You say Chickpea, I say Garbanzo bean.

Same thing. I have always called them Garbanzo beans, that is the term I heard being used when I was a little kid. But to be clear they are the same.

The name Chickpea comes from the Latin word "Cicer." Which evolved into "Chiche" and then to the English "Chich. From "Chich" it became "Chich peas" to it's modern form "Chickpea." The common names for them are Ceci bean, India pea, Bengal gram, or Egyptian pea. They are one of world's earliest crops.

“Garbanzo,” on the other hand, is Spanish in origin. The term is derived form the Old Spanish “Garroba” or “Algarroba” and of Old Spanish “Arvanço.” So there is the difference.

Garbanzo beans are a frequent star guest in Monday Menu Madness. I use them in everything from sautees, to soups, to salads to fillings for stuffed mushrooms or peppers. The Hunebee will eat them every which way. KATvonVAPURE didn't know how much she liked them until she had my 2 Bean salad. Kuizzy would prefer his beans sweet like red bean desserts, but also enjoys the Adventures in Garbanzo. Oddly Angelo, who has OAS(oral allergy syndrome) and can't eat raw fruits, vegetables, or nuts, and even if he could prefers not to, also loves the bean salads and sautees. That is as long as they don't have tomatoes, or olives, or fruit.

Below is two ways that are similar yet different like their name.

1. Spicy Garbanzo and Greek yogurt

Ingredients:
1 15oz. can of organic garbanzo beans
2 Tbs. greek yogurt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
4 pickled jalapeno slices, minced
salt and pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill or serve.

2. Garbanzo, Tomato, Artichoke saute

Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans
1 whole roma tomato, large dice
1/8 cup of green olives with pimentos, chopped
1 tps. of minced garlic
1/8 cup of chopped artichoke hearts
3-4 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
Saute garbanzos' in olive oil, add all other ingredients and cook for about 5 minutes.
*Chop olives after you measure and measure artichokes' after you chop them.

ENJOY!

BEST Top 10 GLUTEN FREE recipes!

I will be working my little hands to the bone for the rest of this week compiling the BEST GF recipes EVER! Well 10 of them anyway...Like you know from reading past posts The HUNEBEE and KATvonVapure are GLUTEN FREE foodies! So there are many new and exciting dishes I have to come up with each week to keep them interested that don't consist of your typical quinoa, and GF Pasta. Leave your address when you stop by for an AMAZING easy, Gluten Free list you'll fall in love with over and over!

Could've lost "a" Lb.

I grabbed a small head of cauliflower when I was grocery shopping recently. I was in a little rush so I didn't pay as much attention to the actual size of the "head" I chose. When I was about to cut it open I realized that there was almost more foliage around it than the actual part most of us use. I was irritated and thought, "Geez, I just payed for double the amount I actually got, lame..." Then I started thinking that obviously the whole thing is edible, and I should experiment. I planned on roasting it anyway so I separated the green leafy exterior from the actual cauliflower and trimmed it down to the healthiest looking pieces. Then chopped them into bite size pieces and tossed them into my baking dish, which also moonlights as a cake pan:) I did the same with the white part. I mixed them with a "marinade" of Caesar dressing, small amount of tomato paste, lemon pepper, black pepper, parsley and salt. I included pictures from every stage. The foliage made it that much better. I have done this cauliflower bake many times, but this was the first time with the "WHOLE" thing. The green pieces taste like cauliflower (obviously) but as if it were mixed with celery. I can only image that there's added fiber and vitamins, along with a texture different from the Cauliflower florets. It was a great balance. I bake this at 350° for about 20-25 minutes, or until desired consistency. I like it firm. 

ENJOY!