Lebanese Chickpea and Bulgur Salad

Chickpeas are a staple in every Middle Eastern kitchen.  They are extremely versatile and can be used in an endless variety of dishes both as main courses and as side plates.  There is a good reason why chickpeas are so widely used: they are an exceptionally healthy bean which benefit the human body in many ways:

Chickpeas are an incredible source of dietary fiber and we all know that a diet high in fiber is essential to one's digestive health.  In addition, this miracle bean has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels (the bad type of cholesterol) and is a great source of iron.  And of course, chickpeas are a wonderful source of protein so vegetarians should most definitely be adding these beans to their diet. 

One of my favorite ways to enjoy chickpeas (other than of hommos, of course) is in a light and simple salad. When I saw a recipe for a chickpea and burgul salad in Claudia Roden's Arabesque I knew I had to give this recipe a try.

Noodles with Thai Green Curry and Veggies

I made this recipe twice in one week.  It's that good. And you don't have to tell anyone that it took a mere 15 minutes to cook this dish from start to finish!

You can throw in whatever veggies you like in here.  Tofu or chicken would also make this meal more substantial.  I, however, kept it light and simple and merely used chives, carrots and broccolini (my new obsession).

Green Bean and Chicken Stew

Here's another fabulous recipe I tried from Najmieh Batmanglij's wonderful cookbook.  I have become obsessed with this book! If you haven't already read my post on her chicken and apple stew I highly recommend you give it a try this weekend. You won't be sorry!

This chicken and green bean stew was a huge hit and was easy enough to prepare for a weeknight meal.  The flavors of the tomatoes and lime perfectly compliment the green beans and made for an ideal hearty meal.

I've been trying to incorporate green beans into my cooking these days due to the plethora of health benefits they have to offer:

Green beans are very rich in vitamins A and C both of which are important in fighting free radicals in the human body. The beta carotene in green beans are also thought to be an important element in the fight against cancers such as colon cancer.  It is said that the folate present in green beans helps prevents against mutations in colon cells and thus reduce the possibility of disease. 

You don't have to use chicken for this recipe.  You can use any other type of stew meat as well such as lamb or veal.