3 Quick + Simple Vegetarian Bean Recipes- General Tso's Chickpeas

This post was sponsored by S&W Beans as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

When I was young it seemed some of the most exciting highlights of my day revolved around food.

What kind of snack would I eat after school? What treat had my mother hidden in my lunch box? When was the next family Taco Tuesday night?

As a child I had my mother there to make sure I ate 3 solid meals a day, with healthy snack in between. As an adult I fail miserably as ensuring I eat even 1 solid meal a day, at times. It's not that I've fallen out of love with food- it's that I am now the sole individual responsible for ensuring said food is not only consumed, but planned for, prepared, and cleaned up after. Being a personal chef for one's self, let alone one's family can feel like a full time job.

Truth be told, during the weekdays when I'm home alone working I can all too easily skip breakfast, and even lunch because I simply don't feel I have time to make something healthy and delicious.

When a close family friend became Vegan a little over a year ago I began exploring Vegetarian and Vegan recipes that could accommodate him while he was a guest at our home.

It turned out that many popular, and delicious, recipes in these categories were quick simple and quick to make- requiring little to no heat reliant cooking or temperature based protein monitoring. They also typically featured fresh ingredients paired with pantry staples many already keep stocked in their homes. One protein source, in particular, made dabbling in these food categories easiest for me; canned beans. S&W Beans, to be specific.

From White Cannellini and Garbanzo to 50% Reduced Sodium Kidney Beans and new Organic S&W Black Beans- there's truly an inspiration for every dish among the brand's range. And beyond variety S&W Beans has the highest quality standards in the industry with over 120 years of premium quality. The "whole bean" visual appearance of quality S&W Beans products also means my guests, and Instagram followers, can eat with their eyes thanks to beautiful beans that pour from the can every time. You can discover a variety of amazing recipes for all of their canned options on the S&W Brand Recipe Page, and download money saving coupons for a limited time.

The Garbanzo Bean, of "Chickpea" as it is affectionately known by many is rich in antioxidants, fiber, protein, and iron, and also has a great 'sturdy' texture that holds up beautifully as an animal based protein substitute. Even better, when I reach for a can of S&W Garbanzo Beans I know I can bypass the time consuming process of slow cooking these beans to perfection- as they are ready to eat right out of the can. Simply drain and rinse!

I'm so confident, as an omnivore, that S&W Garbanzo Beans make a perfect, delicious, vegetarian solution I'm going to share with you 3 of my favorite recipes. An entree, a hearty salad, and for versatility a munch-worthy snack. You can prepare all 3 at the same time, with 3 cans of your favorite S&W Garbanzo Bean variety- or sneak them in on a busy afternoon or weeknight. While you can't go wrong with any option, I often rely on the Organic S&W Garbanzo Beans for a rich flavor in salads and cold dishes, where as I will typically use 50% Less Sodium S&W Garbanzo Beans for recipes with rich sauces, or glazes.

My first must-try recipe is a Vegetarian General Tso's Chickpea dish that requires no bed of rice, thanks to the hearty stir fry of vegetables and protein rich S&W Garbanzo Beans. The sauce alone is worth doubling and keeping on hand, but I find the texture of the chickpeas allows me to enjoy a guilt-free entree in a rich health-minded sauce.

Whenever I crack open a can of S&W Garbanzo Beans I always open an extra can and pre-heat my oven to make a batch of Honey Roasted Chickpeas. In the 45 minutes it takes to roast a pan of chickpeas I can work my kitchen and rock my General Tso's recipe.

Always start by preparing your canned chickpeas. S&W Garbanzo Beans are already cooked, so all you have to do is open the can, pour them into a colander, rinse, and drain. In minutes you'll have a beautiful batch of prepared chickpeas ready for whatever culinary adventure you have planned.

To bake S&W Garbanzo Beans pat them dry with two layers of paper towels- for sauce and cold based recipes a simple rinse and shake in a colander will do nicely.

Next, you'll want to prepare your sauce-

Trust me when I say, double the sauce recipe and put half aside for another time. You're going to want to whip this recipe up again, soon, and the sauce is half the prep time. This General Tsao's sauce recipe also goes delicious on a variety of proteins, if you're looking to vary your dish a little.

Prepare your stir-fry vegetables, and set aside.

 Right about now my oven timer is usually going off, and my roasted S&W Garbanzo Beans are about ready to come out of the oven for the first time. I'll quickly combine some honey and oil, and toss the hot beans directly in the 'glaze' mixture before spreading them back out on the parchment lined baking sheet and returning them to the oven for 7-10 minutes. For Vegans, I have found that Agave will make a suitable substitute for honey, but you may wish to forego the salt season at the very end, as the Agave has a bit more of a sweet flavor.

How long you roast your Garbanzo Beans on the second wave is really up to you, ans how caramelized you prefer them. I find 8 minutes is usually the sweet spot, but you will get more of a crisp and bitterness if you go towards 10. Place the finished baking sheet on the counter and allow to cool before testing.

These Honey Roasted Chickpeas not only make a delicious snack by themselves, but also a wonderful topping for salads and other dishes. The element of texture and playful sweet 'candied' shell makes this one deceptively healthy recipe.

Honey Roasted Chickpeas

****Click here for printable Honey Roasted Chickpeas recipe.

Ingredients:

1 15oz Can Organic S&W Garbanzo Beans, Rinsed + Drained

2 TBS Honey

1/2 TBS Vegetable (Or Sunflower Seed) Oil

Ground Sea Salt, To Taste

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 375F

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Put rinsed garbanzo beans on a double-layer of paper towels and gently pat dry.

3. Place garbanzo beans in a single layer on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, or until crunchy.

4. While beans bake combine Honey and Oil in a large bowl. Add hot baked Organic S&W Garbanzo Beans, and toss to coat. Return coated beans back to parchment lined baking sheet and bake for an additional 7-10 minutes to caramelize. 

5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with Sea Salt, as desired. Allow to cool and store in an air tight container.

Because this General Tso's recipe is vegetarian you can eliminate tedious cooking times and essentially prepare the entire dish in one wok, over the course of about 7 minutes. How long you wish to fry the vegetables is ultimately up to you, but do keep in mind that the General Tsao's sauce if very tick and sticky, and should be added only at the end of your cooking process to warm and coat all ingredients evenly.

I simply cannot say enough great things about General Tso's Chickpeas with Organic S&W Garbanzo Beans- this is definitely a dish you can eat with all of your senses. From the aromatic and rich red sauce to the beautifully plump and satisfying whole Garbanzo beans, this is a weekday lunch I never feel guilty about. I can prepare this entire dish in less than 30 minutes, prep and clean-up included, and often have a serving left over for the next day. No more excuses- no more skipped lunches!

Of course if you're cooking for a crew that hasn't quite embraced the Vegetarian concept, this General Tso's Chickpea recipe makes a fabulous starter to any Asian-inspired main entree. Customize the included stir-fry ingredients to tailor to fit your audience's preferences and really wow the crowd by adding a pair of chop-sticks. After all, everyone knows just about anything tastes better when eaten with chopsticks. (Maybe it's all the work you have to do to get the food actually in your mouth that makes each bite so satisfying?)

For days when a stove isn't an option- or I simply want a nice clean, fresh taste for a grab-and-go lunch a Citrus, Avocado, Feta Salad with a fiber-rich S&W Garbanzo Beans base is the perfect solution. All of the ingredients for this salad can be easily prepared the night before and stored in a container in the fridge. The fresh lime juice will help keep the avocado fresh and green and appealing! For that perfect bite-ratio I also like to cube my avocado in generously sized pieces about twice the size of a garbanzo bean. Varied shapes, sizes, and textures make any salad a hit- which is also why I always top this delicious dish with some of my Honey Roasted Chickpeas from above!

Citrus, Avocado, Feta Salad

****Click here for printable recipe.

Ingredients:

 1 15oz Can of Organic S&W Garbanzo Beans, Drained + Rinsed

2 Avocados, Pitted + Cubed

1/3 Cup Freshly Minced Cilantro

2 TBS Chopped Green Onion

1/2 C Feta Cheese Crumbles

1 Lime

1/4 C Honey Roasted Chickpeas

Salt + Pepper ToTaste

Directions:

1. Combine Organic S&W Garbanzo Beans, Cubed Avocado, Cilantro, Green Onion, Feta Cheese, and Lime (Juiced) in a medium bowl. Toss to combine and season with salt/pepper to taste. Garnish with Honey Roasted Chickpeas (Recipe Here).

So there you have it, 3 of my favorite quick, delicious, vegetarian recipes, all featuring one star ingredient that's easy to keep on hand- S&W Garbanzo Beans. Not only are these recipes health-minded and easy to prepare, they're also very affordable! Find S&W Beans at a store near you, and discover more delicious ways to incorporate vegetarian fiber rich bean varieties into your meal-plan when you visit their recipe page and follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Remember, you can also download money saving coupons for a limited time here!

Thinking Outside The Can: Fudgy (Vegan) Black Bean Brownies

This post was sponsored by S&W Beans as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Momma Told Me: Change how you eat.


As a teenager, like most teenage girls, I struggled with body image as well as the concept of nutritional eating. It wasn't quite about weight, it was about how I shaped the body I was given. It was my natural reaction, with the pressure of high school dances and a full social calendar to begin a 'diet'. Thankfully, I wasn't quite old, or responsible, enough to make my own grocery choices and Momma wasn't about to see me being a trend of poor decisions based on fads and forms of starvation.

I recall one particular evening where I'd slumped into the passenger seat of our family's mini van and inquired the everyday questions, "What's for dinner?"

My mother, without pause, replied with a single word, "Pizza."

I felt my face scrunch as I bit my lip, remembering the Winter formal that was just weeks away and my recent declaration, which has expressly sworn off all things cheesy and carb. Because she knew her daughter well, Momma was quick to reply before I'd even began to get the first words of protest off my tongue, "Calm down, not that kind of pizza." She went on to explain she'd made some fresh dough in the bread maker and that we'd be enjoying a southwestern inspired pie made with fresh vegetables, handmade marinara, shredded chicken, and black beans. It was delicious.

When I handed my plate in that evening, clean enough to have emerged from the dishwasher, Momma smiled one of those 'knowing' smiles only a parent can have, "You don't have to change what you eat, just how your eat."

As an adult I enjoy my fair share of junk food. I'm not what I'd consider to be 'a health nut,' but I am what I consider to be a 'conscious consumer.' That is to say that I make sure to balance the less than nutritious with plenty of wholesome, truly satisfying, real ingredient based dishes. And, when a close friend of ours became a Vegan just over a year ago I was greatly intrigued by the concept of how eliminating specific things from one's diet can require them to expand their horizons and really 'think outside the box.' I found that the dishes I made specially for him were not only delicious, but often included a few staple ingredients that really proved themselves versatile enough to work in multiple profiles and textures. That's when we really began exploring the many varieties of beans, and the diverse ways to serve and prepare them.

At the same time, I am a chef of convenience. I, like so many, have very little time to spend slaving over the stove at mealtime. (Especially for lunch.) Thankfully one of my new favorite ingredients comes in a wide variety of convenient ready-to-eat canned options, thanks to S&W Beans. From White Cannellini and Garbanzo to 50% Reduced Sodium Kidney Beans and new Organic Black Beans- there's truly an inspiration for every dish. Even better their high quality beans, such as the 50% Reduced Sodium Black Beans featured in my Vegan Black Bean Avocado Salad, look great out of the can for 'to table' recipes that look as great as they taste. Don't believe me? Grab some sweet kernel corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, fresh avocado, a dash of lime, and your favorite S&W Black Beans and whip up the impressively delicious Vegan recipe all of our carnivore friends request at parties!

And, again, while I don't practice any dietary restrictions, I've found it quite a worthwhile experience to explore new ways of cooking- particularly on the subject of baking. Reduced sugar, dairy free, and vegetarian are food profiles many of my family members and guests often meet. Finding sweet recipes that are heal-minded or meet these multiple check boxes, and still satisfy those of us who eat 'whatever we want' has been a definite challenge. The one recipe with a 'secret ingredient' that's converted the staunchest of junk food addicts? My Fudgy Black Bean Brownies, of course!

Now black bean brownies are nothing knew to the dairy sensitive and Vegan communities, but they do tend to have an initial knee-jerk reaction for pretty much anything else. "You made these with what?!" is what you'll hear to anyone you present them to with the full and proper recipe title, and for fair reason. I've had dozens of black bean brownie recipes and they are not all equal. The ratio of ingredients and time in oven play a crucial part to the quality of the brownie experience. The beans you choose to use play an even bigger role. That's why I use Organic S&W Black Beans for a rich flavor and texture that makes the moist fudgy, moist, chocolatey 'Vegan' brownies I've ever had.

You're probably a skeptic, even now, looking at that photo of chocolate-awesomeness above. Sure I put a photo of Organic S&W Black Beans in the background, but those cant be Vegan brownies. Oh yes, they're real, and that's them.

There are many varieties of S&W Beans, and ways to enjoy them- we find our diet lacks a lot of fiber that keeps us full and fueled between meals so we like to try and incorporate one variety or another into at least a meal a day. With all of the delicious varieties, we have yet to get bored- they're even delicious heated with some light seasoning as a side dish! Now that I've inspired you, now through April S&W Beans is offering $1 off 2 cans of S&W Beans. Get (and print) your coupon from the S&W Beans website.

What Daughter Says: Enjoy a richer diet when you consider what does into the food you eat.

 Super Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

***Click here for printable black bean brownies recipe.