Roasted Yams and Chickpeas

Roasted Yams and Chickpeas with Yogurt
Adapted from Gjelina
You’re going to end up with more yogurt and more chickpeas than you probably need — or fewer potatoes. It’s all a matter of perspective, really.
Serves 2, hungrily, 4, humbly
3 large yams or orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, cut into 4 lengthwise wedges, or 8, if your yams are very thick
1 to 2 tablespoons honey (I used 1; 2 are called for)
1 tablespoon crushed red-pepper flakes (Espelette are called for; I used mild Aleppo)
1 3/4 cups (1 15-ounce can) chickpeas, drained and patted dry on towels
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Greek-style plain yogurt
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from approximately 2 limes
2 scallions, both green and white parts, trimmed and thinly sliced, for garnish
Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Line two baking sheets with foil, for minimal mess. Coat one, the one you’ll use for the yams, with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Toss yams with honey, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon of pepper flakes. Let sit in bowl for 5 to 10 minutes. Toss chickpeas with 1 tablespoon olive oil, smoked paprika and salt, to taste.
Spread yams out on olive oil-ed baking sheet in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, until nicely toasted underneath. Flip/move wedges around and roast for 5 to 10 more minutes, until soft and singed. For extra color, run them under the broiler for a final minute.
Meanwhile, spread chickpeas on second uncoated baking sheet. Roast in oven for 20 minutes, rolling around once or twice so that they cook evenly, until lightly browned and crispy on the outside. Set aside.
Whisk yogurt, remaining tablespoon olive oil and lime juice together in a small dish, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange yams on plate or platter, drizzle some of the yogurt over, then about half the chickpeas. Garnish with scallions and remaining pepper flakes, plus flaky sea salt, if you have any. Keep extra chickpeas and yogurt on the side. Dig in.

CHARRED CAULIFLOWER QUESADILLAS

From Smitten Kitchen:

Charred Cauliflower Quesadillas

Poblanos are very mild hot peppers. You could use fewer or swap them with a small bell pepper for less heat, or swap one or both with a hotter jalapeño or other chile for more heat.
Yield: 6 quesadillas, serves 6
2 small or 1 large fresh poblano chiles
1 small head cauliflower, cored and cut into rough 1-inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking quesadillas
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 cups (about 8 ounces) coarsely grated monterey jack cheese
12 small (7-inch) flour tortillas
Char peppers: Over a gas burner turned to high, hold the poblanos over the flame with tongs and char them until they are black and blistered all over. Alternatively, you could do this under a broiler, turning them frequently for even blistering. Transfer hot chiles to a bowl and cover tightly with foil. Set aside to steam and let their skins loosen while you cook the cauliflower.
Char cauliflower: In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper, until it’s evenly coated. Heat your largest heaviest frying pan over high heat until almost smoking, add cauliflower, and let it cook until each piece has a few black spots but is not mushy, turning and moving it frequently to ensure even cooking. This will take 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer florets to cutting board to rest.
Mix filling: When poblanos are cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin off with your fingertips or a paring knife. Pull out and discard stems and seed clusters, and slice peppers into 1/4-inch wide strips. Add to cauliflower on board and give both a rough chop together, reducing the cauliflower to no bigger than 1/2-inch chunks. Return cauliflower and peppers to the large bowl, add scallions, lime juice and salt to taste. You should have about 2 cups of cauliflower filling.
Assemble and cook quesadillas: Lay out 6 tortillas and spread 1/3 cup cauliflower filling and 1/3 cup shredded cheese to each. Place second 6 tortillas on top as lids. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, coat lightly with olive oil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook quesadillas until browned underneath, about 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully a flip — a large, thin spatula like my favorite kind helps here — and repeat on the second side. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.
To serve: Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with your choice of fixings. Two of my favorites are below.

Cumin-Lime Crema
1/2 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
A few gratings fresh lime zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of salt
Combine, adjust seasonings to taste, and serve alongside quesadillas.

Lazy Taco Slaw
1 bag coleslaw mix or (as used here) 3 cups finely shredded red cabbage and 1 coarsely grated carrot
Coarse salt
Juice of half a lime
2 scallions, sliced thin
A dollop of mayonnaise, sour cream or plain yogurt
A dash of hot sauce (optional)
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves
Toss cabbage mix, salt and lime together in a large bowl; set aside for 5 minutes. It will shrink down a bit. Stir in scallions, then mayo and hot sauce. Adjust seasonings/ingredients to taste, then stir in cilantro leaves. Serve alongside quesadillas or any of your favorite tortilla-clad meals.

Spencer's 25th Birthday Tacos

Makes 4-6 servings

For Tacos:
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 T. olive oil, divided
2 T. lime juice, plus lime wedges for a garnish
3 tsp. salt
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 bell peppers, any color, cored and thinly sliced
1 large red onion, sliced
1 and 1/2 tsp paprika
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
8-10 corn tortillas (or you could use whole wheat tortillas)

For Salsa:
2 T. olive oil
2 T. fresh lime juice
4 tsp minced fresh jalapeno chili
4 minced cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 avocados, pitted and cut into small dice
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 T. minced red onion,
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, toss together corn, 1 T. olive oil, lime juice, 1 tsp. salt, cumin, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, bell peppers and onion. Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet.

In a second bowl, toss together 1 T. olive oil, paprika, 1/2 tsp. salt and the black beans. Spread this mixture on a second large baking sheet.

Roast vegetables and beans, stirring occasionally and rotating sheet trays halfway through. Cook the beans until they dry out and are just crisp, 20-25 minutes. Bake the vegetables until soft and golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile make the salsa in a smaller bowl:
Whisk together 2 T. olive oil, 2 T. fresh lime juice, 4 tsps. minced fresh jalapeno chile, 4 minced cloves of garlic, and 1/2 tsp. sugar. Then gently stir in 2 avocados, pitted and cut into small dice, 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed, 4 T. minced red onion, 4 T minced fresh cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside

Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven for a few minutes to warm, or lightly pan fry each side in oil. Scoop roasted vegetables onto tortillas, top with sliced cabbage, roasted beans and salsa. Garnish with lime wedges

Tortilla Soup

This vegan recipe is hearty, spicy, and delicious. Don't be put off by the number of ingredients; it isn't difficult to make and SO worth the time...

Salsa:
Whisk together 1 T. olive oil, 1 T. fresh lime juice, 2 tsps. minced fresh jalapeno chile, 2 minced cloves of garlic, and 1/4 tsp. sugar. Then gently stir in 1 avocado, pitted and cut into small dice, 1/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed, 2 T. minced red onion, 2 T minced fresh cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside

Soup:
In big pot, warm 1 T. olive oil, then add one coarsely chopped onion, 1 coarsely chopped red or yellow bell pepper, one stalk celery chopped, and 4 cloves minced garlic. Stir and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp. cumin and stir well.

Add 3 cups vegetable stock (or half stock and half water), one 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes, one 15 oz can black beans, drained, 1/2 tp. black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in 2 T. minced cilantro and salt to taste

Top each bowl of soup with corn chips and a mound of salsa. You can add some grated cheddar cheese if you like, but it's not needed for protein or taste.