Chickpeas tossed in yogurt, lemon, basil and sunflower seeds

 

Fig and I returned from a walk that took much longer than expected due to the fact that exactly halfway through, he decided he was over it. I soon found myself trudging up and down hills with a toddler on one hip, a big pregnant belly in-front of me and my free hand pushing the 30 pound jogging stroller all the way back home ( because despite my best efforts, the stroller has become public enemy number one as far as he is concerned). By the time we got home, I was sweaty, tired, and in no mood to cook what I had originally planned for the evening. Instead, I opted for this 20 minute dinner of chickpeas tossed in a yogurt, lemon and basil dressing topped with sunflower seeds and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Served atop sourdough, it is sublime. I also whipped up a cold gazpacho soup and called dinner done.

For little folks:

Make sure the spinach and basil are diced as small as possible. This helps disguise the vegetables in the dish and raises the possibilities that a tiny tot will eat it. Fig LOVES yogurt, so I made sure to emphasis it when I presented him with this dish. “WOW! look at all that yummy yogurt!”. I find that highlighting a particular ingredient he likes helps him get excited about the dish and at least try it ( for that’s all I can really hope for anyway).

Ingredients; 

1 regular can of chickpeas ( also known as garbanzo beanas), drained

1/2 a cup of plain Greek yogurt

15-20 leaves of baby spinach ( in less particular terms, a big handful)

4-5 leaves of basil

1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice

1/4 a cup of sunflower seeds

1 clove of garlic ( use a mortar and pestle to make garlic into a paste)

sourdough bread

salt to taste

1) Finely dice the basil and spinach.

2) In a bowl combine the yogurt, lemon juice, spinach, basil, sunflower seeds, salt, garlic paste. Stir until well mixed. Then stir in chickpeas.

3) For adults, rest the chickpea mix on a thin layer of spinach. Top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

For mommy and daddy

4) Since my two year old can’t quite manage the sandwich yet, his was a more open concept.

Toddler Bowl