This hearty roasted Chickpeas and Spinach salad has nutrients rich spinach and antioxidants rich chickpeas in it. I love chickpeas either in the form of curry or rice or salad or snack. As this Chickpeas and Spinach salad is fully loaded with fiber, proteins and antioxidants.  This versatile salad has roasted chickpeas, which has exotic smell because of addition of cumin, later it was sprinkled over the spinach bed along with onion and cherry tomatoes. This is good for summertime outdoor meals. Try this refreshing, colorful and low calorie Chickpeas and Spinach salad and enjoy.

   Ingredients for roasted Chickpeas and Spinach salad 

        1/2 Cup of Canned Chickpeas 
        3 Tbsp of Olive Oil
        1/2 Tsp of Cumin Seeds
        1/4 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
        1/2 Tsp of Red Chilly Powder
        1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
        5 – 10 Grape Tomatoes
        2/3 Cup of Spinach Leaves
        1 Tbsp of Lemon Juice
        2 Tsp of Parmesan Cheese
        Salt and Pepper to taste

   Method

   Roasting Chickpeas in the oven

• Preheat the oven to 425 degree F. Mix the chickpeas in a bowl with 1 tbsp of olive oil, the cumin seeds, turmeric powder and red chilly powder and season with salt and pepper. 
• Transfer to a large nonstick roasting pan and roast in the preheated oven for 12- 15 mins, until nutty and golden.

     
   Making of salad

• Meanwhile, place the onion and tomatoes in a large bowl with the spinach and toss gently to combine. Mound onto serving plates.
• Remove the chickpeas from the oven and sprinkle them over the spinach salad. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top. Drizzle serving plate with the lemon juice and the remaining olive oil and serve immediately.

 

    Tips

• You can use crumbles of feta cheese instead of Parmesan cheese.
• Also you can use red wine vinaigrette for dressing.
• Add paprika to chickpeas for color, in place of red chilly powder and turmeric powder.
• If you don’t get canned chickpeas, then you need to soak chickpeas for 8 hrs, pressure cook it with salt and water and roast it in oven .

Health Benefits of Chickpeas and Spinach
       
    Chickpeas

• High in fiber and protein and antioxidants.
• Low in glycemic index.
• Helps to lower LDL cholesterol level.
• Reduce the risk of Heart disease.

    Spinach

• One cup of cooked spinach has 42 mg of calcium.
• Spinach is your best bet for folic acid, which helps keep cells all over the body growing and functioning well.
• It’s an incredible non animal protein source of iron, which delivers oxygen all over the body, providing much-needed energy to kids’ muscles.
• Spinach also helps regulate blood sugar and keeps your children’s hearts healthy because it’s high in potassium and magnesium.

 

Roasted Chickpeas and Spinach Salad

2 Servings

  Calories299.6  Total Fat22.0 g     Saturated Fat3.3 g     Polyunsaturated Fat2.1 g     Monounsaturated Fat15.4 g  Cholesterol2.0 mg  Sodium816.0 mg  Potassium254.2 mg  Total Carbohydrate22.1 g     Dietary Fiber4.0 g     Sugars1.7 g  Protein5.0 g

Vitamin A	22.6 %
Vitamin B-12	0.6 %
Vitamin B-6	18.7 %
Vitamin C	35.3 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	13.8 %
Calcium	7.9 %
Copper	7.9 %
Folate	16.1 %
Iron	11.4 %
Magnesium	8.4 %
Manganese	28.6 %
Niacin	1.5 %
Pantothenic Acid	2.5 %
Phosphorus	9.9 %
Riboflavin	3.6 %
Selenium	4.0 %
Thiamin	3.3 %
Zinc	6.1 %

*Percent Daily Valuesare based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily valuesmay be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

                 Today I was in the mood for some fresh vegetable juice ..and scanning my fridge I found some apples, couple beetroot wedges  and some carrots ..In they went into the blender and I added a pinch of sea salt and a touch of cinnamon powder, not just to spice things up, but also to keep blood sugar in check due to all the sweet veges being added. My vegetable cocktail was colorful, tasty and refreshing at the same time. By the way the concoction(ABC) I made which I thought was my accidental culinary discovery seemed to be a regular menu in most juice bars around the globe, which I later learnt as I was globe trotting …. This juice is a combination of 3 health boosting ingredients are apple, beetroot and carrot. This juice has got brilliant red color and also it is good for health. This juice is a super detoxifier to body. “Drink it in the morning”. So start your day with this delicious, filling & healthy drink..

    Ingredients

           1/2 Beetroot, Cut to small chunks
           2 Carrot, Cut to small chunks
           1 Apple, Cut to small chunks
           < 1/4 Tsp of Salt
           < 1/4 Tsp of Cinnamon Powder
           2 Cups of Water
          

    Method

• Wash all produce in cold, running water.
• Chop into big pieces.
• Add everything in a blender or food processor, along with ground cinnamon, salt and water, blend until smooth.    
• Serve Immediately.

    Tips

• You can use green apple instead of Red apple for sour taste.
• You can use a tsp of honey or sugar. I didn’t add because beetroot and carrot itself has natural sugar in it.
• Adding ground cinnamon is to reduce blood sugar level.

     Health Benefits of  ABC Juice
    
     Apples:       

• Apples are rich in Vitamin A, which may help maintain healthy skin, body tissues and teeth; Vitamin C, which may help build and repair blood vessels and ligaments; and enzymes that fight inflammation, according to the National Institutes of Health. 
• Apples may also help keep the mind sharp and ward off Alzheimer’s disease. A study by the Center for Cellular Neurobiology & Neuro degeneration Research at the University of Massachusetts     
• Lowell found apple juice might prevent Alzheimer’s by stopping the decline of a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.

      Beetroot

• Beet juice is best known for helping cleanse the liver, eliminate toxins from the bloodstream and helping the body build red blood cells, according to the California Department of Health.
• Researchers at Wake Forest University have also shown that beet juice and other food high in nitric oxides can help increase blood flow to the brain, slowing dementia. 
• Other studies have shown beets may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.       

     Carrot

• Carrots are well known for helping vision — Vitamin A is essential for proper night vision, and the lutein in carrots may fight macular degeneration according to researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 
• Carrots are also rich in carotenoids — a photosynthesizing pigment that gives plants an orangish hue (such as sweet potatoes and autumn leaves).
• Carrots are rich in the carotenoid beta-carotene, which is an antioxidant.