Chickpeas!

Most of us are happy to indulge in garlicky hummus and pita chips when they are offered at a cocktail party. But when was the last time you included them in your evening meal? If you are thinking about including more vegetables and cutting back on red meat in your diet, chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are a great part of your new plant-based diet. They are full of fiber, protein and healthful nutrients. And, they are surprisingly flexible, finding a happy home in dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even sweets!

Case in point:

1. Tunisian chickpea breakfast soup from Martha Rose Shulman, one of my favourite cookbook authors.
2. Italian breakfast chickpeas from Vegetable Matter.
3. Garbanzo-oat waffles from Mr. Breakfast. It calls for garbanzo flour. Click here to find out how to make your own if you can't find it in your grocery store.
4. Jane Mendel's Chickpea soup with crisp croutons from The Wednesday Chef.
5. Smashed chickpea salad from Smitten Kitchen.
6. Gordon Ramsey's flatbread, feta and chickpea salad. Includes a video. 
7. Chickpeas with baby spinach from the New York Times.
8. A great selection of chickpea recipes from Canadian Living. Like kale and chickpea soup and cheesy mac and chickpeas.
9. From Jamie Oliver, summer chickpea salad and something a little more timely, chickpea and potato curry.
10. Braised cod with chickpeas from Leslie Beck.
11. Chickpea ragout from the wonderful Jacques Pépin.
12. Chickpea cookies also from Leslie Beck. 
13. Chickpea blondies from Have Cake, Will Travel.
14. Chocolate chickpea spread from Bitter Sweet .

Sorry, one more note. I love hummus. And have been known to make a pretty good one. If I can pass along some hints, I have successfully made rockin' yummy hummus with very little added fat. Although I traditionally use canned chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, salt and sometimes a touch of cumin and red pepper flakes, I have on occasion cut way back on the olive oil and tahini and instead loosened up the chickpea puree with water, low fat plain yogurt or vegetable stock! As long as I have a good quantity of lime juice and garlic, it's an easy way to make a yummy spread or dip without all the extra fat.