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Friday, October 7, 2011

Feta-Chickpea Casserole

It's been a great week of posting new, healthy recipes. I like this blog because it encourages me to try new things to share with you, and it's fun to keep the family guessing. This dish, in particular, raised some eyebrows because -- I'll admit it -- it is not the most attractive dish in the world.

The technical name for it is "Fantastic Feta-Chickpea Casserole," but I have issues with adjectives in recipe titles. It's like they're trying to convince you of something before you even try it. But on the other hand, I guess the subterfuge worked because I tried the recipe, and I did think it was pretty fantastic.

If you like hummus or other chickpea-themed dishes, you will like this casserole. Chickpeas have such a unique taste -- I remember not liking them in my early 20s, but my taste buds have come around. This dish is fairly quick to whip up, and the texture and look is reminiscent of Thanksgiving stuffing. It makes great leftovers.

Try it as a side to grilled chicken (like we did), or as the main part of a vegetarian meal.

"Fantastic" Feta-Chickpea Casserole (from "The 150 Healthiest Meals on Earth")
Ingredients:
  • 2 TB olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 tsp dried thyme, or 1 TB minced fresh thyme
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 TB lemon juice
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 7 x 11 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.

While the onion is cooking, mash the chickpeas coarsely with a fork in a large bowl with a potato masher, or put them in a food processor for about 10 seconds.

Add the garlic and thyme to the onions and saute for one minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the prepared chickpeas. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and spoon into large bowl. Stir in the feta cheese, lemon juice, eggs, salt, and pepper. Spoon into the prepared baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned on the top.

Makes 4 servings.

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P90X One on One Volume 3: Back and Base

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