Take a tin of ... chickpeas

Falafel
In a food processor, blend a drained tin of chickpeas with 3 cloves of peeled garlic, 1 small peeled onion, 1 tsp each of ground cumin and ground coriander, 1/2 tsp salt, and a small fist of chopped flatleaf parsley. Decant into a bowl and stir in 1 tbsp flour. Form into little patties, flouring your hands to prevent them from sticking, then fry patties gently on both sides in a little oil. Best eaten inside a warmed pitta bread with a dribble of tahini or some yoghurt with mint chopped into it, a slice or two of fresh tomato, and a crunch of lettuce. (Iceberg comes into its own.)

Chickpea and Egg Salad
Heat a tin of chickpeas in their liquid, then drain. While still hot, so they can absorb the flavour, add olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, a small handful of pitted black olives, a very thinly sliced tomato and 2 hard-boiled eggs cut into eighths. Or replace the egg with thinly sliced onion. Turn carefully to mix.

Turkish Chickpea Salad
Pound 75g shelled walnuts with a clove of peeled garlic to a paste. Stir in 4 tbsp dried breadcrumbs, and whisk in a teacup of stock or milk - enough to turn it to the consistency of single cream. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne or freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste. Pour over a tin of warmed, drained chickpeas, then sprinkle with chopped mint or parsley.

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