Chickpea

A wonderful first course, to be followed by roasted meat with vegetables. Pass some additional grated Parmesan cheese if you're not concerned about a few extra calories.

Teamed with pita bread triangles and a variety of raw vegetables, this Middle Eastern dip makes a great snack or hors d'oeuvre for a dinner party. Tahini is available at natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

A stick-to-the-ribs-not-the-waistline chili. Great served with all the usual toppings: chopped red or green onions, chopped cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese (low-fat, of course) and nonfat yogurt.

Offer pita bread alongside.

Chris Gavenda, Wildwood, Mo.
For those of you who may not know, the tortilla chips form a crispy crust on the bottom of the casserole.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Round out this satisfying soup with a composed platter of marinated beets, red onions, sliced hard-boiled eggs, pickled vegetables and a wedge of imported Parmesan. Try a purchased berry tart for a pretty dessert.

Marisol likes to serve the Candied Butternut Squash atop the couscous.

Chickpea fritters laced with rosemary are common in parts of France and Italy. For a terrific side dish that serves eight, top these latkes with a quick sauce made by stirring two tablespoons dried mint into one cup plain yogurt, and offer with fish. Or drizzle the latkes with pomegranate molasses (found at Middle Eastern markets and some supermarkets), and serve with meat or poultry.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Find the dried mushrooms in the produce section of the supermarket. Breadsticks and a radicchio salad with crumbled goat cheese and lemon vinaigrette round out the meal. End with poached apricots and honey cookies.

Bathe greens and chickpeas in a garlicky, tomato-enhanced broth. Stretch a block of Halloumi by grating and toasting it into a topping for the soup.

Tender, juicy chicken skewers are possible in the oven—especially when roasted alongside spiced chickpeas and finished with fresh tomatoes and salty feta.

Herby chickpea falafel gets the veggie burger treatment with harissa mayo and pickled onion.

In this one-pan dinner, flaky cod is finished in a chorizo-spiked sauce, alongside wilty greens and chickpeas—some tender, some crispy.

Braising canned chickpeas in chicken stock and olive oil makes them unbelievably tender and buttery. This is worth the effort of peeling 40 cloves of garlic.