1/2 cup olive oil
2 TSP red wine vinegar
2 TSP lemon juice
2 TSP Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP anchovy paste
1/4 TSP mustard powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 TBSP Yogurt (fat free, plain)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

There are lots of recipes for garbanzo/spinach tapas; most omit the bacon and shallot, some omit the red pepper, and some add sherry vinegar or lemon juice.  Mine was:

3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1 or 2 tablespoons shallot, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch smoked Spanish paprika
10 oz raw spinach

Half-cook the bacon.  Depending on how much bacon fat you’ve got, add 1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Add chickpeas, bell pepper, shallot, and garlic and saute until the chickpeas start browning, maybe 5 or 10 minutes.  Add paprika and stir in spinach until it’s wilted, 2 minutes or so.

I started with a recipe from AllRecipes and ended up with the following yummy and healthy replacement for couscous or risotto.

* 1 cup uncooked quinoa
* 1 TBSP olive oil
* 2 cups chicken stock
* 1 TBSP chopped garlic
* 2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
* 1 TBSP chopped fresh thyme
* Sea salt, fresh pepper
* 1 small onion, finely chopped
* 1 dash fresh lemon juice (optional)

1. Warm oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa, and toast, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and do the same.  And again for the garlic.  Stir in broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, or until quinoa is tender.
2. In a bowl, toss quinoa together with the other ingredients. Sprinkle with lemon juice, and serve.

Fogo de Chão Cheese Bread Recipe:  “Pao de Queijo”

1 egg
2 TBSP corn oil
1/3 cup whole milk
Dash of salt
1/3 cup sour tapioca flour (azedo)
1/4 cup sweet tapioca flour (doce)
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well until batter is smooth. Lightly grease a 12- or 24-cup mini-muffin pan or small dariole molds.  Fill each muffin cup three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Breads should be crisp on the outside and hollow on the inside, like a popover. Serve warm. Makes 12 – 15 puffs.  Sweet and sour tapioca flour can be found at Brazilian food stores.

Alternate method with sourdough starter.  Since I always have a cauldron of sour flour at the house, I’d like to skip the hunting/purchasing/storing of specialty tapioca flours.  This is a work in process, so experiment at your own risk.

1 egg
1 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP corn oil
1 TSP salt
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup starter
2/3 cup bread flour
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Toss with a light, creamy dressing like my yogurt dressing.

Ingredients:

1 heads fresh broccoli
1/4 cup red onion thinly cut
8 strips thick cut bacon
1/2 cup roasted pistachios
1/2 cup roasted sliced almonds
1 bell pepper
1 large carrot
2 celery stalks

Place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Cool and crumble. Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces. Combine with the bacon, veggies, and your favorite nuts and mix well.