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I’m so excited to share this one!  It’s a nutrition-packed dish that is delicious and full of flavor from all the herbs and spices.  If you want something really quick, you can skip the crisps, but I added them for a protein element and to add a crispy texture to the dish.  I love eating this and I love the variety that’s in the dish.  You get a nice crunch from the bell peppers and onions, but also some starchy softness from the steamed sweet potatoes, as well as the dry crispness from the protein.  Not only that, but the Cajun seasoning is my current obsession!  I love that it involves a mixture of so many tastes that are already in my spice cabinet.

If the recipe seems daunting, I would do it in parts.  You can always make the seasoning ahead of time (it only takes a few minutes) and store it to be used later.  Then I’d steam the sweet potatoes and let the frozen vegetables thaw out, get working on the crisps, and then make the sauce and boil the pasta while the crisps are in the oven.

As always, click the ingredient to be directed to the appropriate Amazon page if you don’t have it.

Cajun Seasoning

Add all the ingredients from this website (click) into a food processor to grind them so that the seasoning is all of similar size.

Chickpea-Lentil Crisps

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (or see Note below for sprouted way, which is better on the digestive system)
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (use the rest in the pasta)
• 1-2 tbsp Cajun seasoning (your preference)
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup packed cilantro
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 tbsp oats, ground into flour
• 2 slices sprouted bread, toasted and ground into breadcrumbs (omit for gluten free)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and oil a casserole dish (I used coconut oil).
2. Wash the lentils, then add lentils and water into a small pot.  Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 3 minutes on medium or medium-low.  Drain and allow to cool.
3. Add lemon juice and garlic to a blender or food processor and blend.  Add cooled lentils and chickpeas, as well as the rest of the ingredients except the sprouted bread, and pulse to your satisfaction.
4. Pour into a bowl and mix in the breadcrumbs.
5. Spread the mixture evenly into the casserole dish and bake for about 25 minutes.
6. It will break apart when you remove it, so just remove it in as big chunks as possible.

NOTE: To make sprouted chickpeas, soak the chickpeas for 24 hours, then leave them laid out at room temperature for 2-3 days, rinsing them once or twice a day, until they form half-inch tails.  To “cook,” boil water.  Remove the pot from heat for 1 minute.  Soak the chickpeas in the hot water for 1 minute.  Drain.  Please be advised that the chickpeas soak up some of the water, of course, so they get bigger.  About a cup of dried chickpeas will turn into 1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas.

Cajun Creamy Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 box brown rice pasta
• 1/2 cup nuts of choice
• 1 cup filtered water
• 3/4 cup raw macadamia nuts
• 1-2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
• vegetables of choice (I used the rest of the red bell pepper, 1/4 of a chopped onion, a chopped steamed sweet potato, and some frozen kale and peas)

1. Boil pasta according to directions.
2. Meanwhile, blend nuts of choice with water and strain through a cheesecloth or nut milk bag to make nut milk.
3. Blend macadamia nuts, nut milk, and Cajun seasoning to make the sauce.
4. Toss pasta with sauce and vegetables of choice and add chickpea-lentil crisps around the dish to your taste.