I felt like Maria von Trapp making this, because: Chickpeas? Avocados? Feta? These are a few of my favorite things…
Avocado is a great substitute for mayo – I’ve made some of my favorite chicken salads with avocados as a base – but mashed with chickpeas, combined with a little feta, lemon/lime juice, and cilantro, this was beyond delicious. The citrus keeps the avocado from browning, so you can keep this for a full day in the fridge for a healthy snack, or a sandwich filler, or a scoop on top of some salad greens. You get the picture. It’s healthy, it’s filling, and it’s ready in no more than ten minutes, tops. Enjoy.
CHICKPEA, AVOCADO, & FETA “SMASH” (serves 2-3)
– 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (I use Eden Organic beans, because they’re fully organic, their cans are BPA-free, and they’re only slightly more expensive but significantly better for you than the alternatives)
– 1 avocado, cut into chunks
– 1/2 lemon, juiced
– 1/2 lime, juiced
– Approx. 3 tbsp. crumbled feta
– smallish handful of cilantro, chopped (approx. 2 tbsps)
– kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Rinse the chickpeas well and drain them, then add to a mixing bowl.
2. Cut an avocado into chunks. The easiest way to do this is to cut an avocado in half, lengthwise:
Then, carefully but firmly, thunk (that’s a made-up cooking term) the knife blade into the avocado pit, twist it a bit, and gently pull out the pit.
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| those are some balancing skills, right there! |
Then, in the avocado half itself, cut the avocado into a grid, run your knife around the perimeter of the avocado, and squeeze out the chunks into the bowl with the chickpeas:
2. Combine the chickpeas and the avocado, lemon/lime juice, and kosher salt & pepper, and smash it all together. If you have a Potato Masher, this helps to get things started, but finishing smashing with a fork until you have the chickpea/avocado consistency that you want. If you want more of a chunkier avocado texture, smash the chickpeas until they’re 75% to the texture you want, then add the avocado to finish. Say smash again. Smash!!
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| pre-smash |
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| smashed |
3. Add cilantro to taste, then feta, then add salt/pepper/lemon juice or lime juice as needed.
Sandwich filler? Salad topper? Solo? Any way (or “S”) you serve it, it’s a winner.
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