It’s been so good to be back in the kitchen! How I missed sharing my recipes with you guys... How’s the summer been?

Things has definitely been crackin in Aus... hope everyone stays hydrated! Been spending heaps of beach time to stay cool on the weekend? I whipped up this little beachside picnic situation, a hearty simple salad that tastes great served cold or room temp as well. (Although it’s great fresh too, cool veggies and warm chickpeas mmmm)

It’s a super simple take on classic Mediterranean flavor, and comes together quickly in a snap!

Toasted & gently fried chickpeas give this dish a delicious punch of protein.

What you’ll need:

1 can chickpeas
1 large cucumber
1 punnet cherry tomatoes
50g feta cheese
olive oil & balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup Connect Foods chili pumpkin seeds

Drain chickpeas and rinse well. Put chickpeas into a dry saucepan on medium heat. Shake the pan occasionally and allow them to toast.

While chickpeas are toasting, chop cucumber into small squares and slice cherry tomatoes in half.

Once chickpeas start to harden on the outside shell, add about 2 Tbsp of oil to the pan. Adjust heat to low and toast until brown on the edges. They should taste crispy fried and quite honestly, delicious.

In a large bowl (wooden if you have one for that rustic vibe...) combine tomatoes, cucumber, pumpkin seeds and 100g of feta (separate and put the other 50g aside for topping). Pour a couple tablespoons of olive oil and balsamic and toss everything together. Adjust oil & vinegar to taste. Add chickpeas last, and gently toss together just enough to combine, avoiding over mixing.

Serve with a little extra feta on top, a sprinkle of salt, and perhaps a few more chili pumpkin seeds.

Enjoy this easy takeaway meal!

- Ash xx

Optional hint: a little squeeze of lemon never hurt anyone! ;)

Toasted Chickpea Salad