I find the timing of our move extremely ironic. Here we are in the middle of Jamie’s Food Revolution, and so many people are discussing the merits of cooking at home and eating real food. Yet here we were hitting up the drive-thru and the pizza places how many times during the last two weeks? There was one day where we had donuts for breakfast, and then two different drive-thrus for lunch and dinner. Needless to say, we were ready for real food. And healthy food. I really don’t have a problem with the occasional burger or pizza, but when they become the every day, it’s time to change. Now that we’ve settled, that time is upon us.
Our first real meal in our new home was salad. And we were hungry for this salad. We were so hungry for vegetables, and this could not have been better. The key to this salad is to toss in whatever raw veggie you have on hand. But what makes it sing- what really makes it special is the addition of chickpeas that you’ve cooked from dried.
I know I’ve sung the praises of cooking dried beans before, but let me tell you, if you buy canned beans, I won’t tell. But the chickpeas…Once you’ve had them cooked from dried, you won’t believe the flavor in these humble little beans. They are so delicious, I was literally popping them into my mouth like candy as I assembled the salad. I was sad when they were gone- but lucky me, I have another package in the pantry to cook up very very soon.
To cook chickpeas from dried, first you do need to give them a soak. I don’t always soak beans, but these ones I do because they are so dense, and I think it helps. I put them in water to cover in the morning, and by 3:00 that afternoon, I popped them into a pot to cook. I covered them again with water, and brought the water to a boil, I reduced the heat so the water was still bubbling just a touch, and let them cook for about an hour. Perfect chickpeas, ready for salad.
This particular salad had broccoli (and broccoli stems), carrots, red and green peppers, celery, chickpeas and about 1/4 cup of feta cheese that I found in the fridge. Then I took two turkey thighs and poached them in chicken broth to which I’d added pepper and dried basil. When the turkey cooled, I shredded it up and added it to the salad as well. Normally I would dress this salad with a ranch dressing, but I left that off and served dressing on the side. This turned out to be a good idea, as Andy and I went for the ranch, but the kids really prefer French dressing. In retrospect, I think a few diced hard-boiled eggs would have also been an excellent addition to this salad.
It was so good, so tasty, and so welcome after the fast food we’ve been dining on. Last night we had simple roast chicken with mashed potatoes and spinach salad, and again, so, so good. Real food is back, and I’m so excited to cook again! I’ll leave you today with a picture of the view from my new front door. I love my new home- and this is just one of the many reasons why.
