Sooooo ... it is time to announce the resolutions for the "2010" New Year ... HEALTH ... mine and my family's eating, cooking and exercising habits are going to change for the better ... and to all of this I say GARBANZO!
I decided to take a closer look at the much forgotten legume that most people rarely think about. The lovely "chickpea" AKA garbanzo is versatile and tasty.
Chickpeas are high in protein and they are one of the earliest cultivated vegetables. 7,500-year-old remains have been found in the Middle East. Chickpeas are a super source of zinc, folate and protein. They are also very high in dietary fiber and hence a healthy source of carbohydrates for persons with insulin sensitivity or diabetes. Chickpeas are low in fat and most of this is polyunsaturated ... how cool is that?
Well, I sauntered off to the local Winn Dixie, picked up a bag and set about my journey with the great garbanzo. I boiled some RO water,tossed the beans in, let them boil for 2 minutes and then removed from the heat, kept them covered and let them sit for several hours ...
Now, I love hummus, but it is expensive to buy and know I can do it better ... so ... I got out my food processor and gave a couple handfuls of "chickies"a spin. I added water, pumpkin seed oil, EVOO, raw sesame seeds, S & P, and a squeeze of lime juice. I dolloped this out into a crystal bowl, drizzled a little more pumpkin seed oil and sprinkled a few raw pumpkin seeds on top. What an easy healthy recipe!
Ok, so I didn't want to ruin the "healthy" aspect of this treat so I sliced up some crunchy celery sticks and used those for dippers .... YUMMO ... I mean it ... tasty, crunchy and fresh ... a super combo.
Wine food pairing .. it is all about taste and the love of food. CHEERS!
