I love chickpeas with curry, and if you ever dine with me at an Indian restaurant, I'm likely to pick that combination in some form. This has a less intense curry flavor, but enough to give it an interesting kick, and I love the sweetness of the maple syrup and raisins to balance it.
Nothing really needs to be cooked in this meal, so you can prepare things in advance for a busy workday, and it's also a perfect meal for really hot nights when you don't want to heat up the kitchen.
Chickpeas are versatile enough to take on many flavors, and I find myself using them in a variety of dishes. I love the combination of curry with them in this dish. If you want to serve these as a salad rather than on sandwiches, dish it up over mixed greens and enjoy!
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. lime juice
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. raisins
4 c. cooked chickpeas (two 15-oz cans)
1 stalk celery, chopped
2/3 c. red onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. cilantro or parsley, chopped
8 c. mixed greens
4 large whole wheat pita pockets
4 lettuce leaves, washed and dried
1 c. alfalfa sprouts (optional)
In a small mixing bowl, stir together vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, curry powder, maple syrup and salt. Add raisins and set aside. Combine chickpeas, bell pepper, onion and cilantro in a medium bowl.
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat and toast cumin seeds until slightly browned and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir cumin seeds along with dressing-raisin mixture into chickpea salad. Season with additional salt if desired.
Cut the pita pockets in half. Line each half with a lettuce leaf. Stuff a 1/3 cup scoop of chickpea salad into the pocket and top with 1/4 cup sprouts.
Per serving: 421 calories, 11g fat, 97 calories from fat, 15g protein, 14g dietary fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 442g sodium, 70g carbohydrates, 3431IU vitamin A, 56.4mcg vitamin K, 2.1mg manganese, 265mcg folate
This is a classic, delicious, simple spinach salad recipe that shines with freshly cut spinach and perfect spring strawberries.
6 c. spinach leaves, washed and dried
2 c. strawberries, sliced
1/2 c. toasted sliced almonds
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. brown rice syrup
1 tsp. dijon mustard
pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
To make the poppy seed dressing, combine the vinegar, paprika, salt, pepper, and mustard. While continuously whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
When serving, combine the spinach leaves with the sliced strawberries, and top with the toasted seeds. Drizzle on the dressing and enjoy!
Per serving: 334 calories, 27g fat, 233 calories from fat, 7g protein, 6g dietary fiber, 19g carbohydrates, 0mg cholesterol, 75mg sodium, 227mcg vitamin K, 57.6mg vitamin C, 7.7mg vitamin E, 4361IU vitamin A, 1.6mg manganese
This is a fun dessert to make with your kids, and you can make them ahead of time to make sure they're ready for dinner tonight. I love that these popsicles are so much healthier than anything you can find in the store. All you need to make delicious fruit popsicles is a popsicle mold. I find all kinds of cute versions at Target and specialty stores, but really anything will work.
2 c. fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, etc)
a few slices of the fresh fruit set aside
1 c. apple juice
Combine the fruit and apple juice in a blender and pulse until well combined and smooth. Pour the mixture into your popsicle mold and freeze according to instructions. About a quarter of the way through your freezing time, drop in the reserved slices of fruit.
They shouldn't drop all the way to the bottom of the popsicle, but rather stay suspended halfway through. About three quarters of the way through your freezing time, add a few more pieces of fruit to stay suspended near the top of the popsicle.
Per serving: 53 calories, 0g fat, 3 calories from fat, 1g protein, 13g carbohydrates, 2g dietary fiber, 0mg cholesterol, 3mg sodium, 10g sugars, 0.3mg manganese, 45.3mg vitamin C