I came home from the YMCA the other night, didn’t have anything planned for dinner and didn’t want to spend any time in the kitchen (I had been hoping that someone else would have prepared something in my absence, but that didn’t happen). I stood in front of the cupboards hoping for inspiration and came away with a can of chickpeas. The dish that evolved from that can is extremely versatile. It could be a main dish or a side dish — We ate it with some chicken sausage wraps that were topped with spinach and avocado — and it could include a wide array of different ingredients depending on what you have on hand at that time. Here’s is the recipe for what our salad included but you could go in a million different directions with it so feel free to mix-and-match. And share your winning combination with us!

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 jar of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 can black olives, drained and chopped
a handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
a couple sprigs of parsley leaves, chopped
1 to 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
a splash of lemon juice
a splash of balsamic vinegar
freshly grated parmesan

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Top with parmesan.

It’s that easy (and delicious)! If you are eating this as a main dish, you’ll want to add some protein. This can be done by simply adding some sliced cooked chicken, some canned tuna or some cubed goat cheese! That would be a really great 1st or 2nd lunch, by the way…