It's official. The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations has formally declared that 2016 is the
"International Year of Pulses."
What exactly is a pulse? Pulses are part of
the legume family. Legumes consist of dried beans and peas, lentils, soybeans, chickpeas, peanuts
and fresh peas and beans.
Pulses are the subcategory of legumes, such as
peas, chickpeas, lentils and dried beans that are harvested solely to eat
the dry seed. In contrast, soybeans and peanuts are grown to be eaten, but
they're also used to create oils such as soybean and peanut oil.
At less than $2 per pound, they are kind to
the wallet by giving you a lot of bang for your buck. Maybe the grocery bill
savings will inspire you to eat more pulses!
In addition to this can't-stop-eating hummus
(that has the creamy consistency of a savory mousse) here are some other
suggestions for adding pulses to your meals.
- Add chickpeas to tossed
salads.
- Add beans and lentils to vegetable soups.
- When making soup, chili or a meat casserole, use half
the amount of meat and supplement the other half with beans.
- Make bean burgers instead of meat burgers.
- Make fajitas using beans.
- Use mashed beans as the base for pizza topping instead
of sauce.
CHICKPEA MOUSSE WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS
This is a nutritious, creamy-textured, delicious spread. Part of what makes it so delicious is tahini: an all-natural, creamy puree made of sesame seeds, which has a light, nut-like flavor. Serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or crispy French bread rounds.
1 can (15 ounces)
garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves
⅓ cup tahini paste
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon
juice
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon red
pepper flakes
Several grindings of
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved
and thinly sliced
- In a food processor, combine garbanzo beans, garlic,
tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, red pepper flakes and black
pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer mixture to a shallow bowl;
cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over
moderately high heat. Add onions, reduce heat slightly and continue to
cook onions, stirring frequently until lightly browned. Allow onions to
cool.
- Just before serving, top mousse with onions and drizzle
with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Serve immediately.
