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Voting for Project Food Blog Challenge #4 is officially underway!  If you like what you see here at Eats Well With Others, I would appreciate it SO MUCH if you could head on over and vote for me and my spinach-onion curry pizza on a pumpkin-infused pizza dough!

Exciting things don’t usually tend to happen to me.

I know I talk about things like meeting matchmaker cabdrivers and setting world records for making the most PB+J sandwiches in one minute.

But honestly, this weekend I rode in three cabs.  Each of which was completely nondescript and totally un-noteworthy.

And I did not set a single world record.

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You’re snoring already, I see.  That’s okay.  Yesterday I was forced to listen to a truly boring individual talk about methylation of DNA for two hours.  And I did not listen to a single word he said.  Karma’s a bitch, isn’t it?

Ah, but here’s where you should perk up.  This weekend, I walked my first red carpet.  Okay.  It was not red.  In fact, it looked distinctly like tar.  But it felt like a red carpet, and isn’t it truly the thought that counts?

You see, thanks to the wonderfully amazing folks over at POM Wonderful (and wow, who knew that they have an Abercrombie and Fitch model on their website.  If drinking gallons of POM can get me a guy like that…I’ll bathe in the stuff.) I was able to attend one of the NYC Wine and Food Festival’s Grand Tastings!

Basically, the NYC Wine and Food Festival is a festival centered around food and wine (duh) that is hosted by the Food Network and Food and Wine magazine.  Each day there are a series of events, cooking demos, book signings as well as grand tastings where you basically walk around this HUGE tent with a wine glass hanging around your neck and gorge yourself on free food and wine from some of NYC’s most famous fine dining establishments.  It was basically what I imagine heaven to be like.

The festival was located at Pier 54 and in order to get there, you need to walk along the West Side Highway, a favorite running and biking route among the city’s physically inclined.  However, rather than have festival-goers mingle with the sweaty and dehydrated, the Wine and Food Festival planners blocked off half the running path for us.

It was a very VIP moment.  I may or may not have posed and put on my movie star face as I walked down the strip.

By which I mean. I probably did.

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So that was how I spent my Sunday.  Gorging myself on amazing food and amazing wine.  Thinking to myself the entire time.  Man.  This was not the time nor the place to wear my skinny jeans.  (Note to self. Next year.  Wear something with an elastic waistband.)

And to think, this was after the mouth-watering dinner I attended on Friday at the Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, hosted by POM Wonderful, to kick off pomegranate season (more on this in a later post!)

To say that I was stuffed beyond belief (and very happily so).  Is an understatement.

And what does one do when one has eaten more gourmet chocolate and than one cares to remember? One goes back to basics.  Fresh flavors.  Clean eating.

Hence this chickpea and quinoa salad, which is good for you in every sense of the word.  Whole grains, fiber, vegetables, healthy fat, vitamin E.  Good for your mind, good for your body, and good for your tastebuds (which really means good for your soul).  I’ll be eating this every day for the next week.  Because you just never know when a red carpet or a little black dress is going to present itself.  Word.

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Chickpea and Quinoa Salad with Lemon and Tahini
Serves 4, adapted from Lisa’s Kitchen

1 cup dried chickpeas or 1 can chickpeas
1 1/2 cups red quinoa
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 medium eggplant
1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
juice of one lemon
3 tbsp tahini
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

1. If using dried chickpeas, soak them over night in water for at least six hours.  Drain them.  Place them in a pot with enough water to cover them plus an inch.  Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer until soft.  This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

2. Dice the eggplant. Heat a nonstick skillet.  Spray with cooking spray.  Saute eggplant until cooked through.  Set aside.

3. Mix 1 1/2 cups red quinoa in a pan with three cups water.  Season with salt.  Cover and bring to a boil.  When boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until all of the liquid has dissolved.

4. While this is happening, mix together the ingredients for the dressing – shallot, garlic, lemon, tahini, salt, pepper.

5. When the quinoa, eggplant, and chickpeas are done, mix all together with the dressing and the chopped parsley.

This is going to Weekend Herb Blogging, which is being hosted by Prof Kitty of The Cabinet of Prof Kitty.  And to the Hearth and Soul blog hop!

Please send in your recipes for Regional Recipes: GERMANY!

And remember to vote for me over at foodbuzz! Thanks so much in advance, I can’t do this without you guys!

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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85 Responses to Chickpea and Quinoa Salad with Lemon and Tahini

  1. I make a lot of quinoa salads– they are so versatile and easy! Looks delicious! I’m jealous about your Food and Wine Festival attendance!! Did you meet any celebrity chefs??

  2. The Food Festival sounds like it was a blast as does the dinner at Eleven Madison. This quinoa salad looks, it is a must try. Now I need to go give ya a vote over at FB. xo

  3. This looks so delicious and healthy!

    SOOO jealous you got to attend the NYC F&W festival! That’s awesome!

    One of these years, I’ll try to get there!

  4. Oh what a wonderful event !!
    i love the POM bottle, well why am i talkn about the bottle, coz i have never had POM , but i will try soon [hopefully], and i guess i should love it too…
    oh am sure ur presence there was so welcome and am glad for the wonderful time and looking foward to here more …..
    Oh eventful things ,in a good way , do happen to u, a BIGGGG sucessfull blogger,almost on the way to being the next food buzz star…whew …am sure there’ll be more to that soonnn…

  5. Simply Life says:

    I just voted for you – good luck!

  6. I can’t wait to try this! I just discovered red quinoa a few weeks ago and fell in love with it. I was looking for another good recipe!

  7. Rachel says:

    What a yummy looking salad!
    Bathing in POM…interesting idea…

    good luck in the challenge!

  8. elra says:

    Nutritious dish Joanne, I still have quite a bit of red quinoa that I bought from TJ.

  9. Nice quinoa salad – I love the addition of tahini!

  10. As there is no POM in Switzerland and I have no holidays to go pick up the pomegranates myself, I will stick to your delicious salad! Love quinoa and chickpeas!

  11. Amy says:

    Hm. Subjected to a mind-numbing lecture – then be wined/dined by a a vendor and attend a food festival. I’d say that’s a fair trade. Jealous!

    I shall live vicariously through you. Well, except the Med. School. I’ll leave that in your hands.

    So excited about pomegranate season. Can’t wait to see what you’re creating…

  12. What a great event to attend–sounds fantastic! And, this does look like a good, healthy follow-up meal. I love this kind of mix of grain, beans, and vegetables.

  13. Ben says:

    OK, that’s something new for me. It looks very interesting, which means I want to try it right now. Uneventful weekends are not always bad, at least yours seemed to be more exciting than mine, hehe.

  14. Kristen says:

    I am often jealous of you foodies who live in the Big City. There are so many exciting opportunities you get that a Small Town foodie misses. Good for you…for eating so much, for riding in cabs, and for getting to go to the Food & Wine festival.

  15. Nelly says:

    I know I say this every time but I swear I will be making this sometime this week! I might have to add sardines, though. Gotta have my protein! 🙂

    The festival sounds amazing! Sometimes I wish I lived in a big city so I could go to all these events and live it up…but then I look out my window and see a herd of deer 20 feet away. Still, free food and wine is awful tempting!

  16. Swathi says:

    Chickpea quinoa salad looks delicious.. I love to bath in POM. However haven’t tried yet that product.

  17. Satya says:

    salad looks so delicious n healthy ..love the ingredients used to make this yummy salad

    Satya
    http://www.superyummyrecipes.com

  18. Sarah S. says:

    I’m all over that salad!

  19. Marcia says:

    mmm…all my favorite things in one dish

  20. Sometimes one just has to gorge themselves to fit in (and not their skinny jeans). Thanks for being the one who “had” to eat all that chocolate. You are my hero!

    This “repentant” dish is not too shabby. I think I’ll prepare it, gorge on some good chocolate, and eat it with wild abandon.

    Best,
    Bonnie

  21. Thats a lovely salad,loved that you added tahini in it…would be so different and tasty

  22. I just checked the POM website and I see what you mean! The food and wine festival sounds fantastic. You are a star and this salad sounds fit for a rising celebrity 🙂 Very healthy and delicious.

  23. Faith says:

    Sounds like it was a pretty fabulous time this weekend and congrats on your carpet debut! Tahini sounds amazing with quinoa, I’m definitely trying that! Just voted for you! 🙂

  24. Katerina says:

    I do the same when I enjoy a really good meal. I eat salads the following week to counterbalance the enormous amount of calories I received. I’ve already voted for you and your salad is ideal for keeping in shape.

  25. Raina says:

    Wonderful dish. It looks delicious.

    That must have been a great event, sounds fun:)

    Going over to vote:)

  26. I’ve cooking a lot with both quinoa and chickpeas lately, but haven’t yet combined the two. This sounds so delicious and nutritious!

  27. janet says:

    It is post-Canadian Thanksgiving so I also feel the need for wholesome meals this week. 🙂

  28. This looks like an amazing salad! I love the creative ingredient combinations – I bet it has amazing texture.

  29. Christy says:

    What a yummy sounding dish – as always, your food is a homerun! Thanks for sharing this with us at the hearth and soul hop!

  30. I love quinoa salad. There are so many people who are intimidated by it, but I think it has such a wonderful flavor that lends itself beautifully to many variations.

    Great post and you know you have my vote!

  31. tigerfish says:

    Protein power! Joanne power! go go go!

  32. Darling, skip the elastic waistband and go straight for the muumuu! I’ve gotta try that red quinoa, so pretty! Thanks for sharing with the Hearth and Soul hop.

  33. Pam says:

    I have been looking for a quinoa salad to take to lunch at work. I found it!

  34. Lo says:

    Loving the quinoa here, lady! It’s my latest favorite power grain. And it happens to go perfectly with a bar of chocolate 😉

  35. aipi says:

    I love quinoa..a nutrition powerhouse..like its nutty flavor..the salad looks delicious..nice combo of ingredients!

    US Masala

  36. Pam says:

    I am so jealous! That would be my idea of heaven too.

    The quinoa salad looks hearty and tasty.

  37. Julie says:

    no you didn make pumpkin pizza dough.

    no you didn go to eleven madison ave for dinner (i used to intern at credit suisse and pine over that place)

    no you didn go to an ultra chic wine event!

    gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 🙂

  38. Reeni says:

    Can you believe I’ve never had quinoa? I keep saying I’m going to try it and then I forget to buy it. If mine looks half as good as yours I’m sure I’ll have no choice but to love it. I’m thrilled that you chose me for the squash challenge! And I love that you said (word.) that’s so old-school!

  39. Ameena says:

    Waistband pants are totally underrated…I wear them all the time. As a matter of fact, Lucy and Lululemon clothing dominates my closet!

    I love quinoa….

  40. Victoria K. says:

    Ooh I’m so jealous, can’t wait to hear about your special dinner!! Why don’t I get any VIP invites? Lol

  41. Chris says:

    “I’ll bathe in the stuff”

    If nothing else, it would give your skin a great color!

    So jealous that you got to go to such a great event. No red carpet pics? Or should I go over to TMZ for that? It’s not a compromising photo of you and Symon together is it?

  42. Monet says:

    You deserve many red-carpet moments…because you are hilarious, talented and beautiful. You have the keys of success, my dear! Which is why you have my vote for PFB, and why I love this delicious recipe. Not only does it sound flavorful and innovative, but it is healthy too! Thanks for sharing it with us!

  43. jen cheung says:

    interesting meal! thanks for sharing 🙂 of course you got my vote as well! too awesome 😉 good luck sweetie.

    jen @ http://www.passion4food.ca

  44. I gotta say, your picture looks nothing like the title of this post. I’m sure it’s delicious, I love quinoa, love tahini and I LOVE chickpeas. But the picture looks like beef jerky? Please don’t think I am insulting your photographing skills. That isn’t meant to be an insult at all. I just find it peculiar. 🙂

  45. It’s also late and i have a headache and really need to go to bed!! 🙂

  46. Quinoa is such a versatile grain- I love it! This dish sounds fabulous. I’ve been looking for a good lemon tahini recipe and I’m going to try this one. Thanks!

  47. Nutmeg Nanny says:

    What a great time you had this past weekend! Like you said on my page, it would have been nice to meet up 🙂 If you are ever in the Hudson Valley let me know! Did you get one of those adorable cocktail cupcakes??? They were so tasty!

  48. That Girl says:

    We have a similar wine and food festival here in November. My bestie and I are already planning on how we’re going to get in.

  49. Jess says:

    This is officially the first food blog post I’ve read about quinoa while actually knowing how to pronounce it. It never occurred to me (until I heard someone actually say it recently) that it was anything other than quinn-O-ah. I know better now…

    And now that I know how to pronounce it, I should probably get around to, you know, actually eating it. This recipe looks like an awesome introduction, given my love of chickpeas and tahini. Excellent.

  50. Jo jo, I am laughing so hard here at your lovely antics! What a wonderful thing to be invited to! I also spent the weekend with all access backstage passes, but that’s another story and it did not involve food, but I do fine myself craving some of the simpler stuff to get over my weekend antics! Congratulations on making it to round 4! Awesome! I will stop over and vote for you and continue to share your progress on my thoughts on friday at a moderate life link love! Big hugs! I wanna see pictures! Alex@amoderatelife

  51. theUngourmet says:

    I think I remember that PB&J story. Your quinoa recipe looks amazing, especially with the tahini added in!

  52. Cherine says:

    I love the addition of tahini in your quinoa salad. Looks delicious!

  53. Vivienne says:

    yay congrats on makign to round 4 btw! 😀
    i wish i have a bowl of this salad right now…i just settled in a new city and dunno where to get my quinoa/chickpea. hehe. i like your idea of clean eating and wholesome food 🙂

  54. Priya says:

    Healthy and filling salad, looks fabulous!

  55. Quinoa, chickpea, eggplant….Joanne, how could you put all 3 of my favourite ingredients in one dish! I am afraid that we would have to fight for the last portion if I dined with you.

  56. Lea Ann says:

    I made quinoa once and thought it was about the most uninteresting thing I’d ever had! The bag of it still sits untouched in my pantry. Thanks for giving me a reason to give it another try.

  57. Sophie says:

    What a lovely quinoa salad!! I love every component in this tasty quinoa salad!

    MMMMMMMMMMMM,…!!!

  58. Barbara says:

    You used red quinoa. Fun. I like the way it presents better, don’t you?
    This is a marvelous recipe, healthy and you’ve got eggplant….a big seller at my house.

  59. Martha (MM) says:

    I bet I’d like this even more than all the fancy schmancy stuff! It looks amazing and I didn’t even know there was red quinoa!

  60. Dawn says:

    I love all the ingredients in this dish. Need to add to my ever growing “to try” list.

  61. Marisa says:

    Love love love food & wine festivals – especially the free tasters. Cheapskate, me? Nah.

    This salad looks super healthy, super tasty and super pretty with that lovely red quinoa. Nicely done.

  62. this looks so good. i love quinoa salad and this must be delish!

  63. Rachana says:

    Whata delicious Salad! I loved the addition of tahini.

  64. Stella says:

    Hey Joann, this is so healthful. I could use a bowl of something this nice and nutrient rich right now. Oh, and me just took a trip over to F.B.:)

  65. Oh Joanne this looks divine, as does your pizza. I think it is just as well that I live on the other side of the world, otherwise you would find yourself with another deviant on your hands – I would be parked on your doorstep every night waiting for you to come home and feed me 🙂 and BTW of course I’m voting for you.
    Sue

  66. Megan says:

    Jealousy pretty sums up my thoughts at the moment. And well, just more jealousy. That is awesome you got to go to the Food & Wine Fest. Sounds amazing! And as usual you rock – this salad looks delicious! 🙂

  67. girlichef says:

    How awesome are you!! I’m a little bit jealous…sounds like a blast 🙂 And YUM, too.

  68. girlichef says:

    oh yes, and thanks for sharing it with the hearth and soul hop, Jo 😀

  69. Ms. Meanie says:

    Looks and sounds so good Joanne! Seriously the flavors sound perfect to me. I need to get me some red quinoa. I can’t believe I’ve still not tried it.

  70. Kerstin says:

    How nice of POM, sounds like quite the event! I love quinoa and this looks like it would be the perfect lunch!

  71. Sanjeeta kk says:

    Healthy and refreshing salad. Love to make this quinoa salad soon.

  72. what a veggie treat…love it the color of the salad…a gorgeous break from the classic green!!!..I dun knw if I told you …that I voted for u

  73. Wonderful salad, very creative and original and with the flavors that I tend to prefer, love the addition of eggplants to the mix and of course the tahini sauce with lemon.

  74. MaryMoh says:

    Love your story…smiling 🙂 Love your salad….healthy and delicious. I see quinoa but have not tried. Need to get some to try…a healthy grain. Just voted. Would love to see you in the next challenge!

  75. Beth says:

    I’ve recently started using quinoa and I love it. This recipe looks delicious. What a great weekend you had!

  76. Oh my goodness! Your weekend sounded like such fun and absolutely filling times. Super jeal. I like the complexity but simplicity of this salad (if it makes sense). With all the heavier foods starting to come out it’s nice to take a bit of a refreshing break for a salad!

  77. Eliana says:

    I’m convinced that there is not right time or place to wear skinny jeans. Those things are the bain of my existance!

  78. Foodjunkie says:

    Darling if you can pull off skinny jeans AND eat loads, good for you. I love the salad, so healthy it could kill you…

  79. I’m still pretty new to quinoa and the best way to cozy up to it is to throw it with some of my favorite ingredients, chickpeas and sesame. Yum!

  80. Debinhawaii says:

    This looks like the perfect lunchtime salad and i always love new recipes for quinoa. It also looks like a great way to recover from a weekend of indulging. 😉

  81. Elizabeth says:

    I’ve always loved POM — it’s delicious and I adore the bottle design. Joanne, you deserve a walk down The Pomegranate Carpet at the food fest. Your Chickpea and Quinoa salad is a winner; so healthful and yummy; I can’t wait to make it this weekend.

  82. Deborah says:

    So jealous! And this dish sounds so delicious and full of flavor.

  83. Dana says:

    Listen to you, glamorous lady! How fun! My parents took my brother to Eleven Madison Park for dinner back when he lived in NYC (about 4 years ago) and they still talk about that dinner. I hope I get to hear more about the party in person this week!

  84. grace says:

    the salad would be a looker without the quinoa, but with it, it reaches the equivalent of supermodel status. excellent creation, joanne!

  85. I loooove healthy salads like this!

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