Jill's Delish Tangy Chick Pea Salad Recipe (Gluten-Free, Low Fat Vegan)

My friend Jill McKeever has a fantastic recipe for Tangy Chick Pea (Garbanzo Bean) Salad on her site at Simple Daily Recipes. My husband and I are eating Low Fat Vegan and trying to implement Dr. John McDougall's "Starch Solution" as well. I'm reading that book at present and am finding so many exciting facts that I didn't know-- such as you can eat tons of starches (potatoes, rice, corn, beans, quinoa, etc.) without gaining any weight IF you delete the fats and oils and too many processed foods from your recipe. Finding tasty recipes is key to keeping us "in" until we are over the period of fats withdrawal (whenever that happens!)

A delicious tangy chick pea salad open sandwich, thanks to the salad recipe from Jill McKeever at Simple Daily Recipes

Jill has made a great vid tutorial about the recipe that she gave me permission to use on here.  She will give you her recipe and I include my adapted recipe underneath it.  I have to say that this salad is every bit as much a hit in our house (there are only two of us who have sampled it so far) as it is in Jill's.  Just as she says, it is the kind of recipe that you can eat repeatedly and just enjoy it every time.  It actually reminds me of a cross between potato salad and egg salad in its flavour bursts and mouth appeal.  My husband is of German descent, so the combo of potato salad on an open face sandwich is irresistable.

My adaptation of Jill's Tangy Chickpea Salad:

3-4 C. of Cooked Chickpeas (organic definitely work better/taste better to us)
2 T.         Dijon Mustard
2 T.         Bread and Butter Relish (check the labels for crap you don't want like fructose corn syrup)
6  drops   Liquid Smoke (we have Hickory, Jill used Mesquite... whatever smoke should be tasty)
1/2 C.      Yellow Onion, chopped fine (a fairly small onion-- best not to put leftover onion in fridge)*
1 T.         Tahini (sesame seed butter)
1/2          Lemon, squeezed (and mixed together with Tahini)
4             Celery Sticks, fine chopped
1 1/2 T.   Parsley, chopped

My Method:

1. Mix together the Tahini and Lemon Juice, set aside
2. Mash Chickpeas in a large pan or bowl OR put chickpeas, dijon mustard, relish, the tahini/lemon mix, smoke, and parsley in the bowl of a food processor and process until just homogenous (same throughout).
3. Dump contents of the food processor into a large bowl.  Work in the chopped onions and celery.  
4. Put a lid on (or plastic wrap) and let sit in fridge for about an hour to let flavours kick each other around a bit.

*A sliced onion will "draw" toxins from the air and from deep inside the body-- why it makes such a great poultice.  If you use a plastic baggie to store it in, it will draw toxins from the plastic, apparently.  Put it into a glass bowl with a glass saucer to cover.

Try this tangy, lovely chick pea delight and see if your family doesn't take after it like Jill's and mine!