CHICKPEA BLONDIES & CHICKPEA ICE POPS. YES, REALLY.

Desserts and sweets are being made with all kinds of new and healthy ingredients lately, and chickpeas are definitely one of them.  I'm not even talking about chickpea flour, I'm talking about straight out of the can or cooked at home, small, round, chickpeas.  Perfect for the gluten free crowd, chickpeas can act as the dough, or the bulk of the dessert, meaning that you can skip over the need for flour, butter, and even an egg if you like.  In addition to that of course, it makes your sweet tooth satisfier a little more filling, and a lot more healthy.

I've recently found and made, two excellent chickpea dessert recipes from two different bloggers.  The recipes are quite similar in regards to ingredients, although one ends in soft, gooey dessert bars, and the other finishes in a cold, creamy creamsicle.

I don't really find that you can taste the chickpeas in these desserts, but they do taste more natural and earthy, and they are definitely denser and gooey than others.  I really like the flavour, and it definitely still serves it's purpose.  Which is of course to deliver sweet, chocolatey goodness.

First up, here is the link to Ambitious Kitchen's Flourless Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies.  These sweet little bars are definitely a very gooey brownie type texture.  I had to cook mine double the amount of time that she recommends, in order to be able to cut them apart.  The batter itself is pretty much worth eating, and totally doable since it's egg and flour free.  But if you can wait until after cooked, I actually preferred to keep them in the fridge and eat them cold.  

Next I tried A Life Including Cake's recipe for Cookie Dough Ice Pop's.  As I mentioned, it's very much a similar ingredient list, except here the result is a little bit of a looser dough, which then gets poured into ice pop molds.  Yum.  This is like an ice cream treat, except I feel wayyyy better after eating it because my stomach is not rolling in cream, and I have massive chickpea energy.  Yup, chickpea energy.  It's totally a thing.  I also used cocoa nibs in this recipe as she recommends, instead of chocolate chips.  They are very frozen when they come out, but the result is worth a minute wait to enjoy these little guys.

Two of my girlfriends loved the blondies, while my boyfriend wasn't completely sold.  I'm quickly devouring the ice pops before I have the chance (am forced to) share.  Maybe it's a girl/guy thing?  Either way, I think they are both awesome, and I'm excited to see more recipes, and perhaps a few creations of my own with a can of legumes incorporated into it.  Go beans!

MY FATHER'S HOMEMADE HUMMUS.

My dad is an expert hummus maker.  Well, in my opinion at least.  From the time I was small, I can remember begging my dad to whip up a batch of his infamous chickpea dip for me to snack on.  And when my friends came over, I would always insist that they try this beige coloured dip that smelled very, very different from anything they had had before.

Yes, I personally introduced my white, suburban, childhood friends to this classic dip, spreading the  joy of hummus whenever I could.  Okay, so maybe it's not a global effort on my part, but really I think I did my share no?  Anyways, as soon as I had a kitchen of my own that I was willing to cook in (read: not in university, not when travelling, but only when settled with full time employment) I called up my dear father and insisted that he tell me how to make it.

Well, this was followed by much hemming and hawing and comments like "oh well, it's easy it's just chickpeas and tahini".  Full stop.  "But how many chickpeas, and how much tahini Dad? What are the specific measurements?  And what else?  And what do I do with it all?  What are the exact steps?"

Let me just say, that my father is an excellent cook.  However, we are two very different types of cooks.  I need detailed and precise instructions, and he, well he just wings it.   But, since hummus really is extremely easy to make, it wasn't long before I had the notes that I needed.  Since then, I've tweaked it slightly to my own taste preferences (come on garlic!), and lightened it up a bit so that it's a guilt free snack.  But it will always be my dad's hummus.

My Father's Hummus

1 can of chickpeas, drained (reserve liquid) / 2 cups cooked chickpeas

1/4 cup tahini

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3 large cloves of garlic

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil

2-3 tablespoons chickpea liquid (reserved from can or cooking)

Place the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and cumin in a food processor. Mix on high until fully combined.  Then, while the blender is running, drizzle in the oil and chickpea liquid until the mixture becomes smooth, creamy and luscious.  Yes, I said luscious!  You can add more or less of the chickpea liquid to get the desired consistency.  I find that adding it slowly while the blender is on really gives it an extra creamy texture, even though the amount of oil is reduced.

I know most people eat hummus all the time, but homemade hummus is on a whole other level.  It's so flavourful and fresh, you'll want to eat the whole bowl right away.   I just dare you to try and restrain yourself from using your fingers to scrape the blender clean of any last bits of this dip.

SUMMER QUINOA SALAD.

It has been hot lately.  I mean, really, really hot.  Humidity has taken over our lives, and the air conditioning is working on overtime.  And yet, I keep cooking.  Yes, it smells great, yes it's delicious, but it is also getting very steamy!  I finally decided to take a break from my madness, and instead of cooking I threw a bunch of ingredients into a bowl.  I'm calling it Summer Quinoa Salad and though simple to make, this deliciously cool dish is anything but plain.  I've eaten it for three days straight, because I just can't get enough of the crunch from the nuts and the slaw, the variety of fresh vegetables, and the salty, tangy, peanutty flavour of the dressing.

Summer Quinoa Salad
Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen's Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad Recipe

Salad:
3 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup broccoli slaw (buy it in ready to go bags from the produce section)
1 cup carrot slaw
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 green pepper, diced
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Dressing:
1/4 peanut butter (I used my homemade peanut butter, yum!)
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
3 tablespoons gluten free tamari sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Place peanut butter and honey in a small bowl and warm in the microwave until the consistency is smooth and easy to stir, about 30 seconds.  Add remaining dressing ingredients and whisk together with a fork until completely combined.  Add to salad mixture and toss until thoroughly covered.

So easy to make, vegetarian and gluten free, this Summer Quinoa Salad is filling, packed with flavour, and full of good nutrition.  Works perfectly as a cool summer lunch, a quick dinner, or as a side to your favourite barbecued chicken.