Protein + folate + fibre + deliciousness = chick peas!!!?

Apparently so.

© 2009 Jackie Connelly Photography

I have recently fallen in love with chick peas. I don’t know what it is about them - their plump texture, insane flexibility to work so well in so many different dishes, or the fact that I’ve finally found a food that I love and is good for me - but I can’t get enough of them.

If you happen to share my recent obsession, I’ve collected some recipes from friends on Twitter, food magazines and a local restaurant I thought you might enjoy:

• • Persian Split Pea Soup ~ From PCC Natural Markets in Seattle  (you can follow them on Twitter here); peas, tomatoes, onions and spices, yum!
• • Recent interviewee Fig&Cherry recommends her Roasted Cauliflower and Chick Pea Salad.
• • Canadian Living magazine’s ‘Cheers to Chick Peas’ has 15 recipes here that all make use of the ingredient.
• • From the pages of Real Simple Magazine, and what my other half cooked us for dinner last night (pictured above): crispy breaded shrimp with garlicky beans. *he just added chick peas to the bean mix, it was delicious!
• • And if you ever have a chance to get your hands on some octopus, this recipe for Octopus Confit with chickpeas and roasted red peppers from the Blue Water Cafe Seafood Cookbook (order here) by Frank Pabst sounds amazing:

INGREDIENTS

Octopus confit
1 bulb garlic, halved through the equator
1 onion, quartered
1 red jalapeño pepper
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 sprig dried oregano
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
2 lbs octopus, thoroughly washed and rinsed
4 cups olive oil

Chickpeas and peppers
4 red bell peppers
7 Tbsp olive oil
1⁄2 cup oil from the octopus confit
2 shallots, thinly sliced
9 cloves garlic, 6 thinly sliced on a mandolin and 3 cut in half
7 oz cooked chickpeas (about 1 cup)
12 slices baguette, each 1⁄4 inch thick
Juice of 1 lemon
Dash of red wine vinegar
1⁄2 cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1⁄2 cup Italian parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

METHOD

Octopus confit
In a pot just large enough to hold the octopus snugly, combine garlic, onion, fennel seeds and bay leaves, then place the octopus on top and add olive oil until the octopus is covered. Cook on medium heat for about 1.5 hours, or until a paring knife easily pierces the shoulder between the head and the tentacles.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow the octopus to cool in the oil. Once cool, remove the octopus from the oil and place it on a clean cutting board. Reserve the oil. Using a sharp knife, cut the tentacles—with skin and suction cups still attached—into bite-size pieces. Cut off and discard the octopus beak, then slice the remainder of the head into thin strips about 2 inches long. Set aside.

Chickpeas and peppers

Preheat the oven to 400F. Brush bell peppers with 1 Tbsp of olive oil and set them on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes until the skins are lightly charred. Transfer to a metal bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.

Peel the bell peppers, then cut them open and remove and discard the seeds. Cut the pepper flesh into wide strips about 2 inches long.

Heat the octopus confit oil in a medium pot on low heat. Add shallots and the thinly sliced garlic and sweat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add chickpeas and roasted peppers and cook for 10 minutes.

Heat 6 Tbsp of olive oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add baguette slices and pan-fry on both sides until golden brown and crunchy, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels to absorb the excess moisture, then rub croutons with garlic halves.

To serve: In a large bowl, combine octopus pieces, chickpeas and roasted peppers. Add salt, lemon juice and vinegar, then mix in basil and parsley. Divide the mixture among four bowls. Top each bowl with a quarter of the croutons.

Suggested wine: Go for something off the beaten path—Greco di Tufo shows lemon and clove with good fruit and a lively finish.

* Blue Water Cafe Seafood Cookbook by Frank Pabst © 2009. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Douglas & McIntyre: a division of D&M Publishers.

Do you have a favorite chick pea recipe? Let us know in the comments section!

Enjoy!