Moroccan Chickpea Salad

Here in Mackay, in North Queensland, we are very relieved that the history making fires in our vicinity up on the Eungella range, through  Finchatton Gorge, and at Sarina Beach seem to  have been contained at last.  Last week was a horror of a week, with record high temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, strong winds and widespread fires. Nobody living in our area, ever thought that we would see such destruction in our favourite nearby natural retreats. Friends of ours and former neighbours, were evacuated from their home at Eungella last Tuesday, and came down to Mackay to live until they could return home on Saturday. Ann said it was like returning to a war zone, where not only was the former rainforest vegetation charred black, but the air traffic of helicopters dropping water bombs on the fires, and the fire crews working in the area were creating a lot of noise as well. It sounds like a version of hell. However the emergency fire crews from all over the country have done an amazing job and our local community are embracing them and showing their appreciation in as many ways as possible. What incredibly inspiring people they are. Thankfully as far as we are aware there has been only one casualty to date. One too many. Our hearts go out to all of those who continue to bear the consequences of the fires that are still burning in some areas throughout Queensland, and we are all praying for rain. Thank you to those of you who have enquired if we are ok here in Mackay City. Thankfully we are.

This is a hearty and aromatic dish which can be served as a side dish or as an individual vegetarian meal. The spices make it stand out. Preparing and cooking food is about sharing it with family and friends. The flavours in this salad develop beautifully if it is allowed to marinate for at least an hour. This is so easy and I know you will enjoy it if you decide to make it.

Adapted from Delicious Everyday

Ingredients:

2 x 400 g cans Australian organic chickpeas (or use home cooked ones), rinsed and drained, or garbanzo beans
1 diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tbs. dried currants
1 preserved lemon rind only, finely chopped
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 tbs. ground cumin
1 tbs. sweet smoked paprika
1 tbs. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup Greek yoghurt for garnish to serve
1/3 cup pistachios, roughly chopped for garnish to serve
Pomegranate Molasses for garnish to serve

Method:

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and add the onion, garlic, cranberries, currants, preserved lemon rind, and spices (cumin,paprika, cinnamon). Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together to emulsify and add to the mixture. Add the soy sauce.

Toss all of the ingredients together in the large bowl, cover, and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour. I left it for the whole day before serving, and it was delicious.

To serve, garnish the chickpea salad with chopped parsley, and then top with the yoghurt and pistachios and drizzle with the pomegranate molasses.

For special occasions, line the bowl with baby spinach leaves and fill with chickpea salad. Unfortunately I wasn't as well organised as usual, (who am I kidding?) and didn't have any baby spinach on hand, so please just imagine green leaves lining the bowl in the photo :)

This could also be served as a filling vegetarian meal.

Bye for now,

Best wishes

Pauline

Classic Chickpea Hummus from Scratch

Hummus is a wholesome snack made from cooked chickpeas, mashed up and mixed with lemon juice, tahini, olive oil and some cumin. Because of the density of the protein rich chickpeas I make hummus in small batches as it mashes up a lot better. I cook up a whole packet of chickpeas after soaking them overnight in a large bowl filled with water. Bring a large saucepan of water containing the chickpeas to the boil, then simmer them until they are tender, for about an hour,  or until a couple of shells are just starting to separate from the chickpea. Drain and reserve the water they were boiled in.

Measure out 2 cups of cooked chickpeas, and make a batch of hummus, freezing it in a small container.  Keep making batches until the all the chickpeas are used up. It will also keep for a week in a sealed container in the frig. I always reserve some cooked chickpeas and keep them in the refrigerator to have in salads or to use in frittatas, tagines, stews, Indian curries and soups. I try to keep a few batches in my freezer on reserve, as then I always have a quick and nutritious dip on hand.



Ingredients:

2 cups well-cooked chickpeas, plus liquid they are cooked in (7 tablespoons of liquid should be enough) (reserve a few cooked chickpeas for garnish)
4 tsp. tahini
1 large or 2 small cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of 1 lemon or around 4 tablespoons
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Sweet paprika for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method:

Put the chickpeas, tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice and half the chickpea cooking liquid in the blender and begin to blend it. When the chickpeas are broken down, add the olive oil in a steady stream down the chute and then add the rest of the chickpea liquid until you have a good consistency.

Add a little salt and freshly ground pepper and taste it to see if it is to your liking. Sometimes I add a little extra lemon juice for extra flavour.

Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with paprika and chopped parsley.

Hummus is always delicious when served with a cheese platter and nibblies. I often take it with crackers when we visit friends to enjoy with a drink and when they realise it is homemade from scratch they are generally very appreciative, and it tastes really good. In fact it seems to improve in flavour after it sits in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

If you are a bit time poor, hummus made from canned chickpeas will still taste good. It is good nutritious food.

Best wishes

Pauline

Silverbeet with chickpeas and cumin

The silverbeet in our garden needs harvesting, so this inspired me to prepare a healthy dish which can stand alone with just some pita bread and left over roast lamb and a glass of red wine. It has to be an easy meal tonight as it is the Rugby League semi final with the Cowboys playing the Cronulla Sharks in Sydney. If the Cowboys win this match they are in the  Grand Final again so we will be glued to the television. Last year we travelled to Sydney to watch the Cowboys play in the Grand Final which they won.

Silverbeet is a vegetarian's friend, when it comes to iron supplies. If you combine the silverbeet with wholegrains the iron levels will be further increased. Chick peas will add lots of fibre and nutrients so this is a complete meal in itself.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

2 tablespoons sunflower or canola oil

1 small onion, finely sliced

1 garlic clove, chopped

Grated zest of one lemon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 red chilli, finely chopped with seeds removed
A bunch of silverbeet or spinach, about 150g, trimmed and washed

400g tin of Italian or plum tomatoes or 4-6 large fresh plum tomatoes or equivalent

400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

pinch of sugar (optional)

Flatleaf parsley for garnish

Let's Cook:

Heat the oil in a saucepan  over  a medium-low heat.  Add  the  onion  and sweat gently  for  about  8 minutes,  stirring  occasionally,  until  soft  and  golden.  Add the garlic,  chilli,  cumin,  and lemon zest and cook  for  another  1-2 minutes.

If using  fresh tomatoes,  grate their flesh directly  into  the  pan, discarding  the  skins. If using canned tomatoes,  finely  chop the tomatoes,  and add  them  to  the  pan.  Stir  well, bring the  mixture  to a simmer,  and cook  gently  for  a few minutes,  until a nice sauce develops.

Meanwhile  prepare the silverbeet  or spinach.  Wash the  leaves  and remove  any  tough stalks.  Add leaves  to the  pan and stir  over  the  heat  until  wilted.  Add the chickpeas and some salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar. 

 Cook for a few minutes, just to heat the chickpeas through, then adjust the seasoning if necessary to suit your taste.

Garnish with some finely chopped flat leaf parsley and serve with warm flatbreads or pita breads or even tortilla strips and a dash of mango chutney.  Whatever you fancy really.

Have a great weekend everyone.