Recipe for Chickpeas with Bulgur Wheat

Today I cooked half a kilo of chickpeas and we had them for dinner, with enough extra to make another nice meal later in the week. (Canned beans would work just as well, of course.)

Chickpeas with Bulgur Wheat

1 cup medium-coarse bulgur wheat
2 and a half cups water
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely grated (about one cup)
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cups cooked chickpeas
Salt to taste

1. Bring the water to a boil, add the bulgur wheat, cover and simmer until done (about twenty minutes).
2. While the wheat is cooking, heat an inch of water in a soup pot, and when it boils, add the onion and carrots. Poach the vegetables in water until they are are fork tender, adding more water as needed. (NOTE: I never saute vegetables in olive oil but instead cook them in water before adding the oil. That's because olive oil retains more of its healthful properties if it's not heated above the boiling point of water. It's important, however, not to end up with a soupy mess, so don't add more water than you need to cook the veggies.)
3. Add garlic and olive oil and a bit more water, if needed. Cover and cook gently for five minutes. Stir in chickpeas and heat through. Serve the chickpea mixture over cooked wheat.

Makes four generous servings.