Sicilian Style Chick Pea Salad Food

GRILLED SKIRT STEAK WITH SALSA VERDE AND FRESH CHICK PEA SALAD

Steps:

• Remove the skirt steak from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
• For the salsa verde:
• To a medium bowl, add the garlic, shallot, anchovy, capers, red chili flakes, chile, lemon zest (saved juice for later), mint and parsley. Save the lemon juice just until serving - this will help prevent the herbs from turning a dark unappealing color. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Set aside. Do not salt now. Allow the flavors to meld and come together.
• Preheat the grill over high heat.
• Season the skirt steak with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper and drizzle both sides with extra-virgin olive oil. Put on the grill and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes for the first side, then flip. Continue to cook for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes for medium-rare, remembering that the second side doesn't take as long as the first. Remove the steak from the grill to a cutting board. Let rest prior to slicing.
• For the chick pea salad:
• Put a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, season with salt and add the chickpeas. Allow to blanch for about 10 to 15 seconds. Add the shallots and chile to a medium bowl. Drain the chick peas and add to the shallots and chile. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Toss in the parsley and mint leaves. Taste and season, if needed.
• When ready to serve, add the lemon juice to the salsa verde. Taste and season with salt and pepper, only if necessary.
• Slice the skirt steak in half and then against the grain and mound the slices onto each serving plate. Top with some of the salsa verde and the chick pea salad.

CHICKPEA SALAD

Steps:

• Combine chick peas with onions, peppers, celery, garlic, red pepper flakes and rosemary in a medium bowl. Dress salad with vinegar and oil, salt and pepper.

BABY SPINACH AND CHICK PEA SALAD

Steps:

• Combine chopped spinach, chickpeas and chopped onions in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and 3 tablespoons (3 turns of the bowl in a slow stream) extra-virgin olive oil. Toss well to coat and combine. Season salad with salt and pepper, to your taste.

CECI ALLA SICILIANA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir the chickpeas, celery, onion, parsley, chiles, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. Season, to taste, with salt. Serve immediately or let stand for 1 or 2 hours and re-season just before serving.
• Slice the bread into 1/2-inch thick slices. Toast on a preheated grill or in an oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Brush 1side with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon some of the chickpea mixture over the bread slices and serve immediately.

CHICKPEA SALAD

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients together, mashing a little so the chickpeas are a bit rough round the edges - this helps absorb the dressing. (Can be made a day ahead and kept in the fridge.) Try it with slow-cooked Greek lamb and tzatziki sauce.

CHICK PEA SALAD

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.

MEXICAN-STYLE CHICK-PEA SALAD

Steps:

• Rinse chipotles. Wearing rubber gloves, separately seed and mince chipotles and jalape‱os. Mince onion and garlic. Peel, seed, and chop tomatoes. Rinse and drain chick-peas and in a large bowl stir together all ingredients except additional lime juice. Chill salad, covered, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Season salad with salt and add additional lime juice. Serve salad at cool room temperature.

SICILIAN-STYLE CITRUS SALAD

Steps:

• Make the vinaigrette: Whisk together olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. It should be tart but not over-vinegary. Taste and add a little more olive oil if necessary.
• To peel the citrus fruit, use a small serrated knife. First, cut off a thin slice of peel from the top and bottom of the orange, so it can sit flat and securely on the cutting board. Use a sawing motion to take off the peel, cutting from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit. Remove only the peel and white pith, not the flesh of the orange. It should now be perfectly spherical and naked. Peel remaining oranges and grapefruit in this fashion.
• Carefully slice peeled citrus crosswise. Arrange slices on a large serving platter in a random pattern, letting them overlap a bit here and there. Scatter onion, fennel and celery over top. Dot the surface with olives. Surround with salad leaves, if using.
• Whisk vinaigrette, and spoon evenly over the salad. Sprinkle lightly with flaky salt and serve.