Recipes with Chickpeas

Hummus

Ingredients:

¼ cup toasted, unsalted sunflower seeds

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained with liquid reserved

½ - 1 tsp. salt

In a high speed blender, add sunflower seeds and grind on highest setting until powdery.  Add ⅓ of the can of chickpeas and ⅓ of the drained liquid.  Blend until creamy.  And another ⅓ of the chickpeas and more of the liquid blending again until creamy.  Add salt and blend.  Add the last ⅓ of the can and enough liquid to finish blending until the hummus is creamy.  

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashew pieces

1 15 oz. can of chickpeas with liquid

2 T. brown sugar

¼ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. vanilla

1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat.  In a high speed blender or food processor, mix the raw cashew pieces with the entire can of chickpeas and the liquid until creamy.  Add the baking powder, vanilla and brown sugar and mix throughly.  Stir in the 10-12 oz. pkg. of chocolate chips.  Scoop 1 T. for each cookie onto baking sheet spacing a bit apart for spreading.  Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until set and beginning to brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool until firm and ready to handle.  Place on a rack to cool completely.  Note: Measure the liquid from the can to make sure you have ⅔ cup before adding into the mix.  This is an adaptation of the recipe developed by Goose Wohlt.

Meringue

Ingredients:

The liquid drained from a can of chickpeas, preferably low sodium or no sodium.

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

½ cup cane sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.  Measure the liquid from the chickpeas.  Pour into a small saucepan.  Place on medium heat to boil until the amount is reduced in half.  This will take 5-8 minutes.  Pour the liquid into the bowl of a high power mixer with a whisk attachment.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes.  

Start the mixer on low speed to begin to beat the liquid to the foamy state, adding in the cream of tarter.  Then increase the speed to medium speed and whip until soft peaks begin to form.  Add the vanilla and then begin adding the sugar a Tablespoon at a time, increasing the speed to the highest setting.  Keep whipping until you have stiff peaks.  Taste the meringue to see if there is any sugar grittiness.  If there is, keep whipping at the highest speed until you have stiff peaks and a glossy appearance.  

Pipe the meringue onto parchment or silpat lined cookie sheets into 2'' diameter mounds.  You should fill two cookie sheets.  Bake for 1 hour at 200 degrees and then turn oven off and allow the meringues to cool to room temperature.  Remove from baking sheets and store in an air tight container. 

Note: Make sure there is no oil on any of your utensils, bowls, etc. as this will deflate the meringue.  Do not be afraid you will over whip as that is almost impossible to do.  You will end up with about 5-6 cups of meringue.