Trying to "try" a new recipe once a week -

Chickpea Piccata - Appetite for Reduction

Last night I got my nerve up to try a new recipe.  A friend had shared with me that her family liked it and the recipe said it was "super fast".   My kind of meal - but oh not so fast...

The recipe is Chickpea Piccata from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Surprise, surprise, I did not follow the directions exactly.
The ingredients I used:
1tsp olive oil
1 c thinly sliced shallots
2 TBS of bread crumbs (I toasted 2 pieces of GF bread for 10 min at 350 degrees, then crumbled them up!)
2 cups veggie broth (I use Whole Foods brand)
4 cloves of thinly sliced garlic
a pinch of black pepper
a pinch of thyme
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup of capers with brine
Juice of 1 lemon
Well, before reading the entire recipe, I dumped all the ingredients(except for garlic, shallots, and chickpeas) together in one pot - not what you are suppose to do.   So, I had to take strain the capers out and put them aside.  What you are suppose to do is - Saute the shallots and garlic for 5 minutes, add the bread crumbs and toast by stirring for about 2 more minutes.  Then add veggie broth, salt, pepper and thyme.  Turn up heat bring to boil and let sauce reduce by half - around 7 minutes.  Then you add the chickpeas and capers, let them heat through, ~ 3 minutes, turn heat off.  Then add lemon juice.  (My lemon juice was in from the beginning)  Also, recipe called for 1/3 of dry white wine - I didnt have any so I left it out. (I don't think I would add it next time, I loved it as prepared)
Chopping, sauteing, and timing all of this was difficult for ME, but hopefully not for you.  Because it was delicious.  Seriously tasty.  Isa suggested serving it over arugula, again, I didn't have that so instead used regular lettuce.  My side was Caulipots - another one of her recipes.

Caulipots - I tried to get creative with this one - she called for 2 russet potatoes - I found purple potatoes (unfortunately I didnt read that they were purple sweet potatoes).
1/2 head of cauliflower cut into florets
1 TBS olive oil
4 TBS veggie broth
salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a big pot with enough water to cover them and the cauliflower (when you put those in later)
Bring potatoes to boil, once boiling add cauliflower and lower heat to simmer.  Simmer for ~ 15 minutes until they are tender.  Drain potatoes and cauliflower, then return them to the pot, add the rest of the ingredients and mash together, until they are the desired consistency.  What I have learned -my family doesn't like the sweet potato taste - so no one ate these last night.  BUT if I had used regular potatoes, or regular purple potatoes and a lot more seasoning, they would have been great.  They did have a great texture, and you could tell they had potential.  Next time I might add lime juice and a little vegan sour cream.  Lots more salt and pepper!

If you have not picked up Isa's cookbook - Appetite for Reduction - do so, it is amazing - it is listed on my Amazon page on the homepage of my blog!

Family verdict - Chad LOVED the chickpeas, Ry ate all of hers and a second serving.  S did not like them at all.  No one like the potatoes.   Also, Ry asked for me to post her new healthy dessert - frozen mangoes and strawberries.