Chickpeas

Written by McGomez, the penny pinching auld fart fae Aberdeen for Shoestring Gourmet

Nutrition Facts:

Per serving of 164 grams = 1 Cup full.

Calories 269

Dietary Fibre 12gms

Sugars 8gms

Fat 4gms

Protein 15gms

Also

Vitamin A & C

Calcium

Iron.

Chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans.

Peas, lentils, and chickpeas are rotation crops to wheat and barley. Planted in alternate years, these rotation crops replenish nitrogen in the soil, reducing or eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers.

The chickpea was originally cultivated on the lands bordering Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean. From there it spread to India and some parts of East Asia.

Chickpeas as well as other legumes are high in fibre.

Buying Tips:

1. Bulk buy dried chickpeas.

2. Tinned, precooked and in salt water.

Dried chickpeas will have to be soaked overnight.

Place in a pan with twice as much water bring to the boil then reduce the heat to simmer for 1 ½ – 2 hours.

Two recipes and a third on a useful link

Chickpea Salad:

As the title suggest this is one of those dishes you can throw anything together, all veg fresh and colourful. The taste and look of the dish is just about endless.

I am looking for contrasting colours, flavour and crunch, here is my favourite.

Ingredients

Red Onion because of the colour and texture, chopped to your preference but not in a blender or you will have a bitter mush.

Red Pepper (bell) Chopped into postage stamp size squares

Frozen peas (microwave with a little water)

Yogurt Plain (Prefer Greek Style)

I (one) Green Chilly seeded and chopped into strands if you like it hot

2 (two) cans chickpeas drained and rinsed to get rid of the salt.

Garnish

Coriander for colour and flavour. Chopped

I spring onion if you are artistic make fans( don’t know how? ask!)

Tabasco (hot sauce if req’d)

Prep:

Large salad bowl.

All the chopped ingredients go into the salad bowl first, followed by the chickpeas then the yogurt.

Fold all the ingredients with a large spoon and be gentle as you can crush the chickpeas (that’s a different dish!)

In the centre add a little Tabasco (if req’d) spread the chopped coriander and spring onion around the side in a circle.

Serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!

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HUMUS

2 cups or tin of precooked, drained and rinsed chickpeas.

1/3 cup Tahini (To Be bought separately, Useful if you like humus)

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 tablespoon fresh garlic chopped fine (optional)

1/2 Lemon squeezed at the end

Crush the chickpeas or blitz it, add Tahini, 2 tablespoons olive oil, (garlic) and lemon juice.

Mix until smooth.

Serve with warm Pitta bread, Tortillas, French stick or Crusty farmhouse loaf. Fingers do the trick too, but only if solo or a very romantic event for two.

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Aubergine and Chick Pea Link

Reduced Sticker Bargain Hunter

Written by McGomez. The Penny pinching auld fart fae Aberdeen.

Top Tips: Hunt the reduced price ticket.

” Cook whatever you buy, on the same day. The “sell by” date is a guide for the supermarket to ensure they don’t sell you anything that might make you ill. “

Since the ‘Sell by‘ date is just a guide to shop staff, it isn’t against the law to sell a food after it. However, shops mustn’t sell foods that have passed their ‘Use by’ date. And you shouldn’t eat foods after their ‘Use by’ date because they might not be safe to eat. ‘Use by’ dates are used on foods that go off quickly, such as milk, soft cheese, ready-prepared meals and smoked fish.”

” Learn to marinate. (Preserves fresh ingredients because the acids in vinegar/lemon juice acts as a tenderizer, adds flavour through the spices oils make it healthy and juicy). Once you get to grips, it becomes amazingly easy. Saves a heap of time!
The secret is to organise your meal by what is on the reduced counter rather than going out to buy specific items.

Imagine you are in the wilds of the aisles, the hunter gatherer looking for today’s find. Hunting in a pack will reduce the effort and the time required, so get your friends involved. It also ensures you don’t have leftovers once the meal is cooked. Please don’t accumulate half a meal in the fridge you will not be popular with others sharing the house.

Scan the vegetable display for the reduced sticker, as you stroll over to that section, normally found at an end of the aisle and advertised with bold eye catching colours. Each supermarket piles up their reduced stock at a particular time depending on their shift Rota. Each has their own system that you will get to know in your area and become familiar. Don’t be frightened to ask when they are likely to start reducing their produce. As a general rule, Mon – Wed are best or late Saturday and Sunday.

Be selective; watch out for blemished or dried and wilting stock. If it’s in a sealed wrap, tilt the packing to make sure there is no liquid gathering or lurking at the bottom.