My new favorite dish...

There is a saying in India that if you eat 10 chickpeas a day, you will never have a heart attack.

Although, I hope that this is true the real reason I cook with chickpeas is because they are so versatile. You can cook them in the Indian or Middle Eastern style or you can use recipes from the Mediterranean, were they are a staple, especially in places like Spain, Sicily Turkey and Cyprus.

This salad is just as good the next day so make plenty and you'll have a

heart healthy lunch to enjoy!

Pan-Fried Chickpea Salad

1 tbsp. butter, olive oil or coconut oil

2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained & rinsed

1 cup chopped leeks

1 medium clove garlic, minced

zest of one lemon

1/3 plain Greek Yogurt

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1-2 tbsp. warm water

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

baby spinach or arugula

Heat the butter or oil in a large skillet and add the chickpeas. Saute over medium-high heat stirring occasionally, until they start to brown. Stir in the leeks and cook until the chickpeas are more golden and the leeks have browned a bit as well, 7-10 minutes. At last stir in the garlic and lemon zest. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

While the chickpeas cool, make the yogurt dressing by combining the yogurt, curry powder and salt in a small bowl. If you need to thin it out, whisk in warm water a tbsp. at a time. Taste, adjust and set aside.

When you are ready to serve the salad, toss the chickpea mixture with most of the cilantro and most of the chopped red onion. Add about 1/2 of the yogurt dressing and toss again. Keep adding the dressing until you are pleased. Serve on a platter lined with arugula or spinach and sprinkle with the remaining onions and cilantro.

*You could also wrap this up in a wheat tortilla with some baby spinach and chutney for a quick lunch or serve alongside sliced cucumbers and grilled chicken for an easy dinner.