Chickpea Sprout Salad

Chick peas are a favourite pulse in the Middle East and with many of our customers. Houmous made with cooked chick peas, tahini (sesame seed paste), garlic, lemon juice and olive oil is probably the most international famous chick pea dish and in fact if you have not already tried the version we sell I recommend you try it, as it is one of the best. It is relatively easy to make your own and you can make it with cooked chick peas or sprouted ones. Since I have been eating just raw food I have come to love this more simple sprouted chickpea salad and make my own tahini dressing to serve with it.

• 1. Chickpeas sprout in just 2 - 3 days. Discard any damaged chickpeas and soak them for 12 hours then rinse and leave them to drain in a sprouter, a colander or a sieve. Rinse them 2 3 times a day until the sprouts are 1 - 2 cm long and ready to eat. For the following salad as a main dish allow about handful of chick peas per person.
• 2. Rinse the sprouts well, removing discarding any that have not sprouted.
• 3. Mix the chickpeas with an equal quantity of 2 or 3 other prepared vegetables I like a simple mixture at this time of the year of celery, tiny match sticks of carrot, and fresh chopped parsley.
• 4. I usually serve the salad undressed, with a choice of a simple french dressing or the following Tahini dressing which reminds me of Houmous.

For a simple 100% raw meal serve this salad along side another green leafy salad. (Remember to get these out of the fridge - they taste better at room temperature) Chew it well and eat it slowly. Enjoy a small cup of warm (not hot) fennel or similar herb tea afterwards if you still feel hungry and set aside an apple and a few walnuts to eat in an hour or so if you still feel hungry. You may find that eating in this way is energising and less bloating.

Tahini Dressing

• 1 cloves of garlic
• 1 heaped tablespoon of Dark or Light Tahini (I like the Carley's raw organic tahini for this)
• 1 Tbsps. lemon juice
• 2 Tbsps. of olive oil
• A few Tbsps. of water

In a small bowl with a wooden spoon mix together first the crushed garlic, lemon juice and tahini. Then add the olive oil. Then add some water, just enough to thin the dressing to a pouring consistency. Season to taste with some unrefined sea salt. (If you possess a coffee grinder, that you do not use for coffee, you can make your own raw tahini from whole sesame seeds, very easily in a matter of minutes.)