Chickpea Salad

This has got to be one of the most refreshing salads you will have, and jam packed with protein! It makes the perfect side salad with anything and another great option for you vegetarians out there. The best part about this salad is you can make it the night before, because the longer you refridgerate, the more the juices will soak into the beans. It is a must have for summer!

Ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas, drained and washed

1 can fava beans, drained and washed

1 cucumber, chopped

1 tomato, chopped fine

1 bunch chives, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped fine

Bunch of parsley, chopped

3 lemon, squeezed

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper to taste

Combine everything in a large bowl. Mix well. Easy eh? SAHTEIN:)

Falafel "Fried Bean Cakes"

Falafel has got to be one of the best creations, and I'm so happy to say that they are super easy to make. I am still on a mission to find the best falafel out there, but I think this recipe is so delicious that I might not have to anymore!

Ingredients:

4 cups of dried chickpeas (soaked in water overnight)

2 large onions, chopped

1 whole head garlic

2 bunches of parsley

1 jalapeno pepper

2 tablespoons cumin powder

1 teaspoon of salt and pepper

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2-3 cups of olive oil or vegetable oil for frying

Combine the beans, onions, garlic, parsley and hot pepper in a food processor. This is a lot, so you can put it in batches. Grind until well incorporated. Add the salt,  pepper, cumin and baking powder. At this point, you can freeze the batter you don't want to use without the baking soda added. When ready to fry, add the baking soda.

Heat a large deep skillet with oil on medium high. Use a tablespoon to form balls and fry until golden brown and then flip to the other side until golden brown.

Searve with tomato slices, pickles and tahini sauce in a pita pocket. The tahini sauce can be made very quick. Mix 2 tablespoons of tahini with a whole lemon and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste. ENJOY!

Z's Hummus

This is the easiest, healthiest, and most delicious hummus you will ever have! Hummus basically consists of chickpeas, tahini (a sesame paste) and FRESH ingredients. Not only is it easy, but such a great snack and you can do so many awesome things with hummus. My personal favorite is eating it with Taboli (a middle eastern salad) and pita bread. Here are some other tips that you can creatively use hummus:

• Hummus Sandwich- 2 slices of wheat bread, 3 tablespoons hummus, 2 tablespoons of feta, 1 tablespoon of kalamata olive, 4 slices of cucumber and 2 slices of tomatoes...heaven.
• This goes great with any choice of meat, grilled chicken and steak, just divine. Try to spice up your chicken/steak fajitas with a dap of hummus, so delicious with salsa too you would be surprised!
• Serve with veggies! Carrots, broccoli and celery are great!

So here it is, this serves as an appetizer for about 4-6 people:

1 can of garbanzo beans/chickpeas drained and washed (OR you can use about 1.5 cups fresh dried chickpeas, soak them overnight, and then boil under soft)

3 Tablespoons of Tahini

2 lemons

2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of white pepper

1 tablespoon of salt

 1/2 cup of water

Combine all of the ingredients except water in a food processer. You will notice how chunky it is, so then you add in water gradually. This will thin it out, you can add more water, garlic and lemon depending on your taste! This can easily be doubled, tripled as well:)

To garnish, I love to give some color to the dish. Curly parsley in the middle, a dash of paprika and some assorted veggies and you are ready to go!