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Lose Weight With These Healthy Chickpea Recipes

Michele Foley — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:04:35 PST

Chickpeas seem to be everywhere lately - and with good reason: they're high in protein, fiber, folate, and zinc. And in a small study, chickpeas have also been shown to aid in weight loss. I love how versatile they are: whether roasted on their own, tossed in a salad, or even used in dessert, chickpeas seem to make every recipe better! See a few of our favorites here.

Make This: Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Michele Foley — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:48:51 PST

At Nopalito, a Mexican eatery in my neighborhood, every meal starts off with a complimentary bowl of spicy fried chickpeas. This snack is full of heat and crunch and sort of reminds me of spicy wasabi peas or corn nuts. Because I'm addicted to them, I decided that I would try and make a healthier version at home. Like kale chips, roasted chickpeas are a great way to satisfy a chip craving, minus all that fat, and you get all the nutritional benefits of chickpeas - namely, fiber and protein.

See the recipe when you

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
Inspired by Nopalito

Make sure the chickpeas are completely dry after draining and rinsing them. Otherwise they'll end up chewy and soggy.

Ingredients

1 15 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 2 teaspoons of spice mixture (a curry, Morrocan, or Mexican spice mixture work well)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Drain and rinse chickpeas in a colander. Pat dry.
Toss chickpeas in a medium sized bowl with olive oil, sea salt, and spices.
Arrange chickpeas on a baking sheet in a single layer.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until crispy. While baking, shake pan or stir chickpeas to avoid burning.
Transfer to a serving bowl.
If desired, sprinkle and toss with more spices.

Print recipe with images | without images Makes four servings. If you have a tasty and healthy recipe to share, post it in the Healthy Recipe Group. We could all use some new dishes to try.

Chickpea Delight: Couscous With Beans and Cauliflower

FitSugar — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 07:00:48 PDT

For me, September doesn't only mean back-to-school time; it's also back-to-cooking time. For dinner inspiration I am loving Martha Rose Shulman's new cookbook, The Very Best of Recipes For Health. Don't let the word "health" in the title fool you; her recipes are big on flavor and easy to make.

Since I'm eating meat-free for the FitSugar Give It Up Challenge, I have been looking to beans for protein. Nothing beats chickpeas as a filling dinner; remember, garbanzo beans are a dieter's friend. Add some spicy harissa and you have a memorable dish.

Check out the recipe.

Healthy Recipe: Roasted Chickpeas and Cucumber Salad

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 10:00:25 PDT

If you're dieting and looking for filling, high-fiber, low-fat fat foods, then the simple chickpea is a dream food come true. These beans have been shown to help dieters stay on track and avoid unhealthy snacks. Inspired by this news, I created a simple side dish featuring roasted chickpeas, because I think they taste so much better that way. This salad makes a perfect side dish or a light lunch.

To see the recipe, just

Cucumber and Roasted Chickpea Salad
Original Recipe

Ingredients

1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, well rinsed 4 cloves of garlic 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided 1 medium-sized English cucumber 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped 3 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt juice of one lemon, about 2 tablespoons 3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chickpeas in a shallow roasting dish and cover with olive oil. Place unpeeled garlic cloves at edge of pan. Roast for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
Chop cucumber into quarter-inch-thick disks. Then quarter the disks. Place in medium size bowl and set aside.
Whisk remaining teaspoon of oil with mint. Pour over cucumbers.
Place peeled roasted garlic in a small bowl and combine with lemon juice. Mix well. Add Greek yogurt and whisk together well. Salt and pepper to taste.
When chickpeas are cool, add to dressed cucumbers.
Divide cucumber-chickpea mixture evenly onto four plates and spoon yogurt dressing over the mixture. Serve with toasted whole wheat pita bread.

Serves 4. Calories: 174, Protein 6.7 g, Fat 3.6 g, Fiber 5.9 g, Sodium 330 mg, Carbs 29.9 g

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Smarter Eats: Add Chickpeas

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:00:56 PDT

While there is no magic weight loss pill, the common chickpea seems to come close - at least as a natural diet supplement.

According to a small study published in the journal Appetite, the garbanzo bean helped keep dieters on track. Participants in the study who ate a half cup of chickpeas daily, which contains 5 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein, consume fewer calories from high fat, low fiber foods; but once they stopped eating the beans, the participants began to snack more on less healthy fare.

My advice is to go gonzo for garbanzo beans and here are a few recipes to help with that task:

Tell me how you enjoy garbanzo beans in the comments section below.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Eggplant Steak With Chickpeas

partysugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:45:57 PDT

In many vegetarian recipes, mushrooms are used similarly to meat. They're marinated, grilled, sautéed, broiled, and turned into burgers. Like mushrooms, eggplant is an incredibly versatile vegetable that can be prepared using many culinary techniques.

In this recipe, thick-cut eggplant steaks are coated with a garlic balsamic vinaigrette. Served with a hearty mixture of garbanzos, roasted red peppers, black olives, and feta, this exceptional meal is a must-make, so get the recipe:

Eggplant Steak With Chickpeas
From Vegetarian Times magazine

Ingredients

Balsamic Marinade 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar 1 Tbs. low-sodium tamari or soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbs. olive oil Eggplant Steaks 1 large eggplant, about 1 lb. 1 ½ cups chickpeas, drained 2 medium-sized red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and cubed, or 2 roasted red peppers from jar ¼ lb. feta cheese, cubed or crumbled ½ cup pitted black olives, preferably Greek or Moroccan 2 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano or Italian parsley Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 (6½-inch round) pita breads 4 tsp. balsamic vinegar 1 bunch fresh oregano as garnish

Directions

To make marinade, combine ingredients, slowly adding olive oil and stirring briskly to combine well. Set aside.
Preheat grill or broiler.
Cut eggplant lengthwise into four ½-inch-thick slices to resemble steaks. Brush “steaks” with marinade.
Grill or broil eggplant for 2 minutes on each side, or until tender but not soft. Remove from heat and place 1 steak on each serving plate.
Place chickpeas, red peppers, feta, black olives and oregano in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir to combine well. Add some marinade and stir again.
Toast or grill pita bread and cut into pie-shaped wedges and set aside.
Spoon 1 or 2 scoops of pepper-olive mixture on eggplant steak with some mixture pooling onto plate.
Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, place several pita wedges on plate and garnish eggplant with several sprigs fresh oregano.
Repeat with remaining ingredients until used up, making sure pepper-olive mixture spills over top of eggplant and onto plate. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Shrimp and Chickpeas

partysugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:45:43 PDT

Fancy a trip to an exotic Mediterranean destination? Take one tonight with this enticing meal. The shrimp is marinated in a cool, cumin-flavored yogurt before being seared on a hot grill. Canned garbanzos get a grown-up makeover when seasoned with red pepper flakes and fresh tomatoes. Fill out this pairing with a store-bought roasted red pepper hummus and pita chips, and you've got a meal ideal for entertaining. To escape from the mundane and get the recipe,

Shrimp and Chickpeas
From Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk yogurt Juice of 1 lemon 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 pound large shrimp, deveined 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper One 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed 4 plum tomatoes, chopped

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, lemon juice, half the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and the cumin.
Transfer half the yogurt mixture to a small bowl. Add the shrimp to the large bowl and mix; cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the crushed red pepper and remaining garlic over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and remaining 1 teaspoon salt, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Lower the heat and keep warm until ready to serve.
Rub a grill pan with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and heat over high heat. Add the marinated shrimp and grill, turning once, until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side.
Top the chickpeas with the shrimp and serve with the reserved yogurt sauce.

Serves 4.

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What Would You Make?

partysugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:01:13 PST

Here's the scenario: you are at home and hungry. You have to cook up something scrumptious for you and your boyfriend/girlfriend/ spouse/child/friend, but the ingredients you have on hand are limited.

You have a package of pita, a can of garbanzo beans, and black olives. Using these products, along with whatever you currently have on hand in your cupboard and refrigerator, what would you make?

To see what I would make,

To eat more salads this week I purchased a huge container of mixed greens. I will start by cutting the pita into 1 inch pieces. I will toss these with olive oil, salt, pepper, and roasted red pepper flakes. I will place the pita croutons on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until crisp and crunchy.
Meanwhile, I'll prep the salad. In a big bowl I'll combine greens, rinsed garbanzo beans, and chopped black olives. To this I will add a couple of things I know I have in the fridge - green onions and sun dried tomatoes.
I will make a simple red wine vinegar flavored with a little bit of mustard and toss the salad to coat.
I'll add the pita croutons and enjoy the salad with a chilled glass of the white wine I purchased yesterday: dry Riesling!

Source

Do You Refer to These Beans as Chickpeas or Garbanzos?

partysugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:13:56 PST

Source

Name That Dish!

partysugar — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 08:01:33 PST

The other day I made a variation of tomato soup that included garbanzo beans. Below is another pureed version of the legume. It's normally served as a dip, do you know what it's called?