miso grilled eggplant

Apparently there is a pattern to the summer posts here: rhubarb something, salad, corn salad, a gardening post, a summertime memory, another corn salad, etc. (or something close to that). We can thank Jonathon for unearthing that amazing piece of info - I only wish you could have heard how funny he found it - he claims it repeats every summer. He also points out that there is a dearth of summer protein options. I don't know that I really believe him about the pattern but he is right about the protein. I answered that we eat salads most days and just throw something on the BBQ if we want to add more protein. Summer food is meant to be easy and light - at least that is what feels right to me. Tonight we had something that was light and easy and more interesting than a grilled sausage or chicken breast. This is not in response to the request (yes, it was a formal request) that I include one or two more ideas for summer protein but it does answer it all the same.

The idea began with a recipe I saw for a vegetarian main dish of BBQ'ed eggplant. The recipe reminded me of mabo nasu and got me thinking of a summer version - pared down, simple and on the grill. That is just what this is. David declared it a make-again. The picture ain't pretty but the meal was too good to not share for such a paltry reason as that.

Since the bbq was hot and we needed to add something green to the meal, I tossed some broccoli and asparagus spears with a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper, then grilled them for a few minutes to round things out. Like I said - light and easy.

I have recently started keeping my fresh ginger root in the freezer. (I used to do that but stopped ages ago for a reason that entirely escapes me now.) Anyway, Hannah reminded me how brilliant it is and she is right. One always has fresh - as opposed to shrivelled or nasty - ginger root when one needs it and it is much easier to grate when it is frozen. I also never-ever peel ginger. Nobody complains or even notices.

miso grilled eggplant

4 Tbsp mirin
3 Tbsp red miso paste
1 lb ground beef
1 1/2 tsp toban djan
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp roasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
sea salt to taste
4 green onions, sliced (green parts reserved)
2 Japanese eggplants

Preheat the BBQ to medium.

Combine the mirin and miso paste in a small bowl. Set aside.

Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise. Make shallow cross-hatch cuts on the eggplant cut surfaces. Brush with 2 Tbsp of the miring/miso mixture. Oil the BBQ grill and grill the eggplant cut side down for 5 minutes then flip and continue grilling for 6 - 8 minutes longer, or until tender.

Meanwhile, in a skillet on the stove quickly brown the ground beef with the white parts of the sliced green onions. Add the toban djan, soy sauce, ginger and remaining miring/miso mixture. Cook for a minute to warm through and add the sesame oil. When the eggplant is done on the grill, plate it and top with the ground beef mixture. Garnish with the reserved green onion slices.

mabo nasu

There is no doubt that Tokyo can be a very expensive place to eat. There are more Michelin starred restaurants there than any other city on earth. Some might say with 88,000 restaurants and counting, that is not much of a feat - I don't know much about stats but I can say there is an abundance of incredible food wherever you turn. You can spend 400.00 on a meal .... or you can buy yourself a plateful of heaven for less than 10.00. One of the lovely things is that you don't have to search for good food, you pretty much stumble across it...as we did when we walked from the Kappabashi district toward Ueno. We decided to stop for a bite, slid open the door of a tiny shop on a corner, and ordered up some most delicious deliciousness. I had mabo nasu and don't recall at all what David ate - it was all a blur after my first bite. Mabu dofu has long been a go-to favourite in our house but I had never known mabo nasu. A small tragedy that, but all is well now. I was immediately determined to try my own version as soon as we returned home.

Well, we have been home almost exactly 48 hours and we had mabo nasu for dinner tonight. I was at the Farmer's Market this afternoon and my eye was caught by a bin of perfect, beautiful eggplants. I knew right away what I would do with them. So I bought them, came home and cooked up a pot of pretty awesome (modestly amazed) mabo nasu. No looking back now.

Nasu is simply eggplant - I would much rather call that elegant vegetable aubergine or nasu; eggplant simply sounds nasty to me and I am guessing that most children would agree. A rose by any other name may still smell as sweet but call an elegant vegetable by an unappealing name and you will have a hard time getting it past the lips of most little ones. 

This recipe for mabu nasu is not exactly as we had it in Tokyo - I loved what I ordered for lunch that day but it was a bit heavy on oil. Yummy but perhaps not terribly wise. This is lighter - something you may have a hard time believing when you look at the amount of oil in the recipe :) I used coconut oil for much of the oil (you can use another oil if you prefer or can't find coconut oil - this for my dear friends in Japan where coconut oil is not to be found. I think I would choose grapeseed oil in that case). My choice of coconut oil was motivated as much by knowing that we are urged to get up to three or four tablespoons of coconut oil per day in our diets as it was by taste. You can adjust the heat by using more or less toban jan. Same with the chili oil. But do try the heat - it just isn't the same if it is bland. 

mabo nasu

2 medium sized eggplants

1 lb ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 onion, finely chopped

3 tsp toban jan (chili garlic paste)

1 Tbsp sugar (I use coconut palm sugar)

1 Tbsp mirin (optional)

1/4 cup red miso paste

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 cups dashi (or chicken broth)

4 Tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp cornstarch

chili oil

Cut the eggplant into rough 3/4" 'cubes'. Heat 2 Tbsp of the coconut oil in a skillet, add the chopped eggplant and saute until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add another 2 Tbsp of coconut oil to the skillet and add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the pan; cook until the onion is beginning to soften. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the beef with the back of a spoon or spatula. When the pink almost gone from the beef add the reserved eggplant back into the skillet.

In a bowl combine toban jan, sugar, mirin, miso paste, soy sauce, salt, and dashi. Add to the mixture in the pan and stir gently. Bring to a simmer and let cook gently while you stir together the 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the ingredients in the pan and allow to thicken. Stir in 2 Tbsp sesame oil. Add chili oil to taste - or pass it at the table.

roasted squash with quinoa and sausage

Often when I come across a recipe that intrigues me I have a pretty good idea of what it will taste like. Sometimes I am disappointed (the chocolate compost cookies that I tried this week were hugely disappointing - I love the original compost cookies and so had high hopes but .... blehhhh! They seriously tasted like the cookies that I used to find in my grandma's cookie jar along with various other odds and ends - compost for sure) and other times I am euphorically surprised. This meal in a dish is for sure in the latter category. I thought it would be really good but it is so much more than that. I try to keep the bar* high on the blog here regarding what I share. I have to be pretty excited about whatever I share because I know that everybody has so many options and only so much time. This I am super excited about - healthy, easy, and fantastically delicious. I was filled with evangelical zeal when I made it; something this great needs to be shared. Good food isn't really all that hard to find but sometimes it takes quite a bit of effort. Or a long list of ingredients. Or time. Or a toll on one's health. To find an option that hits the trifecta of simple, healthy, and incredibly good is uncommon; adding kid-friendly makes it rare as hen's teeth.

The recipe is from a cookbook that is my newest enthusiasm -  Whole Grains for A New Generation by Liana Krissoff. (Although it is currently slightly out of vogue to be excited about eating whole grains - or any grains at all - I am a fan and think they can have a place in most diets.) I used a pretty little Carnival squash instead of the more common butternut that was called for and didn't peel it because (this is old I know) I don't believe in peeling much of anything with the exception of beets. Aside from adding a tiny bit of fennel seed, those are the only very minor tweaks I made to the recipe.

Make this. Soon.

roasted squash with quinoa and sausage
(from Whole Grains for a New Generation by Liana Krissoff)

1 small Carnival or butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 shallot
1 small onion
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
225 gm mild Italian sausage
1 tsp dried sage leaves
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrape the seeds out of the squash and cut it into 1-inch chunks. Chop the onion into large chunks. Put the onion, peeled shallot, and squash chunks into a 9x11 inch baking dish and drizzle with  1 Tbsp olive oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss to coat. Roast until tender - about 30-40 minutes. Give the vegetables a stir about half way through.

Meanwhile remove the sausage from the casings and brown in a 2-quart saucepan with the remaining olive oil. Add the sage and fennel seed, 1/2 tsp of sea salt and 1 1/2 cups water. Stir and scrape up any brown bits. Add the quinoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes turn off the heat but leave covered and on the burner for another 5 minutes. Remove lid, fluff and add the mixture to the roasted tender vegetables. Gently fold to combine.

*my bar you understand - everyone has a unique idea of what is yummy. One of my dear ones is probably busy pitying David every time he eats with us; his idea of good food is quite different from mine.

baked cod with dill sauce

This is definitely comfort food for our family. It is another one of those super-simple recipes that  gets pulled out when time or tempers are short and dinner needs to be on the table tout de suite. I found the recipe in a magazine (long forgotten now) when I was a very newly married lady. It worked for two very poor and very tired university students and was popular with a tableful of toddlers and preschoolers. We ate it often all the way through soccer games and ballet classes and then another generation of university students. Now the grandkids love it and so do their moms because it is just that easy and yummy. All the ingredients are usually stocked in my pantry or fridge so it doesn't even need to be planned for. Just whip it up and  dinner is ready. 

This is not something that plates up beautifully but it sure goes down well. We always serve it with rice and peas. Always. Just works.

If you don't have sour cream use plain yogurt. If you are out of dill weed or chives, try another herb. We have used herbes de provence among other options. Any firm white fish is good. Double or halve the recipe depending on how many you want to feed - or if you want anything left for a lunch another day. This is that kind of dish. Simply easy and very forgiving. Like the best friends.

baked cod with dill sauce

4 small cod fillets

1/2 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp dried dill weed

1 Tbsp dried chives

1 tsp sweet paprika

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Arrange the cod fillets in a baking dish that just accommodates them. Drizzle with lemon juice.

Mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, dill weed, and chives. Spread over the fish. (There will be a lot of sauce but you will want it. Trust me.) Sprinkle with the paprika. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

Serve over rice  - that's where the sauce comes in :)

grilled pizza with cheesy corn, fresh tomatoes, and basil

I love pizza. Not the typical greasy pizza joint Americanized version with dozens of toppings but the simple and delicious Neapolitan style. I love the thin chewy crust and the fresh clean flavours. My very, very favourite is a Margherita pizza. Simple perfection. When we go for pizza that is the one I always choose and the one I always make when I make pizza at home. Boring? maybe to some but ... why mess with perfection? Although I haven't changed my mind on that score the simple tweak of adding a corn "sauce" instead of tomato sauce is divine.

The recipe is from the August issue of Martha Stewart Living and it is every bit as good as I thought it would be when I fell in love with the picture. Martha's team has come up with a winner again. They suggest using store-bought dough; I have a recipe for pizza dough that is really good and honestly easier than making the trip to the market and buying some so I used that. Aside from that small change this is straight from the magazine. 

Once again I am late to the party but better late than never! I have had grilled pizza on the list of things I wanted to make for years. Really - years. Fast, easy, and super delicious, it is the closest I have been able to come to the perfection of a wood-fired oven pizza at home. I can't believe I waited so long. 

grilled pizza with cheesy corn, fresh tomatoes, and basil
(from Martha Stewart Living)

1 1/2 cups corn kernels (cut from 2 ears)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced
fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp salt

Put the corn, Parmesan, garlic, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and 1/2 tsp sea salt in food processor and puree until smooth with small chunks.

Spread remaining oil on a baking sheet. Place dough on pan and stretch to an even thickness, turning to coat both sides with oil. Let rest for 30 minutes and then restretch.

Preheat the grill to medium. Season dough with salt and transfer to the grill. (It took four hands for us to transfer the dough to the grill and keep it reasonably flat.) Cover grill and
cook until dough is just charred on the bottom. It happens super fast (about 3 or 4 minutes) so don't wander.

Flip dough and top with corn mixture and tomato slices. Season with a bit more salt and top with mozzarella. Cover grill and cook until the mozzarella has melted - about 5 or 6 minutes. Top with basil and serve.

(This dough recipe make enough for two pizzas and works equally well for oven-baked pizza)
Dough:
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp cider vinegar
3/4 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp kosher salt

In a small bowl mix together the first three ingredients and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flours and salt. Make a well in the center and add the 3/4 cups water, cider vinegar, olive oil, and yeast mixture. Using a wooden spoon stir gently until a shaggy dough forms. You can add more water if it feels too stiff - this wants to be quite a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it until it is supple and silky. Form dough into a ball, coat lightly with oil and place in a bowl. Cover with a damp towel and set in a warm-ish spot to rise for a couple of hours. (The longer the rising time the better the taste. So if you want to make your dough in the morning - or even the night before - all the better.)

those are Hannah's pretty hands . Thanks Han :)

tomato pie

With field tomatoes and garden fresh basil so plentiful - and more importantly - so wonderful right now you need to make this pie. Today. Or at least tomorrow. The recipe was shared by my friend Toni after she served it to our quilting group months ago. I was immediately obsessed (and made it several times within a week) but I figured if it was that good with supermarket tomatoes what would it be like with end-of-summer straight-off-the-vine perfection? I can't compare with absolute authority (since I am not eating the comparisons bite side-by bite) but I am confident that I figured right. Of course, this is not low-fat or gluten-free but it is fresh and wholesome. A rich, melty, cheesy tomato pie is totally worth jumping off the wagon for. As long as you don't make it several times in a week. Ha!

I made my own pie shell but if you don't have time or simply don't want to, you could use a frozen pie shell. Aside from not peeling the tomatoes and using only a very good sharp cheddar instead of a cheddar/mozzarella mix, I made this following Toni's recipe faithfully. I did try once to cut down on the mayonnaise - and won't go that route again. 'nuff said.

Serve it with a green salad and consider dinner done.

tomato pie

(recipe from Toni Young)

4 tomatoes, sliced about 1/4" thick

10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 9" precooked deep dish pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the tomato slices in a single layer in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and allow them to drain for 10 minutes, then place the tomato slices on a double layer of paper towel, top with another double layer of towel and press lightly to absorb any excess moisture.

In the baked pie shell, layer the tomato slices. Top with basil and green onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine the cheese and mayonnaise, spread over the vegetables. Bake until cheese is melted and top is slightly browned - about 30 minutes.

Serve warm.

avocado pesto

For the second time in two days I was licking sharp things in the kitchen. Carefully but... licking something I really wouldn't want little people to lick. Not smart but this is oh-so-good! It was honestly exciting. We had been out and busy most of the day and David suggested something easy for dinner - like soup and grilled cheese. I explained to him that since we never have canned soup on hand, soup for dinner was actually a bit of work. I was on my own for ideas after that. Fortunately I had read a recipe in a magazine for avocado pesto that had taken my fancy. Unfortunately I couldn't remember which magazine. Fortunately it turns out that the idea was enough. In the end this gnocchetti with avocado pesto was at least as fast and easy as opening a can of soup and grilling cheese sandwiches. Better - way better - too.


It looks a bit odd, being lovely and gooey and green but my, my, it sure tastes good. And being so nice and green it is perhaps another contender for St Patrick's Day. I'd take it over Green Eggs and Ham any day.


I had a 500 gm package of gnoccetti on my pantry shelf that really loved being smothered in pesto. If you are gluten-free I would lay serious money on brown rice fusilli being every bit as good.


avocado pesto
(inspired by a mystery source)


1 ripe avocado
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup pecans
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt


Put all the ingredients in a food processor bowl or blender container and process until smooth. Toss with hot pasta.

goma sauce with asparagus fried rice

This is a very considered choice - putting the sauce before the dish. You need to know right from the start that this sauce is no supporting actor but indeed has the starring role. The asparagus fried rice is good and fine but when the sauce is added? mmmwhaw! This virtuosity owes everything to the fine flavour of goma aka sesame seed. Simple and fast to make this sauce improves salad as well as fried rice.

Sesame seeds are more than simply tasty - they are loaded with minerals (primarily calcium, magnesium, copper, and zinc) as well as Vit B1 and some good ol' fiber. Amazing fact: 1/4 cup of raw sesame seed provides more calcium than 1 cup of milk. While I know that it is unlikely you will be eating even 1/4 cup of sesame seed a day, it still shows that this seed is pretty loaded with calcium, and getting these important minerals is critical to good health. So eat your minerals!

goma sauce

1/4 cup tahini

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 tsp roasted sesame oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp hot water

Combine all the ingredients in a small-ish bowl and whisk together. Serve drizzled over asparagus fried rice. Saves well for a week in the fridge.

asparagus fried rice

(adapted from Spilling the Beans)

1 (19 oz) can chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1" pieces (roughly 1/2 lb)

4 cups cooked brown rice

1 tsp sea salt

 1/4 cup chopped almonds (for topping)

1 Tbsp coconut oil

Heat the coconut oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the chickpeas and cook for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan often, until the chickpeas are golden. Add the garlic and salt and continue to cook until the chickpeas are becoming crispy. Remove from pan and put aside.

Add the onion to the pan (with a bit more coconut oil if needed). Cook until golden. Add the asparagus, cover and cook for a couple of minutes - until the asparagus is bright green and just softened. Remove from the pan and add to the chickpeas.

Add another tsp or so of coconut oil to the pan and then add the rice. (You can use leftover rice if you have it but we never have enough rice leftover to make a decent sized batch of fried rice so now I just always use freshly cooked rice. Nobody has complained yet.) Toss the rice around a bit for a minute or two, so it starts to brown. Add the chickpeas, onions, and asparagus. When everything is well mixed and warmed through, you're ready to serve.

Divide the fried rice into bowls, drizzle with the goma sauce, and top with a sprinkle of chopped almonds. Pass more sauce at the table.

One of the things I like best about fried rice is having enough left for a bowl for my lunch the next day. A bowl of rice, some quiet, and a good book to enjoy while I munch. Heaven.

mabo dofu

Every time I make this dish I think that I should share the recipe. Every time I decide not to - mostly because it is not a beautiful dish. But we love it so much that I have decided to overlook whatever challenges it may face in appearance and hope that others will judge it on its inherent merit as well. Some families pull out a box of Kraft dinner, some order pizza, some pb&j sandwiches, some a bowl of cereal, others whip up a batch of spaghetti but the most often requested, quick and easy meal at our house is easily mabo dofu. It is the epitome of quick comfort food for our family and takes no more than 30 minutes from walking into the kitchen to sitting down at the table, what I often turn to when time is short or I haven't planned very well. (You can surely see why I finally decided to share, and if you smelled it there would be no doubt at all.)


I learned to make this when we lived in Osaka when the kids were little. Mabo dofu converted me to eating tofu - before M.D. I abhorred it, all quivery and bland. It really didn't matter to me that it was reputed to be healthy, if you can't get it down it can't do you much good after all. But cooked this way, getting it down wasn't a challenge. Not for me or anyone else. It is mildly spicy and very tasty. Originally a Chinese dish, this version of the recipe has been 'japan-ized' - something the Japanese excel at. My friend Shoko taught me to make this. We have never looked back, except with fond memories.


mabo dofu
from my friend Shoko


2 packages of medium firm tofu,  drained and diced in 1/2" cubes
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2" piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 lb lean ground beef


Brown the beef with the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large fry pan or wok.


Stir together:
2 Tbsp red miso
1 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp soya sauce
1 1/2 cup dashi*
1 Tbsp mirin
1-2 tsp tobanjan


2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp sesame oil


Add the mixture to the browned beef mixture. Add the diced tofu and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 Tbsp water and stir into the meat-tofu mixture to thicken it slightly. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp of sesame oil and stir in gently.


Serve over short grain (Japanese style) California rice. This may seem like an unimportant distinction but it isn't. And in no case use instant rice. Just don't! Really don't.


Important note: Stir this very gently after adding the tofu. This is truly important or you risk making a rather plain looking dish look like something your dog ate and then rejected - after eating. (Is that put delicately enough?)


Dashi, miso, and mirin may not be in your pantry but are worth seeking out - even if all you use them for is mabo dofu. And if you want to do any Japanese cooking at all you will use them regularly. You may find them in the Asian aisle in large supermarkets but more likely (and therefore more easily) in an Asian market. The dashi can be replaced with chicken broth but you really need the mirin and miso.


*Dashi is a fish broth. For this recipe I always use dashi granules mixed into water - kind of like chicken bouillon.


Update: Jonathon suggested that I add this update "so that people don't blow their brains out in the grocery store looking" for the dashi and tobanjan. Tobanjan is simply a chili bean paste - the Japanese version. If you can't find it (and it can be tricky) go with a Chinese version. It will make little-to-no difference in the end. 
   
The brand of dashi that I use is Ajinomoto. You will probably need to look for dashi in an Asian market. the label will say "Hon Dashi Bonito Fish Stock". It comes packaged as individual serving sachets in foil packets or in small jars, bulk-style. Same/same. If you don't know an Asian market or simply can't make it to one, use chicken broth. I have on occasion and it is fine.


Finally, this is really and simply so good, fast, and easy. Do give it a try. Guaranteed hit!

Green Bean, Tomato, and Chickpea Salad

I like green beans. A lot. I always have and I thought everyone else did too. When David and I got married I quite naturally cooked the things that I thought were delicious and so I cooked beans often. Imagine my surprise when I found out (much later) that David in fact did not like beans. At least he hadn't before we were married. He does now - although that may have been simple defeat or self-defense. I think beans are absolutely yummy lightly steamed with a bit of butter and salt but they also "clean up" very nicely - as in this salad. I first had it when Hannah  made it for my birthday a few weeks ago. It was so good that I have been anxious to make it myself and today was the perfect day for that. I made a few simple changes to the recipe to take advantage of the fresh garden herbs and what I had on hand. So, so good. A definite 'make-again'.


This would feed four quite nicely as a vegetarian main course. The addition of some grilled chicken breast and corn bread made 6 adults and 5 "littles" very satisfied at our table today.


Green Bean, Tomato, and Chickpea Salad
(adapted from Everyday Food - June 2011)


1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans
1 lemon, zest and juice (about 3 Tbsp juice)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive-oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 whole green onions, thinly sliced
1 (19 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2/3 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano


Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender. (Don't over cook the beans - you really want them crisp and a nice bright green as opposed to limp and gray-ish.)  Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. 


In a large bowl whisk together the lemon juice and zest, sea salt, pepper, and olive oil. Stir in the tomatoes, onion, and chickpeas. Add the parsley, oregano, and feta. Arrange the green beans on a serving plate and top with the tomato mixture.