Chick Pea Salad -- Two Versions

This is a simple stand-by recipe for a side dish of chick peas.   I am always on the look out for simple ways to incorporate legumes into daily life.   They help keep your arteries clean and add vital protein to keep muscles, ligament, and other tissues healthy and pain free.  

Buy the dried chick peas, not the canned.   You will feel much better not eating canned food. 

You need to soak the chick peas in fresh cold water for 8-12 hours (overnight).   You can also use the quick-soak method.  

Two cups of uncooked chick peas will give you about 8 cups of cooked peas.   I freeze half for another meal.

There are two versions below -- Indian flavours and French flavours.   Either version can be added to a green salad.

Indian Flavours
Ingredients:
2 cups chick peas, dried
Fresh herbs (2 stalks each of rosemary, sage, thyme)
1 t. cumin powder, roasted
Juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Sweet pepper (optional)
Onion, sliced (optional)
Sea salt

Instructions:
Soak the chick peas overnight in a large pot, using about two quarts of fresh cold water.
Drain the chick peas and discard the soaking water. 
Put the chick peas back into the pot.  Add 2 quarts of fresh cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer for 1-2 hours or until tender.  I infuse the beans by adding fresh herbs to the water (sage, rosemary, thyme).
Drain the chick peas and discard the water.   Freeze half for another meal if desired.
Put the cooked chick peas in a bowl.
Add the other ingredients and serve.  
To roast the cumin, put it in a hot frying pan for a minute, stirring the whole time.

French Flavours
2 cups chick peas
2 tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 green onions, chopped
Thyme, 1 sprig fresh or 1 tsp. dried
Fresh parsley, chopped
Chives, chopped
Sea salt
Pepper