Chickpeas, Beets & Malbec

I cannot believe it is almost November. It is so cold out! I'm from Cleveland, OH and they woke up to snow this morning. That is something I am just not ready for.

First, I thought I'd do an update on my running mileage. I'm getting closer and closer to reaching my 500 mile goal every day.  In fact, just this morning I reached 490.5 miles.  I'm hoping to hit 500 way before November 18th, but I'll keep you posted!

This morning I went for a 5-miler and I was largely motivated by the meal I concocted last night.  It was a lot - that and I have to wear a dress tonight. This morning was a particularly good run - There is nothing better than watching this city wake up.

Now, onto my dinner last night. Step #1 was choosing a red wine.  This might seem backwards but wine was really the priority last night.  I went for a Malbec - Malbec is great with meat. Unfortunately, I didn't have any steak lying around.  Instead I had lots of vegetables.  Lucky for me, Malbec also pairs well with bold and spicy vegetable dishes.  Perfect!

Here what I was working with:

5 peeled and chopped carrots

7 white potatoes - quartered for roasting

1 onion - chopped

2 large Beets – peeled and slivered

2 tablespoons Sriracha chili garlic sauce

1 can of chickpeas

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt & Pepper
Endless EVOO

First, I preheated the oven to 425 for the beets and potatoes.
I decided to sliver and roast the beets - just like roasted potatoes. I had never done beets this way and it might be a new favorite.  I tossed the beet slivers in EVOO, salt & pepper, put them on a baking pan, and roasted them in the oven for 40-50 minutes.  I prepared the potatoes in the exact same way. 

The beets before the oven (obsessed with their color):

The beets after some roasting (also obsessed with this color):

I seasoned the beets and potatoes pretty lightly because I wanted them to balance out the spicy/bold flavor of what I made to put on top.

Now onto the spicy vegetables. 
I sauteed the carrots in light olive oil for 5-10 mins.  Next, I added the onions, chickpeas, and the chili garlic sauce. I let it simmer for about 5 mins on low heat. The chili garlic sauce can be really strong so I would suggest putting in a little bit at a time - I like a lot :) I thought this sauce added enough of a garlicky flavor, but feel free to add some minced garlic in, as well. And of course, season with salt and pepper as you see fit.

Nice and spicy:

I wanted some added protein and a flavor to tie it all together, so I fried 2 eggs to go on top.  I was feeling particularly inspired last night and decided to work on my presentation skills....Definitely some room for improvement. Here is the final product:

The potatoes are hidden underneath, but it really was delicious and super filling. There were so many different textures and spices. The egg yolk added a bit more creaminess to it all. Now onto the best part....

Earlier in the day I picked up dessert: doughnuts from the Doughnut Plant. I'm lucky enough to live just 2 blocks from this place.  I got the Pumpkin Cake flavor and a Peanut Butter Banana Cream one. 2 little pieces of heaven. Highly recommend!

 

For my last few posts I've been using whatever is in my kitchen and trying to make a recipe (my own version of the TV show Chopped).  For my next post I'm going to think of a recipe/post BEFORE I go to the grocery store - should make for something delish.