Mashed Chickpea and Avocado Sandwich

Recipes similar to this have been on my radar for almost 2 years and I am just getting around to making this! I have been craving avocados this summer. I swear, I put them in almost anything and it tastes better! This is a really simple recipe and perfect for a summer picnic. I think it would make a great dip too or even something you could just eat alone. I wanted to add curry powder too but I was out!

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups cooked Chickpeas (I prefer any canned brand from the middle-eastern store!)
• 1 small-medium sized avocado
• 1-2 green onions 
• a handful of fresh cilantro 
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Dash of garlic powder
• Bread (if desired, I used gluten free-Udis)
• Juice of 1 small lime
• Salt to taste 
• Lettuce 
• Tomatoes (fresh from the garden!)

Place chickpeas in a bowl and smash with a fork until most of the chickpeas are soft . Add avocado and smash into the chickpeas until combined. Chop green onion(s) and cilantro and add to mixture. Add spices and lime juice, mix throughly. Toast bread, add cheddar cheese and mustard if desired. Top with lettuce and tomatoes. It is a bit messy so you'll need some napkins!! 

Shaved Fennel & Arugula Salad

Another 95+ degree day = another delicious salad success story from 101 cookbooks. :) I made this Sunday night, and it lasted for 4-5 lunch size salads, and everything stayed delicious even after dressing it all the first night. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 medium zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins
• 2 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and shaved paper-thin
• 2/3 cup loosely chopped fresh dill
• The juice of 2 lemons
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
• fine grain sea salt
• 4 or 5 generous handfuls arugula (I jus tused the whole basket/bag from the store)
• Honey, if needed
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (I used toasted almonds)
• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

Note: If you're using a knife to prep here, do your best to slice things very, very thinly

1. Combine the zucchini, fennel and dill in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside and marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.
2. When you are ready to serve the salad, put the arugula in a large bowl. 
3. Scoop all of the zucchini and fennel onto the arugula, and pour most/all of the lemon juice dressing on top of that. Toss gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if needed. If the lemons were particularly tart, you may need to counter the pucker-factor by adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Let your taste buds guide you. 
4. Serve topped with pine nuts and feta.

Serves 4 to 6

Carrot, Dill & White Bean Salad

So... after a week of 90 degree days, it's definitely summer salad weather! And after enjoying all the delicious salads the Detroit ladies made last weekend (Colleen and MB, I'm looking at you...), I decided to try a few recipes out this week. 


101 Cookbooks has been my go-to lately, and she didn't disappoint with this recipe for a Carrot, Dill & White Bean salad. I made this last night for the first time after a day at the beach. And it was awesome! Super easy to prepare, filling, and had some different flavors than the salads I usually make (I never think about warm carrots). I let this stand unit it came down to room temperature, which was perfect. 


Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• The juice from 1 large lemon

• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt

• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (I used a bit more)

• more olive oil for cooking

• 2 cups sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick on deep bias

• 3 cups cooked white beans

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

• 2 tablespoons honey (or brown sugar) (start small and add to taste)

• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions

1. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and shallots in a small bowl. Stir and set aside. 
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, toss the carrots with a splash of olive oil. Let them cook in a single layer — they'll give off a bit of water at first. Keep cooking, tossing gently every 3 to 4 minutes until the carrots are deeply browned. About 12 minutes total. 
3. Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the beans have heated through. You may need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan. 
4. Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, add a bit of honey. I started small and tasted as I went since I didn't want it to be too sweet. 
5. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, shallot mix. Toss gently. Let sit for 10 minutes. 
6. Toss once again, taste and adjust with more salt, honey or lemon juice to taste/balance flavors. 
7. Finish by sprinkling toasted almonds just before serving. (I forgot to do this and was sad, it would have been good with them for sure.) 
8. Serve warm or at room temperature.