Chickpea Chowder & Honey Rosemary Biscuits

I find a lot of inspiration in the many magazines I get every month (which I might add Kirk finds deals all the time, I try to not spend more than $5 a year for any magazine – and bets is free using airline miles!). The inspiration of “OK, we haven’t had this kind of meal in a while. I wonder if I could make it plant-based?” And then so on…..rarely does it look even remotely like the original idea….

The chickpea chowder came out of a recipe from the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Every Day With Rachael Ray, on page 56. It was for a gluten-free lower cal/fat clam chowder. And from there somehow out came a vegan-friendly chowder. Smoky, hearty and warming. For me, what I always liked about clam chowder is how much body it has. It isn’t the briny flavor, rather how hearty it is. And frankly there is little as nasty as vegan clam chowder. Kelp powder? Y-U-C-K. Lets give Chickpea Chowder its debut instead!

Chickpea Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp Garbanzo Bean Flour
• 15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1½ lbs small yellow potatoes, bite size pieces
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• ¾ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• Fine sea salt

Directions:

Heat a large saucepan over medium, add in oil and onion. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, pepper and garbanzo flour, cook for a minute, stirring. Stir in chickpeas, potatoes, broth, milk and paprika. Bring up to a boil, lower heat to medium to medium-low, and simmer till potatoes are for tender, about 20 minutes, stirring often. Season with parsley and salt to taste (I added about ½ tsp as the broth was low sodium).

The chowder is very thick, if thinner is preferred, add a bit more milk or broth as desired.

Serves 4 large bowls, 6 medium bowls.

The biscuits I saw in the recent “Travel Edition” of Saveur Magazine. They were easily veganized, although one does need to take the salty Earth Balance into mind when making them and cut back the salt in the biscuits (if you use unsalted butter, bump the salt up to 1 Tbsp total). I’ll be upfront: there is nothing redeeming or healthy with these. But oh wow. If I ran a B&B, I would bake these every day. People would line up for them. Until they saw how much freakin’ butter was in them 😉 And yes, I know…I used AP flour. While I bake normally with white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flours, these needed the lightness that only AP can give.

Disclaimer: Yes, I used honey. I have no issues with using locally sourced, raw honey. I support a local farmer couple, who support the local bee population that also pollinate their wonderful fields. Yes, you can use agave. If you must.

Honey Rosemary Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 5 cups all-purpose flour, preferably organic
• 5 Tbsp granulated sugar. preferably organic
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 16 Tbsp Earth Balance Buttery stick, or similar, frozen
• 1¾ cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp raw honey or agave nectar
• 1 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried rosemary, chopped or crumbled

Directions:

Heat oven to 400°, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Stir vinegar into milk, let curdle.

Grate 10 Tbsp of the frozen butter with a box grater. Add to dry, gently work in with hands. Add in soured milk, stir to form a soft dough.

Knock out on a work surface, gently knead in any flour. Pat into a 2″ thick by 8″x6″ rectangle. Cut into 6 sections. Place biscuits on baking sheet, bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt remaining butter, honey and rosemary in a small saucepan.

Take out biscuits from oven, slather the butter on the tops and sides till used up. Return biscuits to oven, bake for 10 minutes more.

Makes 6 large biscuits. Serves 6.

~Sarah