Chickpea Salad with Lemon, Parmesan & Fresh Herbs

From Bon Appetit , April 2011

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes Can be made ahead or eaten right away
< Serves 2- 4

Ingredients:
1 (19oz/540ml) can, chickpeas, rinsed & drained
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf/Italian parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of kosher or sea salt

Directions:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss, taste & adjust for seasonings.

Chickpea & Pomegranate Dip

Chickpea & Pomegranate Dip
From Small Bites

Makes about 1 cup
Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cans (14oz/400g) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds, (I like to toast them first and slightly bash them in a mortar & pestle – that would be any heavy object in a bowl if you don’t have a real one)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
3 tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 red chili peppers, deseeded & finely chopped (I used 1 Jalapeno pepper, but here’s where you add the amount and type of heat you want)
5 oz/150g feta cheese, crumbled
2+ tbsp pomegranate molasses/syrup

Pita chips (there is a recipe in the book as well –p217, but I just used some multigrain tortilla chips)

Directions:
1. Place chickpeas/garbanzo beans, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt in a food processor and pulse just until coarsely crushed. Taste to see if you need more garlic or lemon juice.

2. In a small bowl, combine the cilantro, mint & chopped peppers and set aside.

Two ways to serve:
1. Individual bites on a platter: place pita chips or multigrain tortilla chips and top with a spoonful of chickpea mixture. Sprinkle with a little toasted cumin seeds, onion, herb & pepper mix, top with crumbled feta and then drizzle with some pomegranate syrup.

2. Bowl of dip surrounded by chips: Take a large platter and place a bowl of chickpea mixture in the center surrounded by chips (pita, tortilla or whatever you favor). Top as above, adding more “toppings” as needed.