Summer =Salads! Period. That's for me. I love to eat salads throughout the year but especially during summer as I don't really feel like eating anything too hot. I like something cool. Also during summer we are outdoors most of the time, especially during the weekends. We don't like to eat out much and therefore pack a picnic for our outings! This of course includes a salad. And so I am making a myriad of salads during the summer! Summer and going out also means going to barbecues.. This weekend we had a barbecue at a dear friend's beech house. The kids had a blast! I made a creamy chickpea salad for the occasion and saved a bowl for me for today's lunch. This is another one of my crowd-pleasers!I came across this recipe a year ago and as often, I have tweaked it a little.You can find the original recipe here. Do try it, you will surely like it! ( unless you don't like chickpeas at all to begin with ;). This is how I made it:
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Chick peas( garbanzo beans): 1 15oz. can, rinsed and drained thoroughly.
Cucumber: 1 small, diced.
Tomato: 1 medium, deseeded and diced.
Onion: 1 medium, chopped fine( I used yellow onion, any onion can be used).
Green bell pepper:1 medium, deseeded and diced.
Apricots: 2 small, deseeded and diced.
Black olives: 1/4 cup, sliced
Cranberries: 1 tbsp
Parsley: 1/8th cup, chopped fine.
Feta cheese: 2 oz, crumbled.
For the marinade:
Greek yogurt: 1/4 cup
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Apple cider vinegar: 1 tbsp
Honey:1 tsp
Sea salt: as per taste
Black pepper: 1/2 tsp, freshly ground.
Method:
Add all the ingredients( except those listed under "for the marinade") into a salad bowl.
Take all the ingredients listed under "for the marinade" in a small glass jar and shake well.
Add the marinade to the salad bowl and mix well.
Garnish with some parsley sprigs, olives and cranberries.
Keep it chilled until ready to serve!
Enjoy!
Cooking made easy:
Salads like this are great for a party or gathering as they can be made ahead of time( like the night before).Just mix all the ingredients of the salad and prepare the marinade, but keep them separately.
On the day of the party, just before the guests arrive, you can mix the marinade with the salad and it is ready to be served.
Tip for healthy living:
Yogurt has been traditionally used as a salad dressing in India. Yogurt is a great probiotic and hence helps in maintaining good GI health. Probiotics are food groups that promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut. These good bacteria not only aid digestion and thereby prevent digestive issues like bloating and constipation, they also help promote good immunity in the body. Greek yogurt is higher in protein content than regular yogurt.Hence, a small cup of yogurt daily will contribute in a big way to better health.
Food for thought:
Show respect even to people who don't deserve it; not as a reflection of their character,but as a reflection of yours. Dave Willis
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