Creative Cooking With Beans and Grains! Recipes for Chicken Meatballs, Tacos and Lablabi

For many people, especially in the U.S., planning dinner starts with choosing an animal protein to build around. But in many countries (and many healthy ones at that), the basis for most meals is plants — beans and grains, to be exact. “Beans and grains have been sustaining the world for a very long time,” say the editors at America’s Test Kitchen. “They are superstar foods that provide a vital source of nutrition in countries the world over: healthy, filling, flavorful, and inexpensive as well as shelf-stable.”

That’s why their new guide The Complete Beans & Grains Cookbook is filled with easy and delicious recipes from across the globe that will help you eat more of these powerhouse foods. Try one today.

Chicken Meatballs With Quinoa

(serves 4)

1 1⁄2 cups prewashed white quinoa
1 3⁄4 cups water
1 1⁄4 tsp. table salt
3⁄4 cup hummus
1 tsp. grated lemon zest plus
2 1⁄2 tbsp. juice
4 tsp. plus 1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 lb. ground chicken
1⁄4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. carrots with greens, carrots peeled and sliced on bias,
1⁄3 cup greens chopped

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa in pan over medium-high, stirring, 5 to 7 min. Add water and ½ tsp. salt; simmer, covered, 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk 1⁄2 cup hummus, lemon juice and 4 tsp. oil in bowl. Set aside.
2. Mix chicken, 1 cup quinoa, lemon zest, 1⁄2 tsp. salt, pepper and remaining hummus. Form 20 meatballs.
3. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a skillet over medium-high. Cook meatballs 10 minutes, turning. Transfer to a plate.
4. Add carrots, 3 tbsp. water, remaining salt to skillet. Cover; cook 2 minutes. Uncover; cook
4 minutes. Add remaining quinoa; cook 2 minutes. Add remaining oil. Serve topped with carrot greens, meatballs and hummus sauce.

PER SERVING: 405 calories 28 grams protein, 18 grams carbs, 3 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 24 grams fat.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos

(Serves 4)

3 tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1⁄2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1⁄2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. minced fresh oregano or ¼ tsp. dried
1 tsp. table salt
1⁄2 tsp. pepper
12 oz. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1⁄2″ pieces
1 onion, halved then sliced 1⁄2″ thick
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 (6″) corn or flour tortillas, warmed

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450°F. Whisk oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano, salt and pepper in large bowl. Add potatoes and onion and toss to coat.
2. Spread vegetables in even layer over 2 foil–lined rimmed baking sheets. Roast until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes, stirring vegetables and switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
3. Return vegetables to now-empty bowl, add beans and cilantro and gently toss to
combine. Serve with tortillas.

PER SERVING: 506 calories, 14 grams protein, 87 grams carbs, 18 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 14 grams fat.

Lablabi

(Serves 6)

1 1⁄2 tbsp. table salt for brining, plus 1 tsp.
1 lb. (2 3⁄4 cups) dried chickpeas, picked over and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
1⁄2 cup harissa
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Crusty bread, olive oil, canned tuna, capers, green olives, lemon wedges, hard-cooked eggs and Greek yogurt, for topping

Directions:

1. Dissolve 11⁄2 tbsp. salt in 2 qts. cold water in large container. Add chickpeas; soak at room temperature at least 8 hrs. or up to 24 hrs. Drain and rinse.
2. Bring chickpeas and 10 cups water to boil in a Dutch oven. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring, 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Stir in onion, 1⁄4 cup harissa, garlic, cumin and 1 tsp. salt; cook 10 to 15 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice and season with salt to taste. Divide among bowls and top with cilantro and remaining harissa.
4. Serve with your preferred toppings.

PER SERVING: 422 calories, 20 grams protein, 67 grams carbs, 17 grams fiber, 17 grams sugar, 9 grams fat.