Friday 28 September 2012

Chickpea, Kale and Corn Burritos

As I left for work today there was a clap of thunder, a flash of lightning and the rain poured down.  Just right for my mood.  It has been a sad week.  In our house we have been missing Dolly.  In the news has been the terrible news of Jill Meagher, an Irish woman living in Melbourne who disappeared when walking home from a nightclub.  A week later she was found murdered.  Such a random senseless sad death.

I would take more delight in finding this glorious purple kale, if it were not for it reminding me of the farmers market where Dolly disappeared without a trace.  It is unlike any kale I have seen before.  The kale to which I am accustomed goes by the various names of Tuscan kale, black kale and cavolo nero.  It has stems that are soft enough to eat.  This purple kale looks pretty but the stalks are so tough they must be discarded.

The recipe is adapted from the Chickpea, Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato from Eats Well with Others.  I have been admiring Joanne's picture which I pinned to Pinterest.   My top photo is an homage to a glorious image.  I wish I had had sweet potatoes but used other vegies instead.  I had thought I had some feta to use but it was too wilted.  The cheddar cheese didn't add much.  Some chunks of avocado would have been a better addition.  Despite this, I loved this dish.  It was a satisfying dinner and made wonderful leftovers for work lunches.

Lastly, I have signed up to Vegan Mofo again because I enjoyed it last year.  I swithered about doing it because I was worried I wouldn't have enough time to commit to it.  Then I decided that if I tried to do at least 20 post in the months (rather than every day like I did last year) it was achievable.  It does mean spending time looking at new blogs, which will put the squeeze on visiting my regular blogs.  But you will get to see lots of delicious vegan food.

I have already started experimenting.  Above is a vegan mofo teaser.  Yes it is covered in dairy cheese.  I have a vegan version that I will share soon.  Can you guess what sort of pizza it is?

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Fruit bread
Two years ago: Orange and Almond Cake
Three years ago: Monsalvat Café – rustic charm

Chickpea, Kale and Corn Burritos
Adapted from Eats Well with Others
Serves 4

1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 parsnip, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 green capsicum, diced
1 zucchini, diced
kernels from 1 cob of corn
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp maple syrup
dash of cayenne pepper
1 bunch kale, destemmed and torn into strips
400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 whole wheat soft tortillas
grated cheese (or chopped avocado to make it vegan), to serve
chopped tomatoes, to serve
Heat olive oil in a large frypan and fry onion, carrot, parsnip and garlic for about 10 minutes or until softening.  Add green capsicum, zucchini and corn kernels.  Fry about 5 minutes.  Stir in smoked paprika, salt, maple syrup, cayenne pepper and chicpeas.  Cook for about 5-10 minutes until kale is wilted into dark shadows.

When kale mixture is almost ready, heat a medium frypan over medium high heat.  Spray with olive oil.  Place a tortilla on the frypan for 30 seconds (or until brown heat spots appear on the underside) and then turn and heat on other side for about 30 seconds.

Place warm tortilla on a dinner plate.  Spoon over the kale mixture.  Scatter with grated cheese and chopped tomatoes.  Eat either with the tortilla wrapped around the filling (the messy way) or with a knife and fork (the posh way).

On the Stereo:
Super Trouper: ABBA

22 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you're doing MOFO. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

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    1. Thanks Bliss - nice to know you will be cheering me on

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  2. As an Aussie I too felt the abject sadness of Jill's death. Have you thought about making some posters of Dolly and putting them up at the markets? You just never know, it might result in Dolly being returned to the fold? It's worth a try :)

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    1. Thanks Fran - I thought about posters but there are too many factors against me - no printer, market over the wrong side of town, and the market only meets once a month in a park. Sigh!

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  3. I'm really looking forward to MoFo and glad that you're taking part again - I will look out for all your posts.

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    1. Thanks Caroline - I have started doing some vegan cooking to share that I think will be interesting and hope to find time for more (then I just have to find time to post it)

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  4. Sounds delish! I have never seen purple kale.

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    1. Thanks Cakelaw - I was amazed to find it - I think it is a sign of kale becoming more popular

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  5. I've got Kale in everything right now; after a bit of a hiatus over summer here, it's back and so am I. Did you try Kale chips? I've been reading of people doing them and they look intriguing.. Also, what is 'swithered' (guess I could look it up!) Just surprised as and eng-lit graduate I've never heard of that word before.

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    1. Thanks Adam - I don't buy kale often enough to put it in everything but as it becomes more available I use it more. I still haven't tried kale chips - I think it is partly because kale is still a little mysterious to me but one day

      (and swithered means sort of thought about it in a way that I couldn't make up my mind, a bit like dither - it is a word I discovered in scotland and loved - but never came across it when I studied eng lit)

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  6. Nice! Can't wait to follow you through your vegan eats. I will do a theme for the month but can't commit for 20 posts this year. Instead I will relish through everyone else's vegan eats. :)

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    1. Thanks Janet - will be interested to see your theme for the month (I put myself in the healthy food category but don't really have a theme). And BTW there is a recipe adapted from your blog coming up

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  7. I am so glad you found purple kale! And burritos sound like a wonderful way to use it. I'm glad you're doing vegan MoFo too...I was inspired enough by you and Mel to sign up despite not being home until 5 days into October. I'm still a little unsure how I'll work it, but I'm sure I'll be keen to spend time in the kitchen when we're home so I'm thinking that I'll have a skewed month of posting and put remaining travel on hold until November :P

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    1. Thanks Kari - that is great that you are doing it - will look forward to your posts - good luck with it - hope that returning to your travel posts in november will bring back nice memories

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  8. I am going to try these and just leave the cheese out for Graham. I am salivating looking at them.

    Sad about that poor woman. You wonder what turns people into such monsters.

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    1. Thanks Jac - I think they are just as good without the cheese. Hope all of you enjoy them.

      The murder of Jill Meagher has raised many issues about safety in our city, the role of social media in the criminal system and many questions about why such things happen - people are expressing themselves with marches, flowers and graffiti. I just keep thinking of how terrible it must be for her husband and family

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  9. Sending you virtual hugs, sounds like you need a good cheer me up. (lovely burritos too, which has reminded me its been far to long since I last had one!)

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    1. Thanks Chele - we are having lots of good things happening but there is just this underlying sadness - hope you get some burritos into you soon

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  10. I'm so glad to hear you are doing MoFo again! I was unsure about the commitment this year as I haven't had as much time for blogging lately but thought I would give it a go as it was a lot of fun last year and I already had a theme planned.

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    1. Thanks Mel - I admire you for being organised enough to think about a theme - but I agree it is fun and I have enjoyed the vegan cooking I have been doing lately

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  11. What a sad week! The murder is terrible, it makes me angry and very very sad. I love the look of the purple kale, but well, as you said, the associations aren't the happiest ... :( Your burritos looks wonderful though!

    I hope this week will be happier for you and your family! :)

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    1. Thanks Kath - the murder is indeed terrible and has really affected Melbourne as a city both with sadness and anger so you are not alone

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