Mediterranean Ceci Salad

Garbanzo beans, known as ceci in Italy, are a staple in my pantry. As you know from previous blogs, I’m a big hummus fan, and love to snack on roasted garbanzos. Ceci shows up again for lunch in this quick-to-make Mediterranean salad. It’s full of good stuff like fresh spinach, healthy garbanzos, tomatoes and cucumbers. Plus, a homemade lemony vinaigrette that blends all the flavors together. This lunch leaves you feeling satisfied and healthy on those days when you need that kind of boost. It took only minutes to make, even with all these ingredients. I was back to working from home in no time!

Mediterranean Ceci Salad

MEDITERRANEAN CECI SALAD
Makes 1 lunch salad

FOR THE LEMON VINAIGRETTE
3 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground cumin
salt & pepper, to taste
1 T olive oil

FOR THE SALAD
1/3 cup garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, torn
1/4 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup cubed cucumber
1 green onion, bias-sliced
2 T chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 T crumbled feta cheese

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a small jar and shake well to incorporate olive oil. Set aside.

Combine all salad ingredients, except cheese, and toss to mix together. Pour vinaigrette, to taste, over top and toss to combine. Top with crumbled feta cheese.

Cookbook Crave: April 2015

This is one of my favorites, Jerusalem, A Cookbook, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, is full of authentic Mediterranean recipes, and the most gorgeous, mouthwatering photography. Once you open this book, you're there in a sun-baked land, in a busy marketplace, cooking with figs and olives. There are too many recipes to mention that I love in this book, but to choose just one, the fattoush is truly inspirational and perfect for the warmer days of spring. It is reminiscent of Italian panzanella, full of veggies and bread and tossed with vinaigrette. Try my mashup of a fattoush and panzanella salad, inspired by the Mediterranean.

Mediterranean Salad

MEDITERRANEAN SALAD
Serves 4

This salad is equally about the veggies and herbs as it is about the greens.

For the Spicy Chickpeas:
1-16oz can chickpeas
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp each cumin & ground black pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp tumeric
sprinkle of kosher salt

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp salt

For the salad:
1 Tbsp butter
1 cup ciabatta bread, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 tsp each salt & ground black pepper
2 Tbsp each fresh chopped mint, basil & parsley
2 cups quartered cherry tomatoes
2 cups chopped cucumber
1 cup chopped red onion
6 radishes, quartered
1 cup baby arugula, roughly chopped

1. Make Spicy Chickpeas: Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat and add chickpeas. Add spices and toss to coat. Saute 3 minutes, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Remove to a plate to cool. Note: there will be more spicy chickpeas than are needed for the recipe, but they make an excellent snack. Keep the extras in a covered container in the fridge.

2. In a jar with a lid, add all vinaigrette ingredients and shake until well mixed.

3. Melt butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat and add torn bread pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to coat the bread in melted butter. Toss frequently and cook about 5 minutes until lightly browned on all sides.

4. In a large bowl, add the chopped herbs, veggies and arugula. Add the browned bread pieces and 1 cup of the Spicy Chickpeas. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette over the top and stir lightly to coat. Serve family-style in a large platter.