FOR LUNCH: Roasted Baby Cauliflower, fried coriander chickpeas and Lemon Caper Dressing

We all know I'm a breakfast person.  Let's be real, it's THE BEST MEAL.  If you follow me on Instagram you're probably bored of my avocado toast variations, but fortunately for me, I am not.  As much as I love my beloved morning meals, I've been getting real into lunch lately.  I'm loving lazy afternoons spent leisurely cooking a fancy lunch.   Workweek lunches can be bland and hectic, so I save the good ones for the weekend.  

After playing around with *special* lunch recipes, this is my new favorite.  It's light, but definitely not on flavor.  Although I'm looking forward to not turning my oven on for the next few months (except for summer pies and tarts, of course), this meal is sure to hold you over till we get there.

ROASTED BABY PURPLE CAULIFLOWER, FRIED CORIANDER CHICKPEAS, CAPER DRESSING, CRUSHED PISTACHIO & GREEK YOGURT (Gluten-free, Vegetarian)

• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1lb. purple baby cauliflower, de-stemmed
• 1 (14oz.) can of chickpeas, drained
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt
• 1 lemon, juice + zest
• 1/4 cup crushed pistachios
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper

CAPER Dressing: 

• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 lemon, juice
• 3-4 fresh mint leaves
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a large baking sheet.  Add cauliflower to the pan, flipping to make sure they are coated on both sides.  Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the baby cauliflower.  Season with sea salt and roast for 30-35 minutes or until browned and tender.

In a small mason jar, muddle capers garlic and mint leaves together.  Squeeze in lemon juice and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.  Drizzle in a few tablespoons of olive oil until your desired consistency.  Screw on mason jar lid and shake until well combined.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together coriander with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.  Set aside

In a skillet, coat pan with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.  Over medium-high heat, drop in chickpeas in batches, frying until golden and charred.  While chickpeas are hot, sprinkle a generous amount of coriander seasoning.  Place chickpeas on a paper towel-lined plate to soak up excess oil.  Continuefrying in batches until all chickpeas are fried and seasoned. 

To plate, smear a few tablespoons of greek yogurt before topping with whole cauliflower and fried chickpeas.  Drizzle caper dressing generously over top.  Garnish with crushed pistachios, sea salt, freshly ground pepper and fresh mint leaves.

THE BEST VEGAN CHILI & SKILLET CORNBREAD

The weather we've had in New York this season (see: Miserable) has caused me to crave pretty much every comfort food under the sun.  Usually, dinner is some thrown together arugula salad or hippie bowl, but lately I've wanted curry, chili, etc.  I assume I'm not the only one, either.  Although this could be us all eating our winter-depression feelings, I'll take it as an excuse to make bountiful amounts of hearty meals since I'm already stuck inside the house.  

This chili recipe was made for a party I hosted recently (hence the serving size), but it made the house smell amazing and fed MANY hungry guests.  I even had leftovers.  So, in between dreaming of a time when the sidewalks weren't made of slushy ice, we can take advantage of our cravings and make a (large) pot of chili.  It might not solve all our weather-related problems, but it will feed you well for the rest of the week.

OLD-FASHIONED BUCKWHEAT SKILLET CORNBREAD with WHIPPED HONEY BUTTER (Gluten-free)  Serves 6-8

• 1 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I used 1 1/3 cup coconut cream and the juice of one lemon)
• 6 tablespoons clover honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Cube butter and add to a small saucepan over medium heat.  Heat gently until it just begins to melt, then whisk until smooth and set aside to cool.

In another bowl, whisk together egg, 5 tablespoons butter, buttermilk and honey.  Slowly add wet mixture to dry, making sure to mix well as you add.  Fold mixture well until combined, but do not overmix.  

Add 1 tablespoons of butter to your 10 inch cast iron skillet.  Add to oven for 5 minutes until melted.  Remove your pan and carefully add cornbread batter to the pan, smoothing over mixture evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes or until browned.  Let cool for 20-30 minutes before serving.  Top with a huge dollop of whipped honey butter, or dip in chili for a savory treat.

WHIPPED HONEY BUTTER

1 cup honey

Place 1 cup of honey in a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer).  Beat on the highest setting for 3-4 minutes or until honey is thick, creamy and opaque.  Place in the fridge to chill.

THE BEST VEGAN CHILI (Gluten-Free, Vegan) Serves 10-12

• 1 cup dried black beans, soaked, then drained and rinsed
• 1 cup dried jacob's cattle beans, soaked, then drained and rinsed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 large carrots, diced
• 2 jalapeno, minced and seeded
• 2 large sweet onions, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 dried santaka peppers
• 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons adobo sauce
• 2 (28oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons oregano, dried
• 5 whole bay leaves
• 32. oz. vegetable "no chicken" broth (I used Organic Imagine Foods)
• 2 (15oz.) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15oz.) cans hominy, drained and rinsed
• 2 (15oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 (28oz.) cans diced tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 3 tablespoons cornmeal, fine
• 2 tablespoons cholula
• 4 limes, divided
• 2/3 cup green onions, sliced thin
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper
• *Vegetarian toppings (or find non-dairy versions of these!):
• 6 oz. sour cream
• 6 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (Daiya is a great vegan brand)

Rinse and soak black and cattle beans overnight.  Place black beans and cattle beans in separate large saucepans covered in water (at least double the amount of beans).  Bring to a boil, then simmer until beans are tender to the bite, but not mushy.  Both beans will take between 1-2 hours.  Set aside.  *You can also do this step the day or night before, fyi.

In a 8 qt. saucepan, add olive oil, garlic, jalapeno, santaka peppers and onion over medium heat.  Stew together until onions are softened.  Add chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomatoes, oregano and bay leaves.  Stew this mixture over medium heat for 7-10 minutes.

Add vegetable broth and and all the beans, including cattle, black, kidney, chickpea and hominy.  Bring mixture to a low boil then simmer.  Stir in cumin, coriander, paprika, cholula and the juice of one lime.  Then carefully whisk in brown sugar and cornmeal, making sure to mix well to avoid lumps.  Sea salt to taste.  

Cook this mixture low and slow, covered for up to 2 1/2 hours.  The longer you cook it, the longer the flavors will meld together (and it's worth it).  You can cook up to 1 hour or so, then refrigerate overnight which will also help the flavors come together.  Top this mixture with a dollop of sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onion, lime wedges and more Cholula.  Enjoy!