Gonzo for Garbanzos!

Vibes Cuisine just loves the garbanzo bean aka the humble chickpea.

Well used by our fellow citizens of Arabic descent, it's also been heartily embraced by vegetarians. Affordable, nutritious and delicious, chickpeas are also quite versatile. So today we are sharing some of the ways we can enjoy them.

Dry peas of all kind are really easy to work. Although the canned variety is convenient, we avoid them because of the salt they are packed in and also the price. Working with the dry version just means putting the beans in a bowl, covered with double their volume of water and soaking overnight in the fridge (12 hours is good).

Once your beans have been soaked and rinsed, you are ready to go.

Roasted chickpeas make a fantastic snack giving that satisfying crunch that often has us craving less healthy (high-calorie) munches like potato chips. You can even concoct your own spice blend, depending on your family's flavour preferences. The salt and vinegar version is especially good as you don't need oil. We alternate between this one and its spicy counterpart, whipping up batches on a cookie sheet in the toaster oven. Don't be surprised to hear them popping as they bake.

meat substitute

You can also work straight from the rehydrated peas to make falafel. Believed to be created by Coptic Christians in Egypt as a meat substitute for Lent, the ground chickpea croquettes spread to become an integral fixture of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Forget about the expensive box mixes you can buy locally, it is truly easy 'peasy' from scratch! You simply blend the chickpeas with herbs and spices, then let the paste set. It is important that the chickpeas and herbs are almost moisture free to hold their final shape. Use a food processor or blender or a mini chopper to crush the herbs then peas separately, mixing them together in a bigger bowl. If the falafel is crumbly you can add a little flour to help it bind. Use a tablespoon or ice-cream scoop to portion small balls, then compress, smooth and shape by hand. Fry until golden or bake if you are watching your calorie intake. Use coconut oil for frying when possible, as less is absorbed in the food.

A final must-have chickpea item is humus, served as a dip or sandwich spread. We were thrilled to see it on nutritionist Fran Mahfood's new facebook page - The Healthy Weigh. This is all about healthy living and she posts step-by-step photos for recipes as well as shares her ways of making better food choices. She notes that two tablespoons of hummas is equal to 50 calories. Eat with carrots, cucumber, snap peas, whole grain crackers or pita bread. Add a beet or avocado when blending for a different taste.

Once you get the basic recipe under your belt, you can get exotic by adding ingredients like roasted sweet peppers, cilantro, a little Scotch bonnet or even wasabi.

Chickpeas are high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fibre, but low in fat and salt, plus it contains no cholesterol.

Fran Mahfood's 'The Right Weigh' hummus

Ingredients

1 cup chickpeas

2tbsp tahini,

¹/² cup lime or lemon juice

1tsp salt and pepper to taste

2 to 3 cloves garlic