Chickpea Salad Sandwich

I just love sandwiches.  They are the perfect quick meal.  As soon as I saw a recipe for a creamy chickpea salad sandwich from Becca at Amuse Your Bouche, I knew it was something I had to try.  The filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge so you have lunches ready for days - something important for a mom of 2 young children!  The whole family loved this sandwich...even my 18 month old.  Well, she couldn't eat the actual sandwich, but I set some of the filling aside, made sure it was well-mashed, and she ate it off a fork.  :)  The original recipe is great, but I tweaked it a bit for my tastes.  I hope you try it!

Ingredients (makes 3-4 sandwiches)

15oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tsp garlic powder

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, diced

2 Tbsp parsley, minced

2-3 Tbsp lemon juice

paprika

salt and pepper to taste

bread slices

lettuce

onion, sliced

spicy brown mustard

Directions

1. Lightly mash the chickpeas using a fork or potato masher.  In a large bowl, combine the chickpeas with the garlic powder, green onion, bell pepper, parsley, and lemon juice.  
2. Build your sandwiches with a layer of brown mustard on the lower piece of bread, a heaping portion of chickpea salad, and a sprinkle of paprika (to taste).  Top it off with the lettuce and sliced onion.  Enjoy!

Adapted from Amuse Your Bouche

Spinach Mushroom and Feta Quiche

There is something about quiche that is so comforting.  It is warm and hearty in a flaky pie crust.  What's not to love?  This recipe is one of my favorites.  It is packed with fresh spinach and sauteed mushrooms.  I really love that it isn't to egg-y or cheesy so you really taste the fresh veggies.  This is one of the first things I make when spinach is locally available.  It is a family favorite (even for my 1 year old!) and I hope your family gives it a try!

Ingredients

your favorite pie crust 

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

6-7oz fresh spinach, chopped if the pieces are large

3 eggs

1C half and half

freshly ground pepper

7oz feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Prepare your dough as needed.  Roll it out and place it into a 9 inch pie pan.  Pierce the crust all over with a fork.  Place the crust in the freezer for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms, onions, garlic, and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until vegetables are soft and golden.
4. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts, adding in batches if necessary.
5. Place the eggs in a bowl with the half and half.  Season with pepper and whisk to combine.
6. Spoon the mixture over the chilled pie crust.  Sprinkle the feta on top.  Pour the egg mixture into the crust.
7. Place the quiche directly on the oven rack and cook until puffed and golden, about 60 minutes.  Remove quiche from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

*If there are leftovers the next day, I highly recommend reheating it in the oven.  Heat your oven to 350.  Slice the quiche into pieces and heat in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Adapted from Myra Goodman

Weekly Menu

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful week!  I love that we are back in the swing of weekly farm runs.  I missed this throughout the last 2 months.  We have quite a bounty this week!  We brought home some romaine, kale, spinach, carrots, baby sweet Maui onions, celery, broccoli, and strawberries.  I am so happy to have so many dark leafy greens!  I seriously felt my anemia come back in January because I wasn't eating these iron-rich veggies.  So great to be back on track!  Here is what we will be enjoying this week:

• Spinach, Mushroom, and Feta Quiche with Rosemary Roasted Carrots
• using the spinach and carrots

• Chickpea Noodle Soup with a Creamy Chickpea Salad Sandwich
• using the carrots, celery, baby sweet onions, and romaine

• Orange, Chicken, and Goat Cheese Salad with Roasted Broccoli
• using the romaine and broccoli

• I will have the Kale-slaw for lunch and the strawberries will be our nightly dessert.