Mixing it Up: Pulses, Oils and Grains

Diversity and alternatives will be the name of the game in 2021 for pulses, oils and grains.Bored with vegetable oil? Over olive oil? Well, you're in luck. A range of new oils will rise in popularity, including walnut, pumpkin seed, and avocado. Additionally, the rise in specialty diets—and the increase in chefs reporting intolerances of their own—will give way to new alternatives in substitution of all-purpose flour.Alternative flours provide more bang for the buck: a rising number of local mills are grinding locally grown grains, delivering specific health, flavor, and texture attributes. Some of these flour alternatives include mochi, almond, coconut, acorn, and another of 2021’s hottest ingredients, chickpeas.We will see chickpea everything in 2021. Now is the time to think beyond hummus and falafel, chickpeas will be found in products such as pasta, sliders, tofu, cereal, and even in desserts. Other pulse alternatives will also rise in popularity, such as pigeon peas, cranberry beans, and black beluga lentils.

Black Butte Chickpeas with Chorizo, Spinach & Roasted Tomatoes

Black Butte™ Chickpea Appetizer, Photo courtesy InHarvest

Recipe courtesy InHarvestYield: approx. 6 cupsIngredients

2 qts water, divided

8 oz InHarvest Black Butte Chickpeas™

1 pt grape tomatoes

½ c extra-virgin olive oil, divided

As needed kosher salt

6 oz chorizo sausage link, sliced to ¼”-thick coins

1 T fresh-minced garlic

5 oz fresh spinach leaves without stems

Method

In a medium pot, bring 1 qt. of the water and InHarvest Black Butte Chickpeas™ to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let soak for 1 hour.

Drain the soaking liquid; add the remaining water to the pot of chickpeas. Bring back to boil; reduce to simmer. Cook, covered, for 25 minutes or until tender, adding more water if necessary. Drain; let cool.

In a bowl, coat the tomatoes with 2 T. olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt. Lay the tomatoes out on a sheet pan. Roast in a 350°F conventional oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven; reserve.

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 T. olive oil. Add the chorizo; cook until it begins to brown. Stir in the garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the cooked chickpeas; heat through. Add the tomatoes and spinach; stir until the spinach is just wilted.

Add the remaining olive oil; toss to evenly coat the chickpeas. Serve warm as a shared appetizer with crusty bread.