Chick Peas, Peppers, Red Onion, & Celery Salad

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

It is potluck night in Harbor Springs and I went on a search for something new to bring to the table. Nothing struck my eye in my recipe files so I came up with this simple salad based on what I had in the pantry and refrigerator. Simple, tasty, and a great winter salad----but I think I'll be serving this is warm weather months, too.

Presoak 1 pound of chick peas/garbanzo beans. I covered the beans with 2" of water, brought to a boil and and then simmered for 2 minutes, and the let stand, covered, off the heat for 1 hour. Then bring the beans back to a simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until cooked but still firm with a bit of crunch. Drain the chick peas and let them cool to room temperature.

In a serving bowl, add:
2 chopped peppers--I used a blend of red, yellow, and a bit of orange
1/2 medium red onion, chopped
4 stalks of celery chopped
The drained, cooled chick peas

I am a huge fan of flavored olive oils and vinegars and use Fustini's. For this recipe, I used 1/3 c of blood orange olive oil and 3 T pomegranate balsamic vinegar and 1 t Greek seasoning.

Pour the dressing over the salad and chill 1 hour before serving. This salad holds very well and can last for several days in the refrigerator--if it indeed lasts that long. Full of fiber, protein, and flavor!

Spicy Chickpeas & Tomatoes

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

Oh, is this tasty! I love spicy, Indian flavors and have fond memories of a chickpea & eggplant stew that I had at diner in Maine years ago. This version comes close.

This dish can be done with just the chickpeas and tomatoes but because the garden is flourishing right now, I added onions, green pepper, and eggplant to it. The result is a thick vegetable stew that makes a great side dish (would be great with the lamb we just got) or for lunch as I had it today.

The hands-on time for this dish is less than 10 minutes. If you stick with just the tomatoes and chickpeas, it takes about 5 minutes to prepare, another 20 to simmer. Fast and tasty!

3 T olive oil
3 T cumin
2 T coriander
1 t ginger
1 t cinnamon
cayenne pepper to taste--I added about 1/2 t--I love Penzey's black & red

1/2 med onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 qt canned tomatoes juice included
2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans
1 1/2 c chopped eggplant (I used a long, thin variety)
salt, pepper to taste
1/2 c chopped Italian parsley

Saute the onion and green pepper in the olive oil over medium heat until they just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the spices and saute, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes or until the oil turns a deep, rich color. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature and top with chopped parsley.

Hummus!

By Kathryn Washburn Breighner

I really love hummus. Spread on crackers, rolled in a wrap with diced cucumber and tomato, spread on a thick bread and topped with sliced cucumbers and bean sprouts, I use it in a variety of ways.

But then there are those super market hummus containers, sometimes added with preservatives, and pricey. So since this spring weekend is anything but springlike weatherwise and I couldn't work outside, I decided to experiment with my first from scratch batch of hummus. And it's a winner!

Many hummus recipes call for cans of garbanzo beans. I instead used dried garbanzos and really started from scratch. While about a dollar for a 1/2 pound compared to $3-4 for two cans of prepared garbanzos, these required 90 minutes of simmering and thus, used energy to do so. But I didn't use the energy required to create the can itself so I guess, I did my part during Earth Week.

So to start presoak the garbanzo beans by either soaking in water over night or putting in a pan with 2" of water over the top of the beans, bring to a boil, boil 2 minutes, then cover, turn off the heat and let them sit for an hour. Drain, cover again with 4" of water, simmer over medium heat for about 60 minutes and then 30 minutes over low heat. The skins will be separating from the beans and they will pierce easily with a knife. Drain the beans, saving the liquid, and put into a food processor.

For seasoning:
1/2 c tahini
4 T fresh lemon juice
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper

And that's a basic hummus. But I spiced it up with:
2 T sweet paprika
2 t hot paprika
1 t garlic powder

Blend in the the food processor until the desired consistency. Add drained bean water if it is too dry. I like mine very thick.

This makes 2 cups so have a plan for how to use it!