Cooking 101 - Warm Chickpea Vinaigrette

Thanks for all of your support and ideas on my new cooking project.  So far this week I've managed to make the world's easiest cookies (1 spice cake mix, 1 15-oz can pumpkin and 1 cup chocolate chips, mix together and bake) and completely mess up a package of jello pudding (who knew pudding wouldn't set up if you used Soy Milk?)

I also tried a new recipe out of a cookbook I won in a giveaway - Simply De-Lite-Ful by Alice Bolen and Janelle Woolley, find it here.  I've had a stash of chickpeas around the house because I want to try making hummus, but I can't seem to find tahini in Utah.  So when I saw a recipe for a chickpea salad in the cookbook I decided to give it a try.  It was super easy and would make a great side dish, although I used it for a main dish.

Warm Chickpeas Vinaigrette

 from Simply De-Lite-Ful

by Alice Bolen and Janelle Woolley

2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained (I halved the recipe)
1 large shallot, diced (I'd cut back on the shallot, I'm not a huge onion/shallot fan)
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup large carrot, grated (I had baby carrots, so I chopped them)
1/4 cup fresh flat-leave parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
Freshly ground pepper


In serving blow combine shallot, vinegar, garlic and salt.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, blanch chickpeas in boiling water for 2 minutes and rain.  Add warm chickpeas, carrot, parsley and olive oil to shallot mixture and toss together.  Taste and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and additional salt if needed.

For those of you who asked, here's last week's recipe, along with our best google attempt and converting from the UK recipe, if you are in the UK and want the original drop me a line:

Tomato Soup 

Pret A Manager

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1/2 Onion, chopped
4 cups Tomato, chopped (we've tried fresh, canned, and bottled - I prefer canned, I use 1 15 oz can and one 32 oz can, slightly more than the recipe calls for)
2 teaspoons Tomato Puree (I've only found it in a giant can, so I froze the leftovers)
1/2 cup Water
2 tablespoons Dry White Wine (I use cooking wine)
4 tablespoons Cream 
2 teaspoons Vegetable Bouillon (recipe calls for Marigold brand)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons White Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Oregano, fresh chopped
1 teaspoon Parsley, fresh chopped
Salt
1 teaspoon Thyme, fresh chopped (fresh herbs make a huge difference)
Black Pepper


Gently fry the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft, around 5 minutes.  Add the tomato, water, tomato puree, wine, bouillon, sugar and white wine vinegar.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Finally add the cream, herbs and seasoning and simmer for a couple of minutes before serving (I prefer the soup after it has simmered for hours.)

While I cooked this week I listened to Mumford and Sons - kept me hopping in the kitchen.
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