Thomas

This Mediterranean Chickpea Salad is so fresh and flavorful, you’ll definitely go back for a second helping. This salad goes well with the Mediterranean Lamb Kofta’s from my previous post. Let’s get chopping… and I mean it.

Ingredients:

Salad
- 1 Green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 Red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 Yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 English cucumber (seedless), chopped (2 cups)
- 1/2 Cup red onion, finely diced
- 2 Cans (15.5oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 Cup feta, crumbled
Dressing
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 2 Cloves garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper.

Fresh Bell Peppers, Onions, Parsley, Cucumber and Garlic

Preparations and Mixing:

Salad
- Chop and/or dice the fresh peppers, onions, parsley, cucumber and garlic. (I hinted there’s a bit of knife work going on with this recipe.)
- Place the diced red onion in cold water and let it soak while you’re busy with all the other chopping and mixing.
- Place the chickpeas, bell peppers, cucumber and feta cheese in a large mixing bowl. I use one of those large “That’s a Bowls” or else I’ll have a huge mess on the counter to clean up. I hate clean up.
- Drain the red onion and add to the mixing bowl.
- Mix all the these ingredients together. I sort of use a folding action so that you don’t over work the feta. If that happens the salad can get a bit mulchy.

Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl or a 2 cup measuring cup, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the top of the salad. I usually divide it in half and mix it and the add the second half and mix it again. I find that picking the bowl up and tossing it without a spoon helps keep the salad looking crisp and fresh.
- Transfer the finished salad to a serving dish, or not.
- Let the dish marinate for 30-45 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

That’s it, pretty simple minus a bit of chopping and dicing. At this point you probably deserve a glass of wine while cleaning up.

Grilled Mediterranean Lamb Kofta with Tzatziki Sauce

The Lamb Kofta is made with ground lamb and fresh herbs and spices and is traditionally from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions. It can be prepared as meatballs, meatloaf and sausages. I am preparing it as a sausage for grilling, which gives an awesome char flavor to the lamb. Served with a fresh Tzatziki Sauce and Mediterranean Chickpea Salad (I’ll post these recipes soon) makes for a flavorful Mediterranean meal.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground lamb
3 cloves of fresh garlic, crushed and chopped
2 Tbsp. white onion, grated
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. of ground black pepper
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1/4 cup fresh chopped Parsley
Fresh onions, peppers and tomatoes (optional)
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water (optional)

Preparation & Cooking:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl (I use my hands, it’s easier than trying to get it evenly mixed with a spoon.)
Divide into four (4) even portions and roll out in a sausage shape.
Place sausages and vegetables on the skews for grilling. (If you don’t want to serve with the vegetable, then skip the skewer.)

Grill for 3 minutes per side (10-12 minutes) over med-high heat. I know there are no sides on sausage, but you’ll figure it out.
Plate them up!

Serve with a super fresh Mediterranean Chickpea Salad for a taste of the Middle East/Mediterranean with family and friends.