Middle Eastern Chickpea Platter

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is soft and beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk tahini, lemon juice, water and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir in chickpeas (or beans), parsley and the eggplant.
3. Arrange the chickpea-eggplant salad, tomatoes, onion, feta, olives (if using) and pitas on a platter. Serve at room temperature or chilled and sprinkled with more parsley, if desired.

Tips

While we love the convenience of canned beans, they tend to be high in sodium. Give them a good rinse before adding to a recipe to rid them of some of their sodium (up to 35 percent) or opt for low-sodium or no-salt-added varieties. (Our recipes are analyzed with rinsed, regular canned beans.) Or, if you have the time, cook your own beans from scratch.

Note: Tahini is a thick paste of ground sesame seeds. Look for it in large supermarkets in the Middle Eastern section or near other nut butters.

Per serving: 313 calories; 11 g fat (3 g saturated fat, 5 g mono unsaturated fat); 8 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrates; 11 g protein; 10 g fiber; 648 mg sodium; 622 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (40% daily value), Folate (28% dv), Magnesium & Potassium (18% dv), Iron (15% dv)

2 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 plant-based protein, 2 fat

Contributed by: EatingWell.com