Chickpea Roulade with Spinach & Pine Nut Stuffing

Vegetarians rejoice! Here is the stunning centerpiece for your holiday meals! Easy to assemble, it slices beautifully. Serve with the sweet and tangy pomegranate date sauce for a new Holiday tradition. 

Cooking Time: 2 hours 10 minutes 

Preparation Time: 40 minutes 

Level of Difficulty: Easy-Medium 

Kashrut Type: Meat 

INGREDIENTS 

Stuffing 

¾ cup pine nuts 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

4 – 6 cloves garlic, minced 

½ cup bread crumbs 

16 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped 

½ teaspoon salt 

Sauce 

8 ounces pomegranate juice 

5 dates, chopped 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

½ onion, finely chopped 

2 cloves garlic 

1 cup mushroom broth 

1 bay leaf 

½ teaspoon cornstarch 

Roulade 

¼ cup bread crumbs 

1 teaspoon herbes de provence 

1 teaspoon salt 

3 cloves garlic 

2 tablespoons olive oil 

4 tablespoons water 

1 cup flour 

4 cups cooked chickpeas 

PREPARATION 

Stuffing: 

1. Lightly toast pine nuts over medium low heat until fragrant and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. 

2. Add oil to the pan, and cook garlic about 3 minutes, until fragrant. Then add the bread crumbs, stirring until they are lightly toasted, about 7 minutes.  

3. Working in batches, add spinach and salt, cover for a minute or two, and then stir until it just begins to wilt, before adding more. When all spinach has wilted, remove from heat.   

Sauce: 

1. Add pomegranate juice and chopped dates to a small saucepan.  

2. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes until well reduced. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  

3. Add mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.  

4. Add oil and onion to the saucepan, and cook on low about 30 minutes until onion is sweet and caramelized.  

5. Add garlic, and cook 2 minutes more before adding ¾ cup of broth and the bay leaf. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes until slightly reduced.  

6. Add pomegranate date mixture to pan. Stir cornstarch into reserved broth, then whisk into pan.  

7. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes until gravy is bubbling and has thickened. Serve with roulade. 

Roulade: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a food processor, pulse together all the ingredients, except the flour, until smooth.  

2. Mix in flour, kneading until well combined and a thick, pliable dough has formed.  

3. Line a 15- x 9-inch cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread the mixture about ½-inch thick.  

4. Spread spinach filling in even layer over chickpea dough, though there may be a little bit leftover.  

5. Using the parchment, begin to tightly roll chickpea mixture over stuffing, taking care not to roll the parchment in with roulade. Readjust the parchment and center roulade on the baking sheet.  

6. Brush with olive oil and bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes until slightly golden. Allow to cool slightly before slicing with a sharp knife. 

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Jamie Geller is one of the most sought-after Jewish food and lifestyle experts worldwide. She is the bestselling author of 5 books and founder of Kosher Network International, publisher of JamieGeller.com featuring more than 10,000 recipes, articles, and videos.  Check out her new #1 Amazon Bestseller, Brisket 101 and her new family meal plan “Fresh Families” at FreshFamilies.us.