Chickpea Confessions: The Grilled Apple-Chickpea Sandwich

Since I started out with breakfast, I decided to post one of my favorite relatively quick lunches as my next order of business. A warning to those who dislike chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans): this blog may not be for you. You see, this adorable little tasty bean has long been one of my favorite foods. And lately, it's verged on an obsession. I've included garbanzos in just about everything from pizza to baked goods. Yes, I even named my childhood hamster Chickpea after the favored legume.

The other part of today's recipe also originated in my childhood. Ever since I was a child, I've been big into reading. One of my favorite series was "Little House on the Prairie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder. For those of you unfamiliar with the series, on more than one occasion the author goes into great detail about her husband Almanzo Wilder's favorite food: fried apples n' onions. I'd always wanted to try the combination, but I was afraid that it wouldn't turn out to be as great as the Wilders cracked it up to be. So I decided to try the apple-onion combo the one way that I knew I was sure to like it: combined with chickpeas.

At the same time that I came to this conclusion, I was in the mood for grilled cheese, one of my favorite foods as a child. Hmm... I'm noticing a real pattern here. It's true, I had the world's greatest childhood and anything that reminds me of it just makes me ridiculously happy. Anyway, this desire led me to turn the whole thing into a grilled sandwich dipped in ketchup. So now, without further ado, I bring you one of my new favorite recipes.

The Grilled Apple-Chickpea Sandwich
Prep time: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients:
1 medium apple
1/2 of a medium red onion (or a white/yellow onion)
4-6 slices of whole wheat or Ezekiel (sprouted grain) bread
1 cup cooked chickpeas (typically a little less than a can of chickpeas)
1 1/2 to 2 Tbs. Nayonaise
1 1/2 tsp. Spike (salt-free seasoning)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 dash salt (optional)

Slice onion. Core and slice apple finely (A food processor can speed up this process). Spray a medium-sized saucepan with cooking spray. Saute onions and apples until tender. In the mean time, mash chickpeas with a fork, mixing in Nayonaise and seasonings.
Spread chickpea paste on both sides of two slices of bread. Place some of the sauteed apples and onions in the center of the sandwich. Grill both sides of the sandwich in the saucepan on a medium heat until golden brown. Makes 2-3 sandwiches. Eat as is, or dip in ketchup.
Use the leftover chickpeas on salads, eat them by the handful, or just make even more sandwiches for more than two or three people to share!