them out onto a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then toss and mix well. Add to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until veggies are soft and lightly browned.
5. After you put the veggies into the oven, make the vinaigrette. Throw all ingredients into a blender and blend well. Alternatively, you could use an immersion blender or just verrrrrry finely chop the ingredients and mash well. Either way, the dressing will be thick but that is okay. It will still mix well with the salad!
6. De-stem the kale then tear into smaller pieces. Wash and dry the kale, then add to a large bowl and add the olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. Massage the kale very well (about 2 minutes) until the kale is bright green and soft, and it has absorbed the oil well. Taste a piece and adjust salt if necessary.
7. To assemble, place a large bed of kale onto your plate. Top with roasted veggies, spoon dressing on top, then add a generous amount of chickpea croutons on top of everything.
8. Inhale and live your best life while feeling amazing and nourished.

Notes:
-This may look overwhelming, but it actually comes together really easily. Get the chickpeas in the oven, chop the veggies and throw them into the oven, then make the dressing and massage the kale. Assemble and bam!
-Not feeling the veggies listed here? Use any veggies you like! We loved the roasted tomatoes because they felt like additional little pops of dressing in the salad, but you can use any veggies. It’s incredible versatile.
-No jalapeño? Use another pepper! Scrape the seeds out and throw a habanero pepper in there instead.
-If prepping ahead of time, I recommend massaging the kale and storing the components separately, then assembling whenever you plan to eat the salad. Keep dressing, greens, and roasted veggies refrigerated, and keep chickpea croutons in an airtight container out of the fridge.