ONEAs cool as it is to see chickpea-based products like chips and pasta hit the grocery store shelves, sometimes it’s good to get back to basics and celebrate the legume in its unprocessed, glorious form. This is exactly how vegan protein is consumed in the Mediterranean countries, ground zero for the much-touted Mediterranean diet. One serving of chickpeas contains 11 grams of fiber and 39 grams of protein per cup, making them a food that dietitians regularly recommend to eaters of all types.
To learn more about the health benefits of chickpeas, watch the video below:
“Chickpeas are an ancient Greek food and have therefore been around for a long time,” says Mina Stone, whose new cookbook Lemon, Love, & Olive Oil celebrates her Greek-American roots. “They provided – and still do – a healthy form of protein to grow.”
Stone says that many of the Greek islands that grow legumes have beautiful cooking traditions, which of course means many delicious chickpea recipes and dishes dedicated to them. “Clay pots simply filled with chickpeas, onions, and olive oil would cook slowly overnight in the village bakery, producing magical results that are easy to recreate in our home ovens today,” she says. “The nice thing about serving chickpeas, I learned that from Greece, is that they are the star of the show, the main course.
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When Stone started putting together food ideas for her cookbook, it’s no surprise that chickpea recipes kept popping up. The other ingredients used in their book are just as simple. “Greek cuisine is the simplest food at its finest,” says Stone. In addition to chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice and fish are regularly enjoyed. When it comes to spices, she says oregano, parsley, and mint are the ones she turns to the most. “I find that an herb can be the key ingredient in making a dish feel complex, unique, and complete,” she says.
Another advantage of simple dishes is that they usually don’t use a lot of ingredients and aren’t that difficult to prepare. Here, Stone shares three Greek chickpea recipes right from her book. Try them out and you will see that making delicious, nutritious dishes can be really easy.
3 Greek chickpea recipes made from Mina Stones Lemon, Love & Olive Oil
Photo: Mina Stone
1.Recipe for baked chickpeas (revithia sto fourno)
Serves 8-10
ingredients
1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked and drained
2 medium-sized yellow onions, cut into quarters
6 to 8 whole cloves of garlic (unpeeled)
4 bay leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 350 ° F.
2. Place the soaked chickpeas in an ovenproof baking dish with a lid. Add fresh cold water to cover the chickpeas by an inch. Add onions, garlic, bay leaves, a generous pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil.
3. Bake for four hours or until the chickpeas are very soft. Add the lemon juice and another splash of olive oil. Season to taste and add more salt if necessary. Finish with freshly ground black pepper.
Photo: Mina Stone
2. Chickpea salad with feta and herbs recipe
Served 6 through 8
ingredients
1 pound chickpeas, soaked and drained, or 15-oz. Canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 3 to 4 lemons
1 clove of garlic, finely grated (optional)
1 pound of Greek feta, crumbled
3 cups mixed green herbs (such as parsley, dill, and mint), chopped
A few mint leaves for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Put the chickpeas in a large saucepan with salted water, bring to a simmer and simmer for one to one and a half hours until they are very soft. Alternatively, use the canned chickpeas.
2. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl. Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice and, if necessary, the grated clove of garlic. Pour the dressing over the warm chickpeas and generously sprinkle the salad with salt. Mix all ingredients and let cool in the refrigerator.
3. As soon as the salad has cooled down, season to taste and add salt if necessary. Carefully fold in the crumbled feta and herbs. To serve, garnish with mint leaves, drizzle with olive oil and crack a lot of freshly ground pepper over the top.
Photo: Mina Stone
3. Recipe for braised chickpeas with orange peel and garlic crumbs
Serves 8-10
ingredients
For the chickpeas:
1 pound dried chickpeas, soaked and drained
2 medium-sized yellow onions, cut into thin crescents
2 bay leaves
Peel of 1 orange
salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
For the breadcrumbs (makes about 2 cups):
1 white baguette, one day old or fresh, ends thrown away and torn into pieces
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Peel of 1 orange
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the chickpeas:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 ° F.
2. Place the soaked chickpeas in an ovenproof baking dish and add water to cover the chickpeas 2 inches. Layer the onions, bay leaves, and orange peel on top, followed by a generous pinch of salt and a generous dash of olive oil. Cover with a lid.
3. Bake for two and a half to three hours until the chickpeas are very soft. Add the lemon juice and another splash of olive oil. Season to taste and add more salt if necessary.
For the breadcrumbs:
1. While the chickpeas are baking, put the shredded bread with the garlic cloves in a food processor and pulse to the size of the crumb. Transfer to a bowl and add just enough olive oil to fill the breadcrumbs, a good pinch of salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and stir-fry until the breadcrumbs are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and let the breadcrumbs cool down. Add the orange peel and combine them too.
2. Top the chickpeas with a cup of breadcrumbs. Reserve the extra breadcrumbs for another use, e.g. B. for sprinkling salad or pasta.
From the book Lemon, Love and Olive Oil by Mina Stone. Copyright © 2021 by Asimina Stein. Published by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted with permission.
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