Chickpeas and Basil Moroccan Style

This is a super quick and easy hot dish you can whip up whenever you want something fresh and filling with a little kick. The basil I grew this summer is still alive and well. Yesterday, I harvested a big bag of leaves. Lunch time rolled around today and I intended to make Thai stir fry basil, but I didn't have any celery. So, I decided to go Moroccan.

I chopped up some green pepper, white onion and heated up some olive oil. Tossed in the pepper and onion, stir fried a bit, and then put in the chickpeas. I sprinkled in a little cumin and chili powder. I added the basil last so it heated up just a little but planned to take it off the heat right away. I added some lemon juice and stirred it all up.

I read a funny article today in which a reader commented that he'd like to go out and eat some Doritos Tacos tonight. Just for grins, I read the Taco Bell nutrition info and asked myself how much salt, saturated fat and preservatives these Moroccan chickpeas and basil had. Practically zilch, nada, none. Good for you! I bet they taste nearly on par in terms of savory satisfaction as the tacos. I have to admit, though, I love Doritos and I bet those Doritos tacos taste pretty good.

Shmal swears by spices like turmeric and cumin. I've asked him several times what his health secret is. A quick web search on the health benefits of cumin yields that this spice originated in Egypt and has been used for thousands of years. Apparently, cumin aids digestion, helps control diabetes and contains essential minerals like magnesium.

Chickpeas are tasty and feel good in your mouth. They are loaded with protein. For example, 100g of beef might average about 25g of protein and 100g chickpeas might be around 8g protein. I got these numbers from the chickpea and the list of foods by protein content articles on Wikipedia. They are one of the most economic foods, too. A pound of dried chickpeas costs less than one US dollar, a Benjamin.