This week, I am going to discuss lunch. The great thing about the oats for breakfast is that it keeps me going until I eat lunch about 12:30. Lunch throughout the week for me is usually leftovers from dinner. Occasionally, there are no leftovers or the kids cooked and it’s not something I can eat. It is during these instances I have recipes like the ones I am sharing in this column. This week, I am going to share the many benefits of chickpeas and some different ways to eat them. Since I can’t do meat, I have to find my protein other ways. I prefer to find the protein naturally instead of using a pill or powder. Chickpeas are a great way to get protein and so many other nutrients. Bonus-they are easy to fix in a multitude of ways so you won’t get tired of eating them! Chickpeas are high in dietary fiber. One cup has about 13 grams of fiber. Foods high in fiber are great for your digestive system. Fiber softens the stool to keep you going regularly. It also slows down digestion which keeps the sugars in your food from getting into your bloodstream too fast. This keeps blood sugar spikes from happening and therefore keeps you from crashing later in the afternoon. Fiber also helps fill you up faster and keep you full longer so you eat less and can maintain a healthy weight. They are high in plant protein. Protein is another way to help you fill up faster and stay full longer. Protein also helps with bone strength and muscle health making it important to keep it in your diet. Chickpeas are however an incomplete protein as it is missing one amino acid. So it is highly recommended you still get other protein in your diet so you don’t end up with an amino deficiency. A 1-cup serving of chickpeas contains 1.7 milligrams of manganese, approximately 94 percent of the daily recommended intake for women, or 74 percent of the RDI for men, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Manganese is important for bone development and wound healing. Folate, or vitamin B-9, aids in new cell growth and brain cell communication and protects against genetic mutations that contribute to cancer development. Eating a cup of chickpeas provides you with 282 micrograms of folate, or 71 percent of your daily folate requirements, according to the NYU Langone Medical Center. The iron, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and vitamin K in chickpeas all contribute to building and maintaining bone structure and strength. The high fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B-6 content all support heart health. The choline in chickpeas helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning, and memory. Choline also helps to maintain the structure of cellular membranes, aids in the transmission of nerve impulses, assists in the absorption of fat and reduces chronic inflammation.

Fun Facts:

Chickpeas are known by many different names all over the world including garbanzo beans, a popular term in the U.S., Bengal grams, Egyptian peas, ceci beans and kabuli chana. Chickpeas come in a variety of different types and colors, not just the beige variety we are used to seeing in cans. They are also black, green, red and brown. These clever little plants actually restore depleted soils and are powerful nitrogen fixing legumes. Their deep root system plays an important role in stabilizing soils and preventing erosion, they may use little or no fertilizer while enhancing the fertility of the soil, and, they are a dry land agricultural crop, using no agricultural water. To add to their incredible talents, the chickpea plant even has a natural insecticide in its leaves, which keeps the bugs away. Incredible stuff! Ground chickpeas have been used as a coffee substitute since the 18th century and are still commonly used as a caffeine-free alternative today. India is the world’s number one leader in chickpea production, with a staggering 8,832,500 metric tons reportedly produced in 2013. Interestingly, the country coming in second place was Australia with 813,300 tons produced in the same year-almost nothing by comparison. Still, that is a lot of chickpeas! So, I am finding I like chickpeas in many forms. Hummus is delicious when flavored and has no real flavor except what you put into it so it’s easy to make it savory for chip dipping or sandwich spreading or sweet for dessert with fruits like apples! Toasted chickpeas make a great addition to a salad. You can also just season them and eat them by themselves. Make your grocery list and meet me in the kitchen for lunch that will keep you from crashing in the afternoon!

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

1 can chickpeas drained or two cups if you make your own ⅓ cup juice from drained chickpeas or vegan mayo ½ tsp turmeric ½ tsp onion powder 1 clove garlic minced Black pepper to taste Pulse all ingredients in a blender until well-incorporated and broken down, but not totally mushy. Feel free to add whatever you normally would here for chicken salad. Chop some sweet pickles, dice some onion, or add tomato. Spread on sandwich or pita bread top with sliced onion, romaine leaves and tomato slices for a delicious sandwich.

Recipe adapted from karissasvegankitchen.com .

Curried Broccoli Chickpea Salad

For the salad: 1 head of broccoli, very finely chopped 1 cup shredded carrots 1 15oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained ½ cup toasted sliced almonds ½ cup dried cranberries 1 bunch green onions, chopped ¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro For the dressing: ¼ cup tahini-this is made from pulverizing sunflower kernels. You can find recipes online to make your own really easily. I could not find this in our local stores at all and just made my own. Some stores in Tulsa like Aldi and Reasor’s do carry it though. ½ large lemon, juiced 3-5 Tbsps. warm water, to thin dressing 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1-2 tsps. pure maple syrup or honey, to sweeten 1 tsp yellow curry powder ½ Tbsp. freshly grated ginger ½ tsp ground turmeric Freshly ground black pepper In a large bowl, add finely chopped broccoli, chickpeas, carrot, cranberries, green onion, almonds and cilantro. Toss well to combine. Set aside. Make the dressing by whisking together the following ingredients in a small bowl: tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, maple syrup, curry powder, ginger, turmeric, and pepper. Immediately drizzle over salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately with fresh squeeze of lemon or place in the fridge for later. Salad will keep well up to 5 days.

Recipe adapted from ambitiouskitchen.com .

Avocado Chickpea Salad Sandwich

1 ripe avocado 1 15 oz can chickpeas drained or 1.5 cups cooked ½ cup finely chopped red onion 1 hot green chile finely chopped, more or less to taste ½ cup finely chopped yellow pepper ¼ cup finely chopped tomato, optional ½ tsp ground cumin ¼ to ½ tsp cayenne/red chili powder a generous pinch of ground chipotle pepper, optional juice of 1 lime less or more to preference a generous dash of black pepper In a bowl, mash the chickpeas and avocado until avocado is well mashed and most of the chickpeas are not whole. Add all the ingredients from onion through spices. Mix in. Taste and adjust spice to taste. Prep the sandwich bread by toasting if desired. Add a layer of greens or micro-greens of choice. Layer a good helping of the smashed chickpea avocado mixture. Add a layer of juicy tomatoes or sprouts and serve. Use this mash in sandwiches, tacos, wraps or salad bowl. Change up the spices for variation.

Recipe adapted from veganricha.com .

Carrot & Chickpea Salad

This is a super simple recipe and easily customized. I also like to add romaine leaves, tortilla strips, sunflower seeds and flax/chia seeds. 3 large carrots-washed, dried and ends trimmed One 14.5oz can chickpeas, drained 1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed Dressing: ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 Tbsps. harissa-this is a chili pepper paste that adds a nice heat to a meal. You may or may not be able to find this in our stores in the condiment or ethnic section. You can order it online or find it in the stores in Tulsa. 1 Tbsp. white-wine vinegar 1 lemon, zested and juiced 1 tsp ground cumin Pepper to taste Shred carrots. Add carrots, chickpeas and parsley to a bowl. Set aside. Place all remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk until blended. Pour over salad to taste. Serve immediately or let sit overnight to let the flavors meld.

Recipe from purewow.com .

Mashed Chickpea and Green Chile Bowls

1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed ¼ cup vegan mayonnaise 1 4.5oz can diced green chiles ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions 2 Tbsps. chopped cilantro Pepper to taste 4 stand and stuff tortilla bowls Place chickpeas in a bowl. Roughly mash using a potato masher or fork. Stir in mayonnaise. Add the green chiles, green onions and cilantro and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide mixture between bowls and top as desired. I like to add flax seeds, diced tomatoes, vegan queso, more green onion and diced yellow pepper.

Recipe adapted from tasteandtellblog.com .

Sweet Potato Hummus

I know I said lunch and this is more snack food, but it can easily be used for a filling lunch or even spread on a sandwich as a condiment. I couldn’t have a column on chickpeas and not include at least one hummus recipe. The sweet potato adds another dimension to traditional hummus. 2 medium sweet potatoes 3 Tbsps. olive oil 2 cups overcooked chickpeas-make sure they are good and mushy for a truly creamy hummus. 3 Tbsps. tahini 3 cloves garlic, peeled juice of 1 lemon 1½ tsp cayenne pepper (start with less, season to taste) ½ tsp smoked paprika-if you can find it. Otherwise, you can use regular paprika. ¼ tsp cumin Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake the sweet potatoes on the middle oven rack or in a baking dish for 45 minutes to an hour. They should yield to a gentle squeeze when they’re done baking. You can also bake them in the microwave if you are pressed for time. While the sweet potatoes are cooling, toss all other ingredients into a food processor (if you’re sensitive to spice, you may want to save the spices for last and add them to taste). Once the sweet potatoes have cooled enough to handle, use a knife or your fingers to peel the skin off of them. Add the sweet potatoes to the food processor. Blend well, and serve! I garnished mine with a light sprinkle of cayenne pepper and sesame seeds.

Recipe adapted from cookieandkate.com