I have a trivial confession to make; I like chickpeas… like REALLY REALLY like chickpeas.
I could eat chickpeas everyday, in fact until recently I was eating chickpeas on a daily basis – I’d make a variety of dishes with chickpeas, and if I couldn’t adapt chickpeas into the recipe, I’d have it as a side dish.
I never buy canned because I don’t like the taste of canned chickpeas, and it’s almost just as easy to cook them at home.

I’m lucky, I’m never out of chickpeas, whenever I’m running low, I’ll whine incessantly and a batch appears in the fridge (I have a very annoying voice).
On weekdays when I get home from work wary and hungry, I head straight for the fridge, grab a jar of chickpeas and a spoon and go to town.
Sometimes I like to dress it up and make a proper appetizer; a simple chickpea salad.

This is very easy to make, all you have to do is; grab one or two cups of chickpeas, or a can or two of the canned stuff (it’s perfectly ok), now add in some chopped onions and or garlic (if you’re into that kind if thing).
In a smaller bowl whisk a tablespoon or so olive oil with lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
Pour the olive oil mixture over the chickpeas, add some chopped parsley/chives or mint leaves or your herb of choice.

It’s so simple yet so good, you’d feel like a genius every time you make it.

Remember when I said I really liked chickpeas?
I usually follow this appetizer with another chickpea dish, a modest pasta with pesto and chickpeas and black beans.
A quick and tasty weeknight dinner – I never get tired of making them.

Tune in next week and let’s talk about how I ate a whole tray of chickpea bruschetta meant for at least ten people.