Corn meal with veggies and chickpeas

As I have written before, Being free improves your health, and being healthy preserves your freedom.

To be financially free and otherwise free (think doctor-free), you need to be healthy and self-reliant. One way to achieve this is to know how to cook healthy and cheap meals. 

High-fiber meals can contribute to healthy weight and have many other benefits.

In my pursuit to develop new recipes with high fiber content, I experimented with corn meal and here is one recipe that would recommend:

Corn meal with veggies and chickpeas

Ingredients:
1 cup of corn meal
4 - 5 carrots
celery (any amount, optional)
1 or 2 (15 oz) cans of chickpeas
3 - 4 Tbsp olive oil
garlic (3-4 cloves), salt, cayenne pepper and paprika to taste (these go with the beans)
3 - 4 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tsp of honey

Directions:
Prepare "corn meal mush" according to the directions on the box. Usually, to four cups of boiling water, add one cup of corn meal. Add the corn meal slowly, with continuous stirring. After the mush becomes thicker, bring to a slow boil and cook for 4 - 5 minutes (with stirring). The mush can be prepared in advance. I had the corn meal mush prepared the day before I assembled the dish and kept it refrigerated.

Drain the chickpeas and cook in a pan with some olive oil. Stir frequently, after 5 - 7 minutes add the crushed garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika, and salt to taste. Stir and cook until all beans are completely dry and a bit toasted. Remove the beans to a plate.

Prepare the veggies by cutting them in strips. Cook in the same pan (from the chickpeas) with olive oil. After 3 - 4 minutes, add the apple cider vinegar with the honey and salt. Close the pan to steam the vegetables. When most of the liquid is absorbed, the veggies are ready (this timing can vary according to your preference for crunchy or not).

Assemble the dishes with corn meal on the bottom. Sprinkle with the chickpeas and the veggies.

By the way, corn meal mush is versatile. I love it when it is still hot and steamy and I add some crumbled feta cheese. The cheese almost melts and the taste is divine. You can also serve it as a dessert with a swirl of honey on top.

Check my other recipes with high fiber content.