Chickpeas and Zucchini Salad

Last week was pretty stressful, with the little one not feeling well, me being alone with two kids, a dog and a forgetful neighbour who was supposed to help me out. I'm glad it's behind me, although  my husband had to go away again and I've kept S. at home just to make sure she recovers completely before I take her back to kindergarten.
She's a funny little mouse, as I like to call her, always sneaking around the fridge and grabbing things she's not supposed to eat. Then coming back and saying "Mummy, don't look." ^__^

This morning I went to the open market with her, haven't been there in years, litterally.
I hate the confusion that rules there, can't see anything really, just kind of going through as if trying to escape.
But one thing S. noticed immediately were watermelons. She wouldn't leave without it. And since I told her she would get to eat it only if she finished all of her lunch, she cleaned her plate in a matter of seconds.

But coming back to things I like.
I really, really love salads like this. They're an excellent meal on their own.
Colourful and attractive, healthy, too.
Just grab a slice of your favorite bread and join in..

Chickpea and Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes and Arugula

* 250 g precooked chickpeas
* 250 g cherry tomatoes
* 3 zucchini
* a bunch of arugula (rocket) salad
* 2 shallots
* 2 cloves of garlic
* a handful of basil leaves
* 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
* 1 TBspoon sesame seeds
* salt
* Extra Virgin Olive Oil

* Wash the tomatoes and cut them into wedges. Put them in a bowl, salt to taste and mix in the washed, dried and chopped basil leaves.

* Sautè the finely chopped scallions and garlic cloves with 4 TBspoons olive oil and the finely chopped rosemary leaves, on medium-low heat.
Add the zucchini cut into 1/2 cm squares, salt to taste and countinue to sautè for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Add the chickpeas (drained, I also removed the skins) and sautè for 5 more minutes. Set aside to cool.
Mix the zucchini and chickpeas with the tomatoes.

* In the meantime drytoast the sesame seeds in a skillet stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until golden.

* Place the arugula salad on bottom of 4 plates, add the zucchini, chickpeas and tomatoes and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Insalata di ceci e zucchine con pomodorini e rucola

* 250 g di ceci precotti
* 250 g di pomodorini
* 3 zucchine
* un mazzetto di rucola
* 2 scalogni
* 2 spicchi d'aglio
* mazzetto di basilico
* 1 cucchiaino di rosmarino tritato
* 1 cucchiaio di semi di sesamo
* sale
* olio extra vergine d'oliva

* Lavate e asciugate i pomodorini. Tagliateli a spicchietti, salateli e riunite in una terrina con basilico (lavato, asciugato e spezzettato).

* Tritate finemente gli scalogni e l'aglio e rosolateli, a fuoco medio, in una padella con 4 cucchiai d'olio EVO e il rosmarino tritato finemente.
Dopo 5 minuti aggiungete le zucchine tagliate a cubetti piccoli, salate e proseguite la cottura per altri 5 minuti.
Unite poi i ceci e lasciate insaporire per 5 minuti.
Lasciate intiepidire le verdure prima di unirle agli pomodorini e basilico.

* Tostate i semi di sesamo in una padella senza aggiungere i grassi, mescolando continuamente.

* Distribuite la rucola lavata, asciugata e affettata in fondo dei piatti, distribuite il misto di ceci e verdure sopra.
Cospargete i semi di sesamo e servite subito.

Salata od slanutka i tikvica s rajčicama i rikulom

* 250 g kuhanog slanutka
* 250 g cherry rajčica
* 3 zelene tikvice
* svežnjić rikule
* 2 glavice ljutike (ili 1 običnog crvenog luka)
* 2 češnja češnjaka
* svežnjić bosiljka
* 1 žličica nasjeckanog ružmarina
* 1 žlica sjemenki sezama
* sol
* maslinovo ulje

Rajčice operite posušite i narežitena četvrtine.
Stavite ih u zdjelu i posolite.
Dodajte oprane, posušene i nakidane listiće bosiljka i promiješajte.

Sitno nasjeckajte luk i češnjak pa popržite na 4 žlice maslinovog ulja zajedno sa sitno nasjeckanim listićima ružmarina.
Dodajte tikvice narezane na kockice od 1/2 cm, posolite lagano i pirjajte na srednje jakoj vatri oko 5 minuta.
Dodajte slanutak i pirjajte još 5 minuta sve skupa.
Ostavite da se povrće prohladi, a onda ga pomiješajte s rajčicama.

U međuvremenu popržite na suhoj tavi sjemenke sezama miješajući neprestano.

Na četiri tanjura složite nakidane listiće rikule, a preko nje mješavinu tikvica, slanutka i rajčica.
Pospite sjemenkama sezama i poslužite.