in celebration of Valentine’s Day, Michael and I went on a impromptu picnic in Golden Gate Park. I tossed together a colorful quinoa salad for me, and Michael (somewhat unsuccessfully, pita bread is tricky) assembled a few tuna fish sandwiches for himself. Add a few sides and drinks, recipes below, and we had ourselves a tasty little meal to enjoy in the unseasonably nice weather. With spending time with roommates/friends and the fact that we work at the same job, sometimes it seems like we spend all our time together. But sitting outside just enjoying each others’ company made me realize we don’t get as much alone time as I’d like. We’re going to try and make more of an effort to get away together, even just for a quick meal.
Roasted Chickpeas:
15oz can chickpeas
olive oil spray
salt
optional seasonings, like paprika, garlic powder, etc. ~ 1 tsp each.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and rinse chickpeas, and let dry. Pat dry with a paper towel if you’d like to speed up the drying.
Spray olive oil spray on baking sheet, and arrange chickpeas in a single layer. Roast for about 35 minutes, keeping an eye on them after about 25 minutes, as ovens vary. You want most of them to be crispy, with a few softies here and there. Remove from oven, and spray with olive oil spray, then toss with salt and any other seasonings you’d like. Enjoy!
(Strawberry) Lemonade:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp raw honey (more to taste)
3 cups water
(1/2 cup frozen strawberries)
Combine lemon juice and raw honey in a blender, and pulse for 30 seconds, or until combined. Add water, and blend until slightly frothy. Taste, and adjust honey or lemon juice. I personally like my lemonade extra tart, but add up to another 2 tbsp honey to get a more traditional lemonade taste.
To make strawberry lemonade, either add frozen strawberries to lemonade and blend until pink, or do what we did: I brought along a mason jar of lemonade, and a smaller jar of ice and frozen strawberries. I combined the two once we got to our picnic bench, and shook it up. Easy, cold strawberry lemonade. Enjoy!
