In my previous entry, I talked about chickpeas and how they are a great source of zinc and protein; they are also high in dietary fiber.
This time I’d like to recommend a fresh salad that goes with every meal.

Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
A few ribs celery and leafy tops, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Combine chick peas with onions, peppers, celery, garlic, red pepper flakes and rosemary in a medium bowl. Dress the salad with vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper.

Have a great winter….
Hava & Dorit

Hello again,

It’s been a while since the last time I wrote. I’ve been thinking about sharing with you something light and healthy after dealing with so much oil and fried food during Hanukkah. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and survived the oily dishes, the snow storm and the winter break.
This time I’d like to talk about chickpeas;
Chick pea and garbanzo bean are 2 names for the same thing (Cicer arietinum) a member of the Pea family. They are grown in the Mediterranean, western Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and Australia.
Mature chickpeas can be cooked and eaten cold in salads, ground and shaped in balls and fried as falafel, cooked and ground into a paste called hummus roasted, spiced and eaten as a snack. You can also add chickpeas to different dishes such as pasta, soup etc.
Dried chickpeas need a long cooking time (1–2 hours) but will not easily fall apart when cooked longer. If soaked for 12–24 hours before use, cooking time can be considerably shortened by 30 minutes.
The chickpeas are great source of zinc and protein; they are also high in dietary fiber. Chickpeas are low in fat.
In recent studies by government agencies it seems that chickpeas have also shown that they can assist in lowering of cholesterol in the bloodstream.


Pasta with chickpeas

Ingredients:
½ cup olive oil
2 chopped carrots
1 chopped celery root
1 chopped onion
1 bay leaf
2-3 sage leaves
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 lb chick peas (drain them in water the night before)
Salt and pepper
2 chopped tomatoes
½ lb pasta (shells)
For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 minced cloves of garlic
2 slices of anchovy
3-4 rosemary (needles)

Directions;
• Pour the ½ cup oil into pot. Add the carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, sage, garlic and the chick peas and stir; Season with salt and the pepper.
• Continue to stir and stem for 6 minutes on medium heat.
• Add the tomatoes and after 2 minutes add 10 ½ cups of water and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat, cover the pot and cook for an hour and a half until the chick peas are tender.
• Take 1/3 of the dish and put it in a mixer, purée and put it back in the pot.
• Add the pasta and cook it until tender and absorbs most liquid in the pot.
• In a skillet put (the last four ingredients) 2 tablespoons olive oil garlic anchovy & the rosemary. Stir for a moment on medium heat.
• Add the sauce to the pot and stir.
• Pour to a serving bowl and…..
….Bon Appétit

Hava & Dorit