My Culinary Adventures: Curried Chickpea Salad & Tuscan Scrambled Eggs

I bought chickpeas randomly one day and really had no idea what I was going to do with them.  I was thinking maybe hummus but then I'd want an entire Middle Eastern/Mediterranean meal to go with that and I wasn't ready to take on a cooking challenge like that just yet.  I stumbled across this amazing recipe online, as well as a super easy recipe to make scrambled eggs a bit more interesting!  You wouldn't think that something as simple as onions, tomatoes and eggs would turn out so flavorful, but the way the tomatoes are cooked with the onions until all the juice has evaporated, then stirring in the eggs really makes it such a delightful dish.  It's a recipe I've turned to many times over.

Curried Chickpea Salad (Serves 2)
Recipe adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

I like to increase the amount of spices called for in a recipe, so really it depends on how you like your dish.  The amounts I give are what is in the recipe.  I definitely added a lot more, eyeballing and taste-testing while cooking.

Ingredients
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed well and drained
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbs chopped cilantro
1 tbs lemon juice
Salt to taste

1. Drain chickpeas into a colander placed in the sink, then rinse well with cold water until no more foam appears and let chickpeas drain while you cook the onions.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy frying pan or saute pan, add the onion, turn heat to medium-high and saute onions until they are lightly browned and starting to get crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Stir frequently while the onions cook, and don't let them get too browned or they will be bitter. 
3. When onions are lightly browned, stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, and cayenne pepper and cook 2-3 minutes more, until the spices are fragrant and slightly toasted.
4. Add the drained chickpeas and cook 2-3 minutes more, stirring so the spices and onions are well-distributed in the chickpeas.  Then stir in chopped cilantro and lemon juice and cook 3-4 minutes more.  Turn off heat and season to taste with salt.  
5. Let the mixture cool, then transfer to a plastic container with a snap-on lid and let salad chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.  Serve cold or at room temperature, tasting and adjusting the flavor with more lemon juice and salt before serving if desired.

Tuscan Scrambled Eggs (Serves 2)

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes
Ingredients
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
2 roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a nonstick skillet. Add the onions and cook until translucent, just starting to turn golden in color, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over low heat until the liquid evaporates, about 40 minutes.
2. Whisk the eggs in a bowl until well blended. Season with a little salt and pepper. Add the eggs to the tomato and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, and scraping from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat as soon as the eggs begin to set, but are still moist, about 3 minutes. Turn out onto a serving plate. Serve immediately.