Chilli Chickpea Salad

I am a fan of the no-fuss, simple cooking philosophy. I love recipes that are quick, tasty, and made with fresh, whole foods. No mucking about. I enjoy cooking a lot, but I like to be in and out -- I don't like to be slaving away in the kitchen for hours on end; the most I will stand is about two hours. Maybe it's that I lack patience with myself, or with whatever I'm cooking with. I get into this whole different mindset when I cook, and I'm constantly rushing about the kitchen, like there's a deadline I need to meet and I'm running out of time. But, of course, there is no deadline, there never really is, I guess that's just how I am.

As I am home everyday, I really do have all the time that I want/need to cook whatever I feel like, but I still can't hack it -- complicated, or fussy cooking, that is. Plus, I am a creature of habit, and I often repeat meals over time, or make variations of the same meals by changing the vegetables, or using a different protein, for example. 

Really, when it comes down to it, that's what I love about cooking. I want to have fun, I don't want to spend five hours creating a masterpiece and only feel drained by the end of it, and not feel rewarded as such. I want to experiment with different ingredients, or the same ingredients, and at the end of it, sit down and actually enjoy something that I made. 

This chilli chickpea salad is one I whipped up one Saturday for a quick lunch. If you're a chilli and/or garlic lover, you'll enjoy this recipe. This salad can be served as a main, like I ate it, or you could have it as a side to tofu (or other protein, if you're not a fan of the tofu), or even throw some brown rice or quinoa through it to make a slightly more substantial meal. Also, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed more people -- feel free to play around with it. 

Chilli Chickpea Salad
Serves 1

1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed
6 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
A handful of kale, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
1/4 long red chilli, sliced finely
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
1 tsp olive oil
Lemon juice and fresh parsley, optional
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and then add the chickpeas. Cook for a few minutes. Add the cherry and sun dried tomatoes, chilli, and cumin, and toss together, cook for a further minute or two. Add the kale, toss together once more. Drizzle over some lemon juice and fresh parsley if desired, and then serve.