Summery Chickpea Salad

This one is quick and easy to make and just tastes of summer! Keep a large bowl of it in the fridge to add to your lunches or take it with you on a picnic or to a Braai. 

Summery Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

2 tins Chickpeas, drained

1 small finely sliced red onion

Handful of freshly picked parsley, chopped

1 tsp crushed garlic 

1 lemon, zest and juice

Drizzle olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. Drain the Chickpeas and shake them into your bowl

2. Sprinkle the sliced onion and parsley, as well as adding the garlic, lemon, olive oil and salt & pepper. 

3. Toss well to coat. 

4. Refrigerate for flavours to develop. 

Day 1 Bonus! - Lemon Curd

Some of the fondest memories I have of my childhood are of weekends spent at my Oma’s house. Her home was always a warm and safe place with lots of love, cookies, play tents, picnics and bubbles, home grown veggies and Lemon Curd! It is her recipe that I share below. Last week my brother came to stay with us in Knysna for a week and on his list of fun things to do was “Make Lemon Curd”! The recipe as it appears below only makes +- 2 jars, so I recommend tripling it, we do! It stores well for a long time, just be sure to sterilize your glass jars well before hand.

Lemon Curd (with Dairy free Notes)

Ingredients:

2 Cups Sugar

125g Butter (DF: use Wooden spoon Margarine)

3 lemons – Grate the rind off one, and juice all 3

4 Eggs

2-3 Sterilized jars

Method:

1. Mix the sugar, butter and lemon juice and rind in a medium sized pot over low heat.

2. Stir constantly and bring it to a boil.

3. Beat the eggs in a jug. Pour a very thin stream of egg into the hot lemon mixture while stirring the lemon mixture vigorously. This is tricky, but if you add too much egg at a time it will harden into scrambled egg!

4. Keep stirring until the lemon curd bubbles and thickens slightly. It will set further on standing.

5. Pour into sterilized jars while still hot, seal.

6. Now all you need is a pretty home made label!

Makes: 2-3 Jars

Day 1 - Classic Lemon Meringue Pie! (Gluten free)

I can think of no better way than to start a 31 day Challenge with the Classic Lemon Meringue Pie! This recipe is a gem that was passed on to us by my Friend Candice's Mum, Cicile. The base is a lovely short crust and is so easy to make. Here in South Africa it's spring and you can buy bags of lemons cheap as chips! I prefer using fresh lemons to the bottled version.

Classic Lemon Meringue Pie (with Gluten free notes)

Ingredients:

90g Butter

30ml Castor sugar

185ml Flour (GF: use gluten free cake flour)

85ml Cornflour / Maizena

20ml Milk

400g Can of Condensed milk

2 Eggs, separated

10ml Lemon rind

125ml Lemon Juice

60ml Extra Castor sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 Celcius.

2. Grease a large pie dish.

3. Cream the butter and castor sugar in an electric mixer, then gradually add sifted flour and maizena and mix well, add the milk and mix until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.

4. Pour the crumb mixture into the pie dish and spread evenly over the dish. Use the back of a spoon to press the base firmly into the dish, making sure to go up the sides.

5. Prick this with a fork and bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes.

6. In the mean time, combine the condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon rind and juice in a bowl.

7. Remove the base from the oven and pour the lemon mixture on top. Bake for a further 10 minutes.

8. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add extra sugar and beat until dissolved.

9. Spread the meringue mixture over the filling and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the peaks are golden brown.

10. Allow the Lemon Meringue Pie to cool in the dish before cutting.

Enjoy!!!