Spices are the perfect addition to the arsenal of dietary goodness in your kitchen. The spices in this dish are known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Anti-inflammatory foods are often believed to reduce the symptoms of arthritis, soften the appearance of fine lines or wrinkles, and possibly prevent a multitude of other illnesses.
Moroccan Chick Pea Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 4 cups Water
- 2 cups Brown Rice, dry
- 2 cans Chick Peas
- 10 oz Julienne cut Carrot
- 1 bundle Green Onions
- 2 medium Zucchini
Dressing:
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
Instructions:
- Cook rice by bringing water to boil in medium size pot. Add rice to boiling water, stir. Cover pot and reduce heat until rice is tender, approximately 45 minutes. For best results, pot should remain undisturbed until rice is fully cooked.
- Drain and rinse chick peas.
- Dice and saute zucchini over medium heat. Set aside.
- Rinse carrots and green onions. Pat dry.
- Finely chop carrots and green onions.
- Mix olive oil and spices together in a small bowl.
- Stir together chick peas, rice, carrots, green onions and sauted zucchini.
- Toss chick pea mixture and dressing together in large bowl until salad is completely coated.
Nutritional Facts:
Servings: 8, Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 269.5, Protein: 8.05 g, Carbohydrates: 51 g, Fiber: 7.625 g, Fat: 3.86 g, Saturated Fat: .56 g, Sodium: 351mg
Cost Per Serving: $1.32
Keeping this dish inexpensive and other great tips:
- Purchase bulk items wisely. Sure you can pick up a vat of extra virgin olive oil at your local warehouse super store for 20 bucks, but it's only a bargain if you can actually use it. Choose a smaller bottle of a higher quality extra virgin olive oil and be sure to store properly. Olive oil has a shelf life of approximately 6 months when stored properly in a cool, dark location. Nothing will bust your budget faster than food that has gone to waste.
- Check out the pre-prepared items in your produce department. If the preparation time outweighs the cost difference, take the prepared item. The julienne cut carrots used in this dish only cost an extra 30 cents over the unprepared carrots. Take the pre-cut carrots! You'll be happy you did.
- Try adding one meatless dish to your diet every week to reduce your grocery bill. Meats are often the most costly item in many recipes.
- Using brown rice in place of couscous, the traditional Moroccan grain, increases the fiber by almost 60 percent.
- There are many diets that focus on adding anti-inflammatory foods to your diet. These diets include but are not limited to the following: Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory diet, The Zone, Dr. Perricone's Anti-Inflammatory diet.
Enjoy!
Tabatha Juestel - I'm just like every other woman in America - watching my budget, my waistline and the clock. In the past I ate mainly healthy, organic ...
