Creamy Chickpea Dip

I bought these two big cans of organic chickpeas on sale and I was so excited. (Sales, sometimes give me a little thrill. ;)) But they have been sitting in my cupboard for a while and I thought to myself, I gotta do something with them already. And I thought a creamy dip would be nice with some cut up veggies. To make your dip extra creamy, peel your chickpeas. I know it sounds a little labor intensive but I find it meditative. (Maybe that's even weirder than peeling the chickpeas, lol.) Either way, enjoy and have a fantastic weekend!

• 3 cups chickpeas (about a 29 oz. can, drained and rinsed)
• 7 oz. full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• garlic powder
• paprika
• sea salt
• a handful of sorrel leaves, minced

Using a hand blender or an immersion blender, puree your chickpeas, add the yogurt, oil and lemon juice and continue blending until nice and smooth. Add in the sorrel and the seasonings, adjust as needed. If you don't have an sorrel on hand, don't worry and just add in some lemon zest. Makes a nice big bowl, perfect for a party.

Farro & Chickpea Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

I have fallen in love with farro! It's deliciously chewy and nutty and I was eating it right out of the pot, it's just so good! And it's super healthy too! It's jam packed with fiber, protein and iron. I have to admit, I overcooked mine a bit, you want your farro more on the al dente side, giving it more chew factor. So keep an eye on it. Farro is a versatile grain that you can toss into soup, salads. Use farro as a side dish tossed with olive oil, garlic and some herbs. I've had it for breakfast instead of oatmeal, topped with some walnuts, raspberries and a little soy milk and it was delicious! This salad is so satisfying, it can be a complete meal on its' own!

• 1 cup pearled farro
• 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup good ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup chopped baby lettuces or spring mix
• a few mint leaves *optional
• 3 radishes, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1/3 cup grapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 sun dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of the olive oil that the sun dried tomatoes are packed in
• sea salt
• freshly ground pepper

Cook your farro according to the package instructions. Once al dente, drain and rinse with cold water. Have all of your veggies, chopped to about the size of the chickpeas. Combine the farro, chickpeas and tomatoes. Make your dressing combining the oils, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sun dried tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Toss in the lettuce, avocado and radishes when you are ready to serve your salad. If you want to add a little more sweetness to the salad, just add in more tomatoes. This serves about 4 people. Enjoy!

Chickpea Patties with Red Pepper Yogurt Sauce

I love brown rice farina! And thought how delicious would it be as a pattie? So I combined it with chickpeas and it became a really tasty little meatless pattie. They look just like chicken nuggets and if you have kids, I think they will really like them, especially if you make the red pepper "fancy" sauce to go with them. This would be great for lunch or if you are in the mood to try something new. Enjoy!

• 1 can 15.5 oz. chickpeas, rinsed and the outer skin of chickpea removed.
• 1/2 cup brown rice farina, (Bob's Red Mill makes it or if you go to a health food store they may carry it loose)
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• paprika
• celery seed
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon Vegeta, or any all-purpose seasoning you like
• 1 red pepper, roasted, cooled and peeled
• 1 cup yogurt
• 5 capers, rinsed
• fresh ground pepper
• raw walnut halves
• cucumber slices
• kalamata olives
• canola oil

Cook the brown rice farina according to the package and set it aside so it cools a little. Mash your chickpeas, removing the outer skin sounds time consuming but it's not that bad, kind of meditative, lol. Add your brown rice cereal, panko bread crumbs, Vegeta, paprika, celery seed, and nutmeg to taste. I used a lot of paprika and a sprinkling of celery seed and a grating of fresh nutmeg. Add in your egg and combine well. With a hand blender, combine the yogurt, roasted red pepper, capers and fresh pepper and set aside. In a skillet, heat up your canola oil. Make sure the oil is hot before you drop in your chickpea mixture. Keep the oil at medium heat and drop in your chickpea mixture, a teaspoon at a time. They brown quickly, once brown, flip and brown the other side. Drain on paper towels. This recipe makes about 16 patties and best served hot. Arrange your little platter adding in the cucumber slices, walnuts and olives. They are great if you pile your little patties with the yogurt sauce and then top with walnuts and olives.