Chickpeas truly are a
grrl's, corgi's, boy's, vegetarian's, vegan's, meat eater's, fire fighter's, sky diver's, writer's, academic's, land scape architect's, person's best friend.
In this blog entry, I will discuss some of the benefits of this amazing legume and post a recipe for some amazing, zesty, and mildly
spicy hummus that absolutely blows my mind.
Rethinking the chickpea (garbanzo bean, Indian pea, ceci bean, Bengal gram). Did you know that
chickpeas are among the earliest cultivated vegetables? In addition to being low fat, they are also chock full of protein and dietary fiber. They also contain molybdenum,
folic acid, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, and
magnesium. They can help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. This makes them a great food for
diabetics and insulin resistant individuals. When served with high quality grains (
quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat bread), they can be a complete protein food.
One way chickpeas help you GET AWESOME: The molybdenum in chickpeas helps you to detox after eating those
sulfite rich foods (you can find those nasty
sulfites in anything from wine to lunch meat). Without
sufficient molybdenum, sulfite can give you headaches, a racing heart, and less healthy skin.
ick.
Hummus, to me, is by far the most delicious and scandalous way to enjoy this amazing legume. This hummus recipe is one I have adapted from
How it all Vegan (vegan cook book STAPLE for the veggie beginner or vegan cooking
sorceress).
It makes two cups, and will knock the mittens off of anyone you know who likes chickpeas.
You need
1 small onion, chopped
a bunch of minced garlic! as much as you can handle!
a
splash of olive oil
2 1/2 cups cooked OR canned chickpeas
3/4 cup
tahini (about 200 grams)
1 1/2 tbsp
Bragg's OR soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1.5 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
VARIATIONS: use roasted garlic, buy canned jalapenos in their own
spicy delicious vinegar and add not only the jalapenos, but also some of the sauce. Serve with a jalapeno slice on top.
In a small saucepan, saute onions and garlic in a splash of oil on medium heat until onions are translucent. In a blender or food processor, blend the sauteed onions, chickpeas,
tahini,
Bragg's/soy sauce, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne and salt until you reach desired consistency.
Serve it in a cute bowl, with some cut veggies, pita etc.
NUTRITION BONUS! The Tahini is a great source of calcium! If you use Bragg's, it contains 16 healthy and important amino acids! Lemon juice has got that vitamin C, yo!
We use it for: vegan burger topping, mixing in with pasta when it doesn't seem zesty enough, eating it by itself, eating on half of a vegan bagel for breakfast, impressing people at potlucks, trying not to feed it to the corgi.
Caution: Garbanzo beans can cause an allergic reaction in those who are sensitive to them. Always consult a physician before deciding to make significant changes to your diet.
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