Chickpeas of the Sea

What’s up guys?

I hope you are ALL having a fantastic week! And if your not, hopefully a few drool-worthy foodie pics will be enough to perk you up?

And if THAT doesn’t work, then maybe the TWO recipes I have for you today will! πŸ˜‰

For this week’s WIAW, I have what I’ve been eating for lunch for the last oh……WEEK!Β 

But before we get into the details, let’s take a minute to thank our hostess with the most-est, Jenn from Peas & Crayons, for putting on yet another fun-filled foodie party! Click here to check out all the deliciousness being linked up this week!

Now I’m not normally a creature of habit, but I’ll admit, I do tend to get a little obsessed with a certain food/flavor for a while….red velvetΒ cake, mint chocolate chip, coconut mango…ring any bells? πŸ˜‰

Β Well, as I hinted on Friday,
this week has been all about the tuna melt!

Wait!!! Don’t leave!!!

I promise these aren’t the sandwiches of our school cafeteria days…a big soggy glob of mush with a mysteriously fishy smell…oh no, I assure you these are in a league all of their own!

Ha! Take THAT cafeteria lady Brown!

Chickpea Tuna Melt

By: Heather @Β Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2-3 minutes

Keywords: broil entree sandwich high fiber high protein tuna chickpeas cheese

Ingredients (Serves 1)

  • 2 oz. canned tuna
  • 1/8 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1/8 cup ricotta cheese (or Greek yogurt)
  • 1 tablespoon minced onion
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 slice whole wheat bread
  • 1/2-1 oz of your favorite cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Position an oven rack in the top 1/3 and set oven to broil.
2. Place slice of bread under broiler to toast, while you prepare the salad.
3. Combine all ingredients except for bread and cheese in a small bowl, roughly mashing the chickpeas with a fork while stirring.
4. Spread salad onto bread slice, top with shredded cheese and place under broiler for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melty.

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This is where it all started. I had a craving for tuna, but c’mon, I can’t just have a plain ol’ tuna sandwich…I had to mix it up a bit!

I loved the added texture from the chickpeas and with the tanginess of the mustard and the addition of the dill, this was no standard tuna salad…THEN I went a step further and covered it in melty cheese!

*insert happy dance* πŸ˜€

But if that wasn’t enough of an explosion of flavors, I didn’t stop there…

Replace the mustard with sun-dried tomato spread,Β the dill with Italian seasoning and cover in tomato-basil mozzarella cheese and you have an Italian version!

Or how about some salsa and a bit of your favorite spicy seasoning (I am in LOVE with this one right now)Β with a little fresh cilantro for a bit of Mexican flair?

Or maybe Greek is more your thing?
Keep the dill but add some kalamata olive spread to the mix and well, since feta doesn’t really melt, you can stick with some Gruyere instead!

Another manager’s special score FTW!

And let me just say…this stuff is like total CRACK!! I want to eat it straight up with a spoon!

Still, I know everyone isn’t a fan of tuna…so that’s why I made yet ANOTHER variation for today’s lunch…and I’m gonna have to say, it was pretty flippin’ delicious!

Chickpea Tuna-LESS Melt

By: Heather @Β Kiss My Broccoli

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2-3 minutes

Keywords: broil entree sandwich high fiber vegetarian chickpeas cheese

Ingredients (Serves 1)

  • 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas
  • 1/8 cup ricotta cheese (or Greek yogurt)
  • 1 tablespoon minced onion
  • 1 small celery stalk, diced
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 slice whole wheat bread
  • 1/2-1 ounce of your favorite cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Position rack in upper third of oven and set to low broil.
2. Place bread slice under broil to toast as you prep the salad.
3. Combine all ingredients except bread and cheese in a bowl, roughly mashing chickpeas with a fork.
4. Remove toasted bread slice from oven and spread salad on top, cover with shredded cheese and place under broiler for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

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The celery seed is a MUST! Soooooo good!

No matter which way you decide to make your melt…you have to promise me ONE thing…

Ditch the knife and fork and go at it kiddie style!Β 

Just please…no food fights…we can’t be wasting such deliciousness! πŸ˜‰

What is/was your favorite thing to get from the school cafeteria?
Pizza and french fries nearly every day of my four years in high school…it’s a wonder I can even stand the thought of pizza now! Lol

What did YOU eat for lunch yesterday?

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47 Responses to Chickpeas of the Sea

  1. Hold the phone. Tuna and ricotta? How did I not think of that when I was mixing salmon and ricotta? DUH. This may happen tomorrow. With figs…

    And who’s brilliant idea was it to feed us pizza and fries TOGETHER in high school? I’m blaming them for a t least a couple of stretch marks.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh come on, it’s a complete and balanced meal…you have your enriched (makes it sound smart) dough…there’s at least ONE tomato in the sauce…carefully selected processed “cheese”…and what’s not to love about America’s favorite vegetable cooked up in a vat of oil? Stretch marks are just something we had to endure to get all that luxurious shiny hair! Wait, that was just grease! Lol

      Tuna, ricotta, and figs…love it! #weirdfoodiesforlife!

  2. I tell you what… you are the recipe queen! I love all your inventions. I tried your tirimisu pancakes on Monday – AWESOME!

    xo Emilie @ Hungry Delights

  3. Jessie says:

    I’ve never though to put tuna and ricotta together!! So clever.

  4. I like the variety. My son is mad about tuna so I’ll have to try some of these. πŸ™‚ Love your banner/blog title…so cute. Jessica

    SweatismySanity.com

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Thank you Jessica! Growing up, my little sister was ALL about some tuna fish sandwiches…wish my mom had thought to add a little variety back then! Let’s just say it took YEARS before I could even look at a can of the stuff! Lol

      Hope your son likes these! πŸ˜€

  5. The tuna-less one sounds delicious and Perfect for me! I will be giving it a try!! Thanks for sharing your idea!

  6. Oh man those look good! Gonna’ have to give one a try, hopefully sooner than later

  7. Sooo I am kind of in love with that melt recipe, it looks perfect and I knowwww I would enjoy something like that! Thanks for the idea πŸ™‚

  8. K, I love this post. I grew up on tuna sammitches but I haven’t had one since I was very little. (My mom used to crumble a layer of chips on top. Ohmygoodness.)

    Thank you so much for including a tuna-less version!! I think I’m going to try and make it vegan by swapping the ricotta out for a “cheeze” version.
    I LOVE your blog, by the way!!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Thank you Stephanie!

      I’m loving the idea of topping this with chips! I’m all about some texture combinations so I may just have to add a bit of crunch to my next one! πŸ˜€

      And a vegan “cheeze” version? Brilliant! Let me know how it turns out if you try it!

  9. Gosh. You ask some tough questions… My favorite meal from my school days would be the French Toast, “Thanksgiving Dinner” complete with pumpkin dessert, Mini Corndogs, or maybe the chili and chips! They were all super terrible compared to home-cooked food, but they were the best my school had to offer πŸ™‚

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Ok, TOTALLY jealous of your French Toast! I rarely ever had breakfast at school (mainly because I was addicted to Pop Tarts) but if they had served those, I would DEFINITELY have gotten them!

      My school always served the chili with pb and honey sandwiches…sounds like a weird combo, but it totally worked!

  10. Lee says:

    When I was in middle school, I was definitely a pizza and french fries fan. In high school, we were allowed to leave for lunch (and the school was right next to a grocery store), so fortunately, I stopped the pizza and fries thing.

  11. Seriously, who can resist the school pizza? It’s so bad that it was good. I know that’s weird, but I wouldn’t touch it now (for more reasons than the whole cheese thing). I’ve been on a serious protein kick these days with eggs and nooch on my salads! Makes the perfect lunch!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      I know what you mean…so bad, but sooooo good! Ignorance is bliss, right? πŸ˜‰

      Mmm, eggs and nooch were MEANT to be, especially with a good runny yolk!

  12. yum this looks so good! I have started to love chickpeas so I can’t wait to make this. Pinnnnneeeeddd!

  13. Genius! Im making this ASAP:) Especially the kalamata one and the tuna-less…yum! Happy WIAW:)

  14. I just had tuna melts for dinner last night – they’re so good! Definitely like the idea of adding chickpeas in the mix.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Great minds think alike! It’s funny, before I started with this recipe, I can’t even tell you the last time I had a tuna melt! Guess I’m just getting in touch with my inner 10 year old! πŸ˜‰

  15. Courtney says:

    I agree, I must always have celery seed in these type of sandwiches, it makes a big difference!

  16. Chickpeas of the sea!!! Ha love it! I make a vegan mock tuna salad with them, I’m a chickpea addict!

  17. Ugh how do you manage to make everything look so goooood? I swear, I don’t even -like- tuna, but I’d be tempted to eat a sandwich that looked like that if it was placed in front of me. The tuna-less one, though, is definitely something I could sink my teeth into πŸ˜€

    Can you believe that my high school didn’t have a cafeteria? We didn’t have a football team, either… we were just all about the academics. That being said, I never got to experience the glory that is cafeteria lunches, so most of mine came from home or the convenience store down the street. As for yesterday’s lunch, I had an ever exciting turkey/hummus/cheese wrap and a small salad. I swear I need to think of something different, because as much as I love it, I’m starting to get bored…

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      No cafeteria?! I can’t say as I’ve ever heard such a thing! And no football? So I guess a homecoming dance was out of the question, huh? Did you at least get a prom?! If you say no, I think I might cry! πŸ™

      It has been soooooooooo long since I’ve had a turkey sandwich…and omg, even BETTER with hummus! You’re saying you’re bored with it and I’m getting all excited! Lol

  18. I love the addition of ricotta! I just threw some in a casserole last night, and I’m always looking for new uses for it. I do love a good tuna melt! I think that sun-dried tomato one is right up my alley!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Oh gosh, when I first bought ricotta a couple of months ago, I had no idea what to do with it! Now that I’m out (of course) I can’t quit thinking of things to try it in/with! I’m still kicking myself for not making a pizza…need to get my booty to Whole Foods and grab some more! πŸ˜€

  19. I have never had a tuna or tuna-less melt and suddenly I am craving one πŸ˜‰ Luckily I have tuna and chickpeas in my pantry ready to satisfy this new craving!

  20. Allie says:

    My Mrs. Dash collection is about to get out of control. I need to buy that. Like, now. And the tropical one I saw on your blog the other day. And basically ALL the flavors. And I don’t accept knife&fork as an option for any sandwich ;D If it all falls out? All the better! Messy food=the best food.

    • Allie says:

      OH! And I also meant to say a huge THANK YOU for the awesome crafty ideas you left on http://forgottenbeast.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/what-i-ate-in-a-rut-wednesday/ <– that post (can I link myself without being tacky? Couldn't figure out a better way to reference it πŸ˜€ )–they totally inspired me to go buy some scrapbook paper and use it for something other than scrapbooking (that's one hobby I just can't get into)–in the middle of the project (or, well, ten projects, but that's my life), but it'll be on the blog before too long! AND they totally inspired me to want that kitchen…but I think that one's a few (significant) pay raises away ;D

      • kissmybroccoli says:

        Haha, I know! I saw that they have an Italian blend now and I’m seriously having to show restraint right now…I bought the tomato basil MONTHS ago and haven’t even used it yet! Lol

        And agreed…messy food is ALWAYS the best…as long as you’re not wearing white! πŸ˜‰

        I’m SO glad it helped! A random burst of energy midway through my night shift had me inspired so I wanted to share! Can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with! And hey, if we tackle this whole Mrs. Dash advertising gig together, we could totally share that kitchen! πŸ˜‰

  21. Ahh yum! I love tuna melts!

    I didn’t really eat from our school cafeteria that often because it was super tiny without much of a selection… but if I forgot my packed lunch I would usually get pasta salad. Either that or go across the street to Subway!

  22. Sloane says:

    You. Are. Brilliant! Seriously I never would have imagined so many delicious ways to eat tunafish. YUM! I bought some tuna yesterday so I’m totally giving some of these a try soon!
    Happy Wednesday!

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Haha, thanks girlie! Opposed to popular belief, tuna is anything but boring! I love to mix things up a bit! One of my go-to tuna dishes in college was tuna, brown rice, and salsa…top it with a little melty cheese and you’ve got yourself a slamming tuna casserole! πŸ˜€

  23. It’s been so long since I had one, but I love tuna melts! Also, (cave-aged) gruyere is my family’s favourite cheese. We go through 2 big pieces a week. Even my 13 month-old loves it, haha! πŸ™‚

  24. Amanda says:

    Oh man, those look so delicious! I want to try every one.

  25. That looks good!! I don’t like tuna, but I LOVE salmon… I had a (vegan) cheesy egg and avocado sandwich today… to die for!

  26. Chickpeas of the sea, eh….loves it. It’s amazing how many different ways you mixed that up. And I kind of want each and everyone of them. Damn you’re good.
    Lunch yesterday was a burrito with beans, rice and salsa. Nothing as good as your melts.

    • kissmybroccoli says:

      Variety is the spice of life, no? πŸ˜€

      And guess what! I totally bought some green beans at the farmer’s market today…couldn’t help but think of you! Lol

      • I love that you think of me when you buy green beans. That cracks me up.
        I actually jumped back on the bean wagon (imagine such a vehicle) because really I had no choice, but I mixed it up (variety is most definitely the spice of life) and made it happen. They were really good, but I probably won’t be buying beans for awhile. πŸ™‚

  27. Pingback: Weird Foodie Club | Kiss My Broccoli

  28. I’ve been on the look out for some new recipes with chickpeas.. you read my mind! πŸ™‚

  29. OK, so it would be pretty expensive to make an actual melt during this vegan month of food (fake cheese is pricey!) but thank you for reminding me that I have wanted to make a chickpea fake tuna salad after the great success I’ve had with eggless egg salad. πŸ™‚

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