Hello! I’d love to be saying good morning, but I once again lost my post as I was working on it earlier, and then had to head out for a doctor’s appointment. So, good afternoon! I am pretty stoked about the recipe I’m sharing today: It’s super easy and delicious – a hit despite my sister’s admitted low expectations. (I never had low expectations, but still).

This meal – which I’m calling a “pizza,” essentially because I: a) used a pizza cutter to slice it; and b) doing so might make it more kid-friendly – has a bunch of things going for it. To paraphrase my college roommate, anytime I see avocado I think, “Yay!” and this has that. It’s also got chickpeas, which are rich in iron. Raising Lou vegetarian, I almost never worry about protein. There’s lots of protein out there, in everything from broccoli to bread, and I’m pretty sure Lou’s getting enough of it. But iron’s another story, especially if one is a four-year-old boycotting spinach. So I try to sneak in chickpeas.

To be clear: Lou is also currently boycotting chickpeas. But she’s boycotting a different list of foods every day, and it’s not because she’s a truly picky eater (thank god), but because she’s four, and exercising her limited power wherever she can. We’re employing a few different tactics to get her to eat. First, I’ve started upping her role in the kitchen, wherever possible. And it turns out she can really do a lot, from stirring to avocado scooping to "doing" the dishes. Train ‘em young, amirite?

And then, because she’s not really that opposed to chickpeas, but needs a graceful way out of her stand against them, I bribe her. Shamelessly. I know food experts warn not to do that, but I don’t mind giving Lou a little sugar if she’s had some nutrition that day, and nothing encourages her to (dramatically displaying the depths of her oppression) eat her dinner like the promise of an after-dinner treat. It’s working for us, so we’ll stick with it.

But let’s get back to this dinner, shall we? This is a Pinterest find, from Pinch of Yum, and I’m so glad I saw it. The flavors are awesome together, and roasting the chickpeas long enough to get a little crunch on them, and toasting the pita 'til they're a bit crisp is the way to go. In sum, this meal is easy, peasy, yummy and healthy: a vegetarian, easily vegan-able meal in 30 minutes.

Chickpea & Cauliflower “Pizza” with Avocado

Lightly simplified from Pinch of Yum

Makes 6 8-10" "pizzas"

Ready in about 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 2 tablespoons greek yogurt or sour cream
• juice of half a lime
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• handful of cilantro, very finely chopped
• 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 can (about a cup) of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (your favorite kind)
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, or enough to coat cauliflower and chickpeas
• several grinds each salt and pepper, to taste
• 6 whole wheat flat breads (or pita or flat bread or small pizza doughs - your call)
• additional chopped cilantro and sour cream/Greek yogurt for garnish

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Once rinsed, rub your chickpeas together between your (clean) hands  or in a dishtowel to remove their outer skins. This step is really worth it - and is something else a young one can help with.

2. Toss skinned chickpeas and cauliflower (I saved myself some time by buying pre-chopped cauliflower this time. I don't usually do that because of cost and plastic, but I did this time because of Wesley) with the oil, garam masala. chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Spread on a baking sheet and roast, turning and tossing once, for 30 miinutes.

3. Meanwhile, mash avocado with next seven ingredients. Chill in fridge.

4. With ten minutes of veggie roasting time left, pop flat breads into oven. Keep an eye on them and remove when brown and crisp. If you like, you can brush with olive oil before toasting, but we didn't and all was tasty.

5. Remove veggies from oven. Spread flat breads with avocado mixture and top with a handful of roasted veggies. Garnish with cilantro and a dollop of yogurt/sour cream, if using. Enjoy!

To make this dish vegan, omit the  yogurt/sour cream and add an additional small avocado to the dip.