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I've been soaking chickpeas since yesterday, and I currently have them cooking on the stove. I soaked enough to make at least three lunches this week.
This is actually a fairly bland cooking since I plan to divide up the cooked total and make the actual meals later.
I'm going to try a Chickpea curry recipe that I found in one of my cookbooks. There's a simple chickpea and carrot salad with yogurt that I found online, too. I'm not sure what I'll do with the other third -- maybe mash it into a hummus.
One day, I'm planning to make a Waldorf Salad. I'll probably do a spaghetti puttanesca one night this week and make enough for two servings so I can take the other one to lunch.
I'm not used to doing this type of lunch planning, but my last unemployment check came last week and my first paycheck doesn't arrive until August 25. A friend loaned me enough to pick up a prescription that I need before the health insurance kicks in -- *gnashes teeth* -- plus a little extra in case of emergency.
My basic chickpeas
1 cup of chickpeas soaked for at least 24 hours (I don't know why chickpeas need a longer soaking than most beans, but after the last batch I made with only an overnight soak, I'm trusting my books that say 24 hours.)
1 bay leaf
1 clove
2 cloves of garlic
A few peppercorns
1 tsp cumin (I was told this would help reduce the flatulence of bean dishes. It seems to work.)
1/4 tsp fenugreek -- just because I like the taste
A length of Dulse (This one is a suggestion for fuller bodied soups. Since the liquor the beans form is part of the appeal of chickpeas, I thought it would be useful here. Rinse it before adding to the pot.)
Drain and cover the chickpeas with enough water. Add all the other ingredients. Bring to a strong boil, put on a lid, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for an hour. Add a teaspoon of salt. Cook for another half hour. If the chickpeas are still too firm, cook for another half hour and check again.
Don't add salt at the beginning, it turns the beans tough. If you can wait to salt them after they're cooked, that's best. I find I tend to add too much salt at the table if I do that.
This is actually a fairly bland cooking since I plan to divide up the cooked total and make the actual meals later.
I'm going to try a Chickpea curry recipe that I found in one of my cookbooks. There's a simple chickpea and carrot salad with yogurt that I found online, too. I'm not sure what I'll do with the other third -- maybe mash it into a hummus.
One day, I'm planning to make a Waldorf Salad. I'll probably do a spaghetti puttanesca one night this week and make enough for two servings so I can take the other one to lunch.
I'm not used to doing this type of lunch planning, but my last unemployment check came last week and my first paycheck doesn't arrive until August 25. A friend loaned me enough to pick up a prescription that I need before the health insurance kicks in -- *gnashes teeth* -- plus a little extra in case of emergency.
My basic chickpeas
1 cup of chickpeas soaked for at least 24 hours (I don't know why chickpeas need a longer soaking than most beans, but after the last batch I made with only an overnight soak, I'm trusting my books that say 24 hours.)
1 bay leaf
1 clove
2 cloves of garlic
A few peppercorns
1 tsp cumin (I was told this would help reduce the flatulence of bean dishes. It seems to work.)
1/4 tsp fenugreek -- just because I like the taste
A length of Dulse (This one is a suggestion for fuller bodied soups. Since the liquor the beans form is part of the appeal of chickpeas, I thought it would be useful here. Rinse it before adding to the pot.)
Drain and cover the chickpeas with enough water. Add all the other ingredients. Bring to a strong boil, put on a lid, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for an hour. Add a teaspoon of salt. Cook for another half hour. If the chickpeas are still too firm, cook for another half hour and check again.
Don't add salt at the beginning, it turns the beans tough. If you can wait to salt them after they're cooked, that's best. I find I tend to add too much salt at the table if I do that.
