Recipe: Yukiko’s Warm Chickpea Salad

I love the summer evenings where you can sit outside, well into the night, without a sweater.  Too often it gets chilly once the sun goes down, so when it stays hot all night, I want to take advantage of it.

I recently met up with my friend Lisa, an old roommate from my days at the University of Guelph.  We were both in the Hotel & Food Administration Program and she is most definitely still a “foodie”.  We met up on the patio at the Hometown Eatery (formerly Yukiko’s) and shared lots of laughs and memories over a glass of wine and their delicious warm chickpea salad.

I actually have the recipe for this incredible salad, because my friend Tina had managed to obtain the recipe from Judy (the chef/owner of Yukiko’s) for a birthday cookbook that she wrote a couple of years ago.  I emailed Judy last week, to see if she would allow me to share this recipe with all of you – and she graciously agreed.  In fact, Judy wrote “I am more than happy to share this recipe.  If anyone has the motivation & enthusiasm to cook/bake, I try to support them in their culinary adventure any way I can”.  Thanks Judy.

I’m sure you will love this salad – it’s healthy, delicious and full of flavour.  I will admit that I add a little more feta cheese than the recipe calls for though!

Yukiko’s Warm Chickpea Salad

makes 2 generous servings

ingredients

§         2 (two) cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

§         2 (two) tablespoons olive oil

§         2 (two) tablespoons white wine vinegar

§         1 (one) tablespoon minced garlic

§         2-3 (two to three) mint leaves, chopped

§         1/3 (one-third) cup thinly sliced sundried tomatoes

§         hot pepper flakes or thinly sliced pickled hot peppers, to taste

§         1 (one) teaspoon olive oil

§         a splash of white wine (a couple of tablespoons)

§         2 (two) cups baby spinach

§         ½ (one-half) cup crumbled feta cheese

§         3 (three) tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

§         1 (one) green onion, finely chopped

§         10 (ten) kalamata olives

§         salt and pepper to taste

method

1.      Combine the chickpeas, 2 (two) tablespoons of oil, vinegar, garlic, mint, sundried tomatoes and hot pepper flakes or peppers in a glass or ceramic dish.  Let sit for about 10 (ten) minutes while you assemble and chop the remaining ingredients.

2.      Heat one teaspoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

3.      Add the chickpea mixture and cook for a minute or two until the liquid evaporates.  Add the white wine and spinach leaves and stir until the spinach just begins to wilt.  Remove from the heat and add remaining ingredients.

Serve warm with foccacia bread, a glass of wine and a cherished friend.