Mediterranean Chickpeas with Smoky Tahini Dressing
Think of this lunch as a Mediterranean salad meets hummus. Each mouthful is blessed with great textures and flavour combinations. The generous amount of dietary fibre will keep you feeling full throughout the afternoon to help ward off any vending machine temptation. If you want to expedite your time in the kitchen, you can also use store-bought roasted peppers.
Salad
2 large red bell peppers
1 tsp (5 mL) grapeseed oil or sunflower oil
3 cups (750 mL) cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 English cucumber, diced
4 Roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 mL) flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
8 oz (225 mL) marinated artichoke hearts
1 cup (250 mL) pitted kalamata olives, halved
4 oz (112 g) feta cheese
1/2 cup (125 mL) golden raisins
Dressing
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or camelina oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) tahini
2 Tbsp (30 mL) white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano
1 tsp (5 mL) sweet smoked paprika
1/2 tsp (2 mL) black pepper
Preheat oven broiler. Slice red peppers in half lengthwise and discard seeds and stem. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking sheet and brush with grapeseed or sunflower oil. Broil 5 to 6 in (13 to 15 cm) from the heat until skins are well charred, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer peppers to bowl and cover tightly; let stand for 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove skins from peppers and thinly slice.
In large bowl, toss together roasted peppers, chickpeas, cucumber, tomato, green onion, parsley, artichoke hearts, olives, feta cheese, and raisins.
Blend together olive or camelina oil, tahini, vinegar, garlic, oregano, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Pour dressing over salad and toss.
Serves 7.
Each serving contains: 387 calories; 12 g protein; 21 g total fat (5 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 42 g total carbohydrates (15 g sugars, 8 g fibre); 398 mg sodium
source: "The Lunch Bunch", alive #378, January 2015
Mediterranean Chickpeas with Smoky Tahini Dressing
Directions
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD
Matthew Kadey is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Grilled Chili Tofu Steaks with Quinoa
Treat yourself to a steak dinner, using tofu instead of meat. The tangy chili-spiked marinade does double-duty as a finishing sauce and transforms otherwise bland tofu into a dish that’ll sound your taste buds’ fire alarm. Bird’s eye pepper would be a good substitute for habanero if needed. Dousing the fire If you find yourself with a mouth on fire after taking a bite of a chili-infused dish, don’t try to douse it with water. Instead, reach for a glass of milk. The protein casein in dairy is known to help subdue the flame. Water won’t help nearly as much.
GF Almond Tahini Ice Cream Cookie Cake
Ice cream cakes and/or cookies are everyone’s favourite. And here’s a great option for a delicious “Dad’s” cookie cake that’s gluten free! A simple-to-make cookie cake that’s made even easier when the dough is tossed together in a food processor. End a delicious Dad’s Day meal with this deliciously cool and creamy sweet dessert. Best beer? Extra yum when served with small glasses of chocolate-flavoured stout or porter. When Dad loves his cookies We made this delicious dessert into a cake, but it can easily be made into individual ice cream cookies. Roll out dough into 1/4 in (6 mm) thickness and cut into 2 in (5 cm) rounds. Bake, cool, and chill. Once chilled, spoon ice cream in between chilled cookies. Freeze until firm. Drizzle with melted chocolate or dip into melted chocolate.
Pork Tenderloin with Espresso BBQ Sauce
Coffee-flavoured BBQ sauce? Why not? It’s a strikingly flavourful combo—sweet, tangy, bold, and rich. It can be used not only on pork but on a variety of other meats. We marinated tenderloin in it and doubled up on the smoky flavour by grilling it on a cedar plank. Serve with a side order of grilled broccolini for extra yum. Best beer? You can’t go wrong with an IPA or a honey lager to complement this flavourful dish. Looking for an easy way to grill broccolini? Toss with a little oil and season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Near the end of grilling, place broccolini beside plank with tenderloin on hot grill for about 6 or 7 minutes. Using tongs, turn a few times until tender and lightly charred. Place on platter with sliced pork and drizzle with lemon juice and some shaved Parmesan.
Everything-But-Meat Salad
If there’s a vegan or vegetarian in the crowd, then this dish will be sure to please. Chock full of complementary textures and flavours, it not only qualifies as eye candy, but is also a substantial stand-alone meal—a stunning meal in a dish! Best beer? Serve this salad with an IPA or pale ale. For a more adventurous sip, it’s equally delicious with a Belgian pale or dark ale. Endlessly customizable When it comes to this powerhouse salad, the sky’s the limit. Swap out apples with orange wedges, or mix up your greens by substituting spinach for endive. Bump up the protein with some canned chickpeas or black beans, if you wish. Or cut up some corn tortillas into bite-sized strips, fry in pan until crisp, then toss over salad for added crunch.