Here’s a little piece of trivia for you: I wrote most of my cookbook at various coffee shops. I often attempted to write at home, but I almost always got distracted by organizing my Tupperware or color coordinating my bookshelves…you know, super important things.
Therefore, it was helpful and productive to get out of the house. In Manhasset, a new coffee joint recently opened called For Five, and not only does it have delicious caffeinated beverages, it has a seasonal made-to-order menu with all sorts of breakfast and lunch options.
One of my favorites is the smashed chickpea sandwich, and I’ve since recreated the dish at home. It’s essentially garbanzo beans — smashed — with Greek yogurt, a little mayo, fresh-squeezed lemon juice and some spices, served between toasted bread slices and topped with sprouts, cucumber and avocado.
It’s a refreshing, vegetarian lunch and great fuel for writing a cookbook…in case that’s something you’re up to.
SMASHED CHICKPEA SANDWICH
Makes: 4
Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans, drained
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonaise
Juice of half a lemon
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
Toasted bread
Optional toppings: avocado, sprouts, sliced cucumbers
Steps:
- In a bowl, smash garbanzo beans with a fork or masher until desired consistency is reached.
- Add the yogurt, mayo, lemon juice and seasonings and stir, tasting and adding more spices if needed.
- Serve on toasted bread with toppings of choice!
Siri Daly is a Today show tastemaker and author of Siriously Delicious: 100 Nutritious (and Not So Nutritious) Simple Recipes for the Real Home Cook.
Excerpted from Siriously Delicious by Siri Daly. Copyright © 2018 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Meredith Corporation. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
