Almond Butter Chickpea Wrap

It’s funny how some foods just by smell or taste can take us back to a place we’ve been or people we were with.  This Chickpea Almond Butter Wrap is full of bittersweet memories for me.  The first time I tasted these flavour combinations was out for lunch with a dear friend.  Both of us were anticipating it would taste like hummus and we were pleasantly surprised to be wrong. That first serving was actually in a pita and I found the bread a little too much when it was really just the filling taste I wanted.  Not long after that lunch out our local newspaper ran an article highlighting this café and included a recipe for the sandwich.  It wasn’t long before I was making the sandwich at home with my own adaptations and every time remembering the lovely lunch when I first had it. 

Often when I find a recipe I really like, I’m eager to pass it on.  I shared this recipe on to a sweet aunt of mine. She is one of the kindest and most generous people you will ever meet, but she is not really known for her skills in the kitchen.  When we have family gatherings and she arrives with food in hand, the first question asked of her children is : “Did mommy make that?  Or daddy?”  We all know, if it was daddy, we should rush to eat it.  A couple years ago, my father passed away suddenly.  Being from a small town, this can mean only one thing from a culinary standpoint: funeral food.  This is when neighbours, relatives, friends show up on your doorstep armed with casseroles, cookies and condolences.  Through the grief and the planning of a funeral, the last thing I could imagine was preparing my own food.  I became at the mercy of the funeral food, which well meaning kind people had delivered to our home.  The kids were thrilled with these selections.  I on the other hand, was seriously missing my veggies, lean protein and healthy choices.  One day at lunch, among the spread of food, there was one dish almost completely untouched.  The whispers started… “you know who made that?”… “what IS it?”… Upon closer inspection, I realized it was the chickpea almond butter filling that I loved so much.  My beautiful aunt had found the recipe I sent her long ago and prepared the dish knowing it was something I would enjoy.  So while my kids noshed on pasta, cookies and cake, I nourished my body and my soul with this healthy sandwich. 

The benefits of this sandwich are that it is a quick, high protein economical filling that you can make in advance.  The additional benefit for me is that every time I eat it I’m reminded of those who love me and a tinge of sadness in remembering the one we lost.

Chickpea Almond Butter Wrap

1 can chickpeas

3 Tbsp almond butter

Zest of ½ lemon

Juice of ½ lemon

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

4 Tbsp olive oil

Sea salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Drain and rinse can of chickpeas.  Mash chickpeas to a texture of partly mashed with some still whole.  Add rest of ingredients and stir to mix.Filling can be served in a wrap, pita or on bread. Tastes great with thinly sliced cucumbers or lettuce too