Chickpea & Roasted Carrot Pasta Salad

Hope you all had an awesome Fourth. Ours was super busy but also really fun. We spent most of Friday trying to recuperate from the holiday and loss of sleep. My brain still feels a little foggy while I'm trying to write this. So I apologize in advance for anything that doesn't quite make sense, blame it on the Founding Fathers.

We were invited over to a friends house for dinner before fireworks on Thursday and they asked us to bring a salad. I had made this recipe for dinner the night before and since I really didn't want to go grocery shopping I decided to try and morph it in to a salad. Well, the experiment was a success and now I am sharing it with all of you.

I love taking a recipe and making it my own. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

Oh, and can I say, I think cumin might be my favorite spice. And roasted cumin seeds? Genius!

I know these pictures probably look pretty rookie but I (being the amateur photographer) was very pleased with my work. Photographing food is so hard!

Chickpea & Roasted Carrot Pasta Salad

Dressing: 2 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 teaspoon cumin seeds (or 1 1/2 tsp cumin) 1 teaspoon honey pinch of cayenne pepper 1/2 cup olive oil Salad: 2 cups chickpeas (15-oz can), rinsed and drained* 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and chopped 1 chicken breast, uncooked 1/2 lb your favorite pasta 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 Tablespoons coconut oil 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 cup cashew pieces heaping 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large serving bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients except the olive oil. While whisking constantly, pour the oil in as a steady stream until combined. Add chickpeas and toss well. Set aside. On a rimmed cookie sheet, toss the carrots, chicken breast, garlic, cumin, and oil until well-combined. Sprinkle evenly with the salt. Roast, until carrots are fork-tender and chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the garlic from the pan and chop them into very small pieces. Shred the chicken. Add the garlic, chicken, carrots and any pan juices to the chickpeas and stir to combine. Cool slightly, then add the remaining ingredients, seasoning with salt to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*You can also use dry chickpeas. Just soak them over night and simmer them for 1 1/2 to 2 hours before adding them.