Hello, all. I'm writing with some odds and ends from the kitchen. Some are hot takes and some are me asking for advice. Let's dive in.
1. Hot take #1: I don't think garlic adds to anything. We have been having a hard time finding garlic cloves that aren't sprouting and for about a week and a half, I just didn't have any and I didn't add it to the recipes that call for it and the recipes tasted the same. *shrug* It's such a pain to chop and, well, I'm not sure that I really need it my life. Am I wrong?
2. Advice needed: I am looking for a post-workout protein shake. We bought some protein powder (vanilla). A few caveats. I find pineapple and bananas disgusting. I also sort of don't like chocolate in my beverages. What should I be doing?
3. More advice needed: I like a good crispy chickpea. We sometimes make a traybake that's just chickpeas, carrots, and a green (asparagus, usually, but sometimes broccoli), some cheese, and a delicious sauce. But the reason we only *sometimes* make it is that peeling the chickpeas so they are crispy takes like eleventy billion years. We rub the chickpeas between some towels, but we still have to go through each one individually. I'd like to eat more chickpeas (particularly when I'm home from lunch and I could make some roasted veggies with chickpeas), but this process is a boring time vortex. How are you all peeling your chickpeas efficiently?
4. Opinions requested: What's too much tea to drink? During the week, I drink a 20 ounce tea with breakfast and 20 ounces at work. But when we're home, my husband just constantly puts the kettle on and makes it and I think I drank like 100 ounces of tea yesterday. LOL. I'm drinking herbal teas that are sweetened with a little bit of honey, so it's not terrible, but it's also probably not as good as drinking water.
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Thank you for all your advice!
I disagree with #1, and I usually make my smoothies with frozen banana, so I'm out on #2. I don't drink tea so I am also out on #4 and would probably have bad advice anyway since I drink an entire pot of coffee by myself before 10 am every day. I don't peel my chickpeas either, I just leave them on a towel to dry out for a few hours before roasting them. So in other words, I am not at all helpful to you today!
ReplyDeleteNICOLE!! I was counting on you to help me out with these things. You just dry out your chickpeas beforehand it they are still crunchy? Hmmm...I'll have to experiment with that.
DeleteI do, I leave them to dry out 2-3 hours, and then roast at convection 400 degrees for like 30 mins or so, turning the pan every so often. I've done it without drying out and they are still crispy/ crunchy, but not as evenly so, I think. I love the little skins on the chickpeas when they get crispy, to be honest. I also toss in olive oil before roasting.
DeleteInteresting. I will maybe do a tray bake for lunch over the weekend and experiment with this method.
DeleteGarlic really upsets my stomach so I almost never use fresh garlic anymore and the world continues to revolve. I sometimes use powdered garlic, but even too much of that upsets my stomach. Weird, right?! But an allergist confirmed this sensitivity.
ReplyDeleteI use chocolate powder, flax, a bit of banana, mango, strawberry, and raspberrys and a spoonful of uncooked oats. I love it and really don't feel like it tastes chocolatey, but if you hate banana...I'm not sure what to suggest as that adds a lot of sweetness and creaminess.
Elisabeth, me too! Any amount of garlic is awful for my stomach!
DeleteMy husband has intolerances to garlic, onions, and tomatoes, so we use them sparingly. Perhaps that's why I didn't notice a difference when I stopped using it - I generally use so little that it doesn't really matter.
DeleteI think yogurt can be a good replacement for banana in terms of sweetness and creaminess. (Also, my husband is ALLERGIC to bananas in that I'm worried that if they are even in the house he might go into anaphylaxis, so even I liked bananas, they'd be off the table.)
Allergic to bananas?! I have never heard of that before (at least not anaphylaxis!!); ugh, that is so tough because I feel like banana is sneakily added to lots of baked things.
DeleteYeah, I guess banana allergies are pretty rare, but it makes his ears and throat itch, so he just stays away from bananas because we don't want it to escalate to a worse reaction. I mean, my husband rarely eats baked things that I don't make, so it's easy for him to avoid them!
Delete1. I am restricted in my use of fresh garlic (even much powdered) because Rick is highly sensitive to it. I miss it terribly. My mom used it a lot since my dad adored it. Maybe you simply can't taste it. Oddly, however, Rick loves my pesto, which contains a lot of garlic. Hmmm.
ReplyDelete2. Peanut butter. Strawberries. I don't like them, but you could use blueberries. Greek yoghurt. I used to make smoothies with apple and spinach, too.
3. I've never peeled a chickpea in my life. Same with fresh ginger.
4. I drink iced water all day long; it's constantly by my side in a huge Yeti tumbler. For me, it's to combat dehydration and kidney side effects from a migraine med. After so long, I'm used to it. I developed the habit. I don't think herbal tea would be an issue like drinking black tea would, but maybe keep a tumbler of water on hand, too, and form that habit?
I have only recently learned that if you freeze ginger, you can grate it without peeling it. It is LIFESAVING.
DeleteAs somebody who loves garlic and adds it to everything, I must take the opposing viewpoint for question #1.
ReplyDeleteTo each their own!
DeleteHere are my hot takes:
ReplyDelete1. There are times when I just can't get decent garlic so I skip it. I enjoy it when we have it, but I agree that it can be optional.
2. I hate all protein shakes so I got nothing.
3. Dude, you couldn't pay me to peel a chickpea. I admit I don't make crispy chickpeas very often but from what I remember I was happy with "skin on" crispy chickpeas. Is the quality difference really worth the effort?
4. I approve your tea drinking. Liquid is liquid so I don't think it's more virtuous to drink plain water in place of the tea that you love. Also it's frickin' cold so IMO the tea is improving your quality of life. It doesn't sound like you've got any caffeine in there so I think you're good.
There is a HUGE quality difference between peeled and unpeeled chickpeas in this recipe. If you peel them, they are crispy and delicious. If you do not peel them, they are soggy and taste like glue. We have decided it's worth the effort, but only on days when we have lots of time to make dinner.
DeleteTrader Joe’s had cubes of frozen minced garlic that are a real game changer. I buy tons at once because they are good for a long time and don’t take up any freezer space. I bet you could solve your protein and chickpea problem there, too.
ReplyDeleteTrader Joe's is far away and has bad parking lots. Also, their labeling practices suck, so I can never tell if anything there is gluten free. So, basically, I have a vendetta against TJ and immediately go on the defensive whenever anyone suggests I shop there. I WILL NOT!
Delete1. I love garlic, but I also add so much that you can't help but taste it so I may not be a fair voice in this conversation
ReplyDelete2. In my protein shakes, I do a bunch of frozen berries, a 1/4 cup of oats, and sometimes some peanut butter with my protein powder.
3. I boil the chickpeas first and most of the skins fall off... then I roast them?
4. That amount of tea sounds perfectly reasonable (but I love tea so much, so I am so biased haha!)
You boil the chickpeas first? For how long? Do you put them in water that's already boiling or put them in as the water boils? I need specific details on this!
DeleteI do! It's pretty unconventional but it works for me. If using canned, I rinse them off and put them in a pot and cover them with water by a couple of inches and then boil them for 3 minutes. Then, I put them in a bowl and add water and mix them around with my hand and the skins fall off and rinse away as the bowl overflows. Then I roast them.
DeleteOkay. I think this would be easier than our current method, although it would probably take just as long. I'm adding this to the list of methods I need to try out!
DeleteI hate garlic!! My stomach gets upset if I eat it, and I hate the smell of it! I'm very much in the minority though, so it can be awkward to eat out or at someone's house. I used to just go and suffer, but I'm more inclined to meet someone for coffee, or tea, than for a meal these days.
ReplyDeleteI think tea is a lovely way to get your liquids!
You are not alone! My husband has all sort of intolerances to alliums. It's not uncommon, I don't think!
DeleteI love garlic, but I'm happy you've found some people to add to your weird anti-garlic cult (said with love). I suck at making protein shakes - we bought Angus a ninja smoothie maker which is awesome but then he took it with him, which was the point but still, lame. I love vanilla protein powder and banana, I hate peanut butter or chocolate in shakes.
ReplyDeleteThat chickpea bake sounds awesome and I've roasted chickpeas a few times, but I never knew you were supposed to peel them.
Tea is just water with herb-ish stuff in it. It's basically the most virtuous thing you can drink, I think, besides plain water. Tea away, I say (there is no actual scientific backing behind this opinion, don't quote me).
Drinking tea is virtuous! I'm going to go with that opinion and make it my own.
Deleteon protein, I don't like shakes so I add it to my oatmeal. I use the organic protein powder brand. I find whey protein powder not work well with mixing, but organic protein powder blends well. I love chickpea, I never rub it before cooking. Just rinse, dry a bit, add oil, and either bake or use air frier. I cannot make the crispiness last long, so have to make it on the spot. I drink hot tea all day long, those non-caffeinated one, so I guess is fine?
ReplyDeleteOh, interesting. I could add some powder to my morning oatmeal. That's an interesting solution.
DeleteMy husband would vehemently disagree with you about the garlic. But if you were using very little to begin with I can see where you can't see (taste) the difference.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we have to be careful with a lot of ingredients other people take for granted. I guess it's made my palate just used to boring things!
DeleteI mean "wrong" can be relative, but.... I loooove garlic so much that it probably comes through my pores. I don't mind chopping it because I know it's going to make my food tastier. And I don't mind the sprouting either. If you can't taste a difference, than clearly you aren't using enough garlic. :) A few years ago we got a garlic zoom which is as single function a device as you can get, but it makes chopping large amounts of garlic soooooo easy and I love it. My late mother in law could not abide garlic or onions in anything and this baffled me. I kept asking my husband, "She really won't eat *anything* that has *any* hint of garlic or onions???!??!?"
ReplyDelete- the America's Test Kitchen Vegan for Everyone cookbook adds hemp seeds to shakes for creaminess. Of course they suggest a banana too... I like mangos or coconut milk. Though I'm not making specifically protein smoothies, more like - fast breakfast/clean out the fridge smoothies.
-I had a hummus recipe once that called for peeling chick peas. I feel like I might have done it, but the fact that I don't remember/haven't done it again seems to indicate that I didn't think it was worth the effort.
- Is tea really not as good as water? I drink tea all day long, especially in winter, I'm constantly topping of my travel mug. So I say drink all the tea. It's too cold for me these days to drink anything else. (and I don't drink coffee, so there's that...)
I've tried to make hummus without peeling the chickpeas and everything just got jammed in my blender. Maybe I just need a better blender?
DeleteI am tempted to buy a jar of that already-minced garlic. But it would sit for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI don't drink enough water, but your teas sounds pretty healthy to me.
My husband is anti-already-minced garlic, so that's not really an option. Although maybe if he never knew...
DeleteI love garlic, have never had a protein shake, and have never skinned a single chickpea, Engie... But I have good news about your herbal tea! So long as you're not using copious amounts of honey or sugar or other sweeteners, not only is it as good as drinking plain water, it has the beneficial effects of peppermint/chamomile or what have you. The medical professionals I know corroborate this.
ReplyDeleteHmm...well, there is honey in those teas. LOL. I guess I don't know what "copious" means! But what I'm reading here is that drinking tea is virtuous and I should continue to do it!
Delete1) I enjoy garlic but I dont need it in every recipe. It has good nutrition though and I try to add it for that purpose.
ReplyDelete2) I don't use protein shakes so no opinion here.
3) I buy pre-boiled chick peas in glasses and cans. I have only once used uncooked chick peas for a homemade hummus recipe and have the rest sitting in the kitchen for years now. So also no valuable input here.
4) It depends on the kind of teas you are drinking. Herbs can have an inpact on your body if taking too much. Specially in the medical herb department. But I guess if you stick to peppermint or milder herbs it really doesn't really matter if you drink a lot. One cup of tea for me is 20 ounces and I drink up to 4 or 5 on good days. I am still alive.
I'm mostly drinking fruit-based teas, actually. Peach and apple cinnamon. I suppose I could overdo it, but fingers crossed it's better than the alternative, which is either me drinking nothing or drinking something really caloric. Four to five cups of tea a day sounds reasonable to me!
DeleteI am with you on the garlic thoughts. I find it a lot of work to add garlic to recipes and I don't really notice a difference. Maybe I'm not adding enough. I HATE it when my husband eats garlic, because it comes out of his pores later and I have a very sensitive sense of smell. I struggle to sleep in a bed with him if he is releasing garlic into the air.
ReplyDeleteI know nothing about the consumption of tea, but I like Ali's take on it.
My protein shake consists of milk, greek yogurt (vanilla), bananas (can leave out), frozen berries, because it makes the shake nice and cold) and a scoop of protein powder. I make a vat of it and then I leave it in the fridge and drink it each morning. Sometimes I have to remix it as it separates.
Honestly, garlic is overrated. Come at me, world!
DeleteI feel like "drinking tea is virtuous" is going to be my new life motto!
OH! I know the chickpea answer! You boil them first with a little bit of baking soda in the water and the skins slip right off- most of them will be just floating around in the water so you can kind of just skim them off, and the rest will be SO easy to peel. Non-scientifically, I think the baking soda loosens the proteins or something? I use 1/2 tsp of baking soda per can of chickpeas, in a saucepan, covered by an inch or two of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes or so, watching that it doesn't boil over. Then you drain and rinse them. I find it easiest to take the skins off underwater, so I'll usually drain them, put them back in the saucepan, and fill it up again with cold water but maybe I'm just weird... If I'm making hummus, I'll let them boil for 20 minutes until they start to break down, but for keeping them whole to crisp up, I'd do less time to start.
ReplyDeleteHuh. Boiling for ten minutes seems like a long time! I want them to be crispy when they are baked. Someone upthread say they boil them for three minutes. Huh! So much experimenting to do!
DeleteWe used to swear by peeling garlic ourselves but now we buy it in the little jar. We need it in our lives LOL.
ReplyDeleteDid you try that powder I told you about? You can mix it with milk of your choice and any frozen fruit! I have also heard people mix them with coffee.
Hmm, I feel like I've heard a trick for the chickpeas but don't recall it. I will come back if I do.
Too much tea is not a thing!
You are not the first person to suggest the garlic in a jar. I'll bring it up to my husband and see what he has to say about it. He's traditionally been anti, but maybe this issue with garlic sourcing will change his mind.
DeletePeople peel chickpeas? I have NEVER HEARD of this, and it is never mentioned in the recipes I have tried! Maybe this is why mine don't crisp up like I want them to? It sounds worky though, I'm going to try Nichole's solution first. Also, I have never boiled them either. What am I doing with my life?
ReplyDeleteThere is a big difference between peeled and unpeeled in my world, so I DO peel them. But I guess not everyone does!
DeleteI love garlic, but garlic doesn't love me, so lately I have not been using it. Definitely salt goes a long way, but I do miss garlic in some things (like a good hummus).
ReplyDeleteI have never made roasted garbanzos!! I am getting a lot of info about it from the comments though!
Protein powder is pretty much gross. I did find one called Isopure which is not horrible tasting but it is very expensive. Even the ones that don't taste that good are pretty expensive. Maybe I am just not a protein powder girl. (side note, I do love to mix a half an avocado, a scoop of unsweetened chocolate, some almond milk and a bit of sweetener with a handful of ice and blend - it is like a chocolate shake!)
I don't think you can OD on herbal tea, so I say go for it! 100 oz, 200 oz...whatever.
Interesting about protein powder being gross. I honestly don't really notice it much? I feel like I don't have a very sensitive palate when it comes to food!
DeleteHave you tried the jars of garlic in olive oil? That might help with the freshness issue....I love garlic in all my dishes, plus who has time for a vampire to visit?
ReplyDeleteI like the Premier Protein shakes, (pre made) I get them from Costco. They a vanilla flavor that I find tasty.
I've never peeled a chickpea in my life.
Huh. We're taking a trip to Costco this weekend. I'll poke around and see if I can find those shakes.
DeleteI am very late to the party and have NO helpful tips except one, which is to air fry your chickpeas. I never remove the skins (and, in fact, love how crisp they get on their own) but I do airfry chickpeas and they get nice and crispy. If you don't already have an air fryer, this will be problematic. But if you DO, just think how much room it will free up on your sheet pan for another veggie!
ReplyDeleteNo air fryer here! Just an InstantPot and a slower cooker!
DeleteI don't deal with fresh garlic, but I keep a jar of minced garlic in the fridge and I have garlic powder. I do like the flavor that it adds to dishes, but do often go without it without losing much flavor.
ReplyDeleteI drink lots of tea (almost exclusively) during the colder months and I don't think that there is too much tea. I don't usually add sweetener, so it's really like drinking water. I only add sweeteners to black tea.
Drinking tea is virtuous, San! You're doing it right!
DeleteI'm laughing because you asked for suggestions but have already tried them or eliminated them off the bat. So I don't have much to add, sorry! (I eat bananas, and garlic from a jar, and purchase crispy chickpeas because I can't be bothered to crispify them myself...so... yeah. You might not want to associate with me anymore. ;>) Although, why on EARTH are you making hummus in a *blender*? Do you have a food processor? If not, you might want to consider a small one. Just a though.
ReplyDeletePurchase crispy chickpeas? Like in a store? Tell me more about this...
DeleteWe do not have a food processor. Is this...a thing everyone has?
I have one but that, of course, does not mean anything. That said, I got rid of my blender because they're hideously awful to clean and the food processor does everything I want it to do. I don't drink smoothies, make milkshakes, or... well, heck, I don't know what I would use a blender for. I use the FP to make hummus, chop things, etc. There are some fun comparison threads on reddit if you want to go down that rabbit hole. :)
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