[MM Monday] Artichoke Chickpea Salad

Meatless

Artichokes are one of my "phase" foods. I'll buy some, eat them in a few meals, and the next week I'll forget about them. Then a month or so later I start to notice artichokes in a recipe, in the store, or on a menu and--BAM--I get excited about them again. For one, they are just such a wonderfully weird vegetable: taste, texture, appearance. No other vegetable compares!

For whatever reason, I typically think of artichokes in heavy context...cheesy spinach artichoke dip, dense pasta dishes...which I why I love this recipe for artichoke chickpea salad! It's light, cheese-less and meatless, and great for either lunch or an appetizer. It's also super easy to make: toss everything into a food processor and pulse until combined.

It reminds me of tuna salad in texture, and somewhat in flavor due to the pickles (YUM!). The chickpeas help bulk up the salad and make it a satisfying meal. And did I mention it's a great vegan option too? Just make sure you use vegan mayonnaise!

Marathon Training 

For marathon training this past week, we were introduced to a longer run during the week, in addition to our Saturday long runs. Boyfriend and I woke up at 4:50AM last Tuesday only to discover that the electricity was out and a major thunderstorm happening outside. We still made the drive to our assigned run location to meet up with everyone, but the session ended up being canceled due to lightening. A few of us stuck around to knock out 4 rainy miles. I still wanted to attempt the full 7-8 miles, so when we got home I went for another 3.5 mile run. It was incredibly slow and we ended up taking a nap following breakfast--something I did not have the luxury of doing after this morning's extended run! Like most routines, I think I'll get the hang of it after a couple weeks.

Saturday, I finished 9 miles in a little more than 80 minutes and I felt awesome about it. We had a long tempo early on in the run, for which I aimed to stay under 9 min/mile pace and around 8:30 min/mile. Using my new Garmin Forerunner 10 was a huge help because I have little-to-no experience pacing myself! Outside the tempo, I was able to kept around 9:30-9:40 min/mile pace. The number one goal I have during these long runs is to resist the urge to keep up with others. I know it's important I keep a slower and natural pace to myself and not accidentally match someone else's, who may be faster or stronger. The last thing I want is to get injured by pushing myself too much!

Artichoke Chickpea Salad

Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Servings: ~6

1 16-oz. jar artichoke hearts packed in water, drained
1 12-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped gherkin pickles or cornichons
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup light (or vegan) mayonnaise (start with 2 tablespoons & add more as needed)
1 tsp Old Bay spice or seafood seasoning
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to taste

• Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chunky. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a lidded bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for best results. Store in the fridge for about 4 days.

For serving: Sandwich bread, crackers, cucumber slices and other vegetables like carrots and broccoli