Cooked Fresh Chickpeas

2 Cups Chickpeas
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Teaspoon Coarse Salt

Place chickpeas in colander and rinse under cold water - remove any pods or pod pieces. Put water, salt and beans in a small pot, cover and place over high heat till water boils. Turn down heat (this is important because the chickpeas  tend to foam when cooking) and simmer for 2-4 minutes till beans are tender and bright green. Drain and season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of chili powder to eat hot as a side dish, or drizzle with your favorite dressing. To use cold, let cool and refrigerate for later use, or plunge into a bowl of ice water, drain and use immediately. Cold chickpeas are great in salad!

Fresh Chickpea Hummus

2 Cups Cooked Chickpeas - cooled
4 Tablespoon Tahini (Sesame Paste)
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
3 Cloves Fresh Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place everything into a food processor or blender. Blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides as needed. Spread on crackers or toasted pita bread cut into wedges.

Fresh Chickpea Salsa

2 Cups Chickpeas - Cooked and Cooled
1 Clove Garlic
1/2 Cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves
1 Jalapeno Pepper- seeds removed finely diced
1 Large Tomato - chopped
3-6 Green Onions - finely chopped
Juice of 1 Lime
Salt and Pepper to taste

Place chickpeas, garlic and cilantro in blender or food processor and blend just until coarsely chopped. Scrape into a medium sized bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir - season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or as a garnish over grilled chicken, beef or fish.

Fresh Chickpea Pilaf

1/4 Cup Butter
1 Medium Yellow Onion - diced
2 Cloves Garlic - crushed
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Vermicelli - broken into 1 inch pieces
2 Large Chicken Bouillon Cubes
2 1/2 Cups Hot Water
2 Cups Coarse Bulgur
1 Cup Chickpeas - rinsed and drained

Dissolve bouillon cubes in 2 1/2 cups hot water. In a two quart covered sauce pan, combine butter, onion, garlic and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until clear. Add vermicelli and continue to cook until vermicelli browns, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high and immediately add water bouillon mixture, stir. When liquid begins to boil, add bulgur and stir till mixture reaches full boil. Stir in chickpeas, cover and reduce heat to low. Do not remove lid and continue cooking over low heat for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork before serving.

 Fresh Chickpea Succotash

1 Tablespoon Corn Oil
1/4 Cup Diced Andouille Sausage
1/4 Cup Diced Bacon
1/2 Cup Diced Yellow or White Onion
1/2 Cup Diced Red Pepper
3/4 Cup Fresh Corn Kernels
3/4 Cup Chickpeas
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
1/4 Cup Sliced Scallions
1/2 - 1 Teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce (like Tabasco)
1 - 2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
Salt and Freshly Ground White Pepper

Heat a large sauté pan or skillet over high heat. Add corn oil, sausage, bacon and onion. Sauté over high heat, stirring frequently until onions are just starting to brown. Add peppers, corn and chickpeas. Reduce heat slightly and continue to sauté an additional four(4) minutes. Add brown sugar, parsley, scallions, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and cream. Cook until a sauce is formed. Season with salt and pepper - let cool slightly till sauce thickens and serve. This recipe can be added to bread cubes and baked for a great stuffing!

This recipe was created by:

Chef James Overbaugh
of Erna's Elderberry Restaurant
Oakhurst, California