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+-- Thread: Alternative Salads! (/showthread.php?tid=140827)
Alternative Salads! - BarbaraS - 09-12-2012
Hey All,
Ever since I got back in touch with "mixed greens" - you know, arugula, spinach, radicchio, and such, I have also rediscovered another lost salad ingredient - chickpeas!
So I go to allrecipes.com and search for chickpea salad and I come across a Goya salad recipe. Okay, so you don't have to use the Goya lemon juice, adobo seasoning, and chickpeas, but they were the only chickpeas besides the Wegmans brand I could find, so to heck with the Wegmans brand. (sometimes you just have to make a brand stand.
And it is heaven! I have made this twice so far and the only sub I made was to halve the evoo for white balsamic vinegar to give it a little kick. The cucumber is refreshing, as are the cherry tomatoes, and the red onion gives it a further crunch. And Wegmans makes mozz balls the size of marbles so I don't have to cut up larger ones.
But I still think something is missing and maybe you experts out there can figure this out. Here's the recipe:
1 (15.5 ounce) can GOYA® Low Sodium Chick Peas, drained and rinsed
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon GOYA® Lemon Juice
GOYA® Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning with Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup GOYA® Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Directions
In medium mixing bowl, gently stir together chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, onions and parsley until combined; set aside.
In separate medium bowl, stir together lemon juice and Adobo. Using whisk, add olive oil in slow steady stream, whisking constantly until oil is well incorporated.
Toss olive oil-lemon dressing with reserved vegetables until coated completely. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Like I said, I subbed 1/2 evoo with white balsamic vinegar. It tastes great the way it is and I find myself mindlessly munching on it at times, so there's an alert!
Enjoy!
Barbara
Re: Alternative Salads! - labradors - 09-12-2012
My idea of an "alternative salad" would be twice-cooked pork belly served atop a bed of bacon.
Re: Alternative Salads! - cjs - 09-13-2012
Barbara, I have a plethora (like that???
) of salads that I make with chickpeas because we love them so!Just a personal choice, but for more flavor, I would use a goat cheese in place of the mozz. Also, parsley replaced with mint, cilantro, basil (or a blend of all three which is wonderful) would kick up the flavor, also.
Here's a recipe from C@H that we love - in fact, I'm making it for my grandson's Pig BBQ Saturday, Double batch.
http://www.forums.cuisineathome.com/ubbt...true#Post109038
Well, that's not the recipe, but the thread tells about it and the book it is in. Really good.
Re: Alternative Salads! - Roxanne 21 - 09-13-2012
Jean beat me to it---of course
but I would use goat cheese as well......a bit more of a kick with a fresh herb....basil or coriander.Sounds GOOD---love chickpeas!!
Re: Alternative Salads! - Mare749 - 09-13-2012
Same here, thanks for posting this Barbara.
Re: Alternative Salads! - BarbaraS - 09-13-2012
Thanks for the suggestions Jean! I'm not too fond of mint except to smell it, and cilantro sometimes tastes "soapy" to me - why is that? but I'll check it out and see.
It's what's for lunch tomorrow!
Barbara
Re: Alternative Salads! - cjs - 09-13-2012
Sorry, I really should hold back and let others give suggestions, for heaven's sake. You put a quarter in me and it just spews out....
Re: Alternative Salads! - BarbaraS - 09-13-2012
No no no! Not at all!
Goat cheese would have a nice bit to it. I just have to revisit my reactions to mint and cilantro.
I just loved the marble-sized mozz cheese balls! They are so cute! And I got to use my white balsamic vinegar!!
Barbara
Re: Alternative Salads! - Harborwitch - 09-13-2012
I think I'd use feta. I love garbanzo beans so much - they're one of those things that I just can't get enough of.
I don't really have a recipe - Israeli couscous, diced cucumber, garbanzo beans, onion, garlic, chopped oregano and basil, olive oil and red wine vinegar with lots of feta.
Re: Alternative Salads! - cjs - 09-14-2012
By goat cheese I did mean either chevre or feta (goat or sheep) cheese - something with lots of flavor.