serves 12 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chickpeas (16 oz.)
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 garlic cloves
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp. paprika
• Parsley leaf to garnish
• 6 Whole wheat pita rounds, cut into 8 wedges per round
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt to taste 

Method: 

Soak chickpeas overnight and drain water.  Add 4 cups of water and chickpeas to a 6 qt. pot and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.  Cook beans for about 40 minutes or until completely tender.  Preheat oven to 375.  Toss pita points with olive oil and salt.  Arrange in one layer on 2 baking sheets and toast for about 20 minutes or until crispy.  Whisk lemon juice and cumin into tahini.  Puree garlic cloves first in food processor.  Add chickpeas and tahini mixture and puree.  Add in olive oil.  Retain some of the liquid the beans were cooked in and add to chickpea mixture as needed to thin.  Season with salt.  Spoon mixture into a small bowl and dust with paprika and garnish with parsley leaf.   

Note: If you are using fresh chickpeas, skip the soaking process and note that cooking time will probably be a bit shorter.   

Prep:  Soak and cook beans Preheat oven to 375       Supplies: Serving bowl/ramekin Platter for chips Spatula Food processor Stock pot Colander Baking sheet Knife Cutting board

Tidbits: 

• The combination of sesame seeds (tahini is just another word for sesame seed paste) and chickpeas equal a complete plant protein- great for vegetarians and vegans!   
• Whole grains and legumes freeze beautifully, so cook them ahead and portion into individual freezer-safe containers and just defrost and re-heat to serve.   
• Always discard the soaking water before cooking beans- the soaking softens the beans and extracts oligosaccharides, which is the culprit for gas in beans. 

For more recipes by Pace, visit http://tasteofpace.blogspot.com/

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