You may recall that recently Pereg Natural Foods sent me four products to try, Ground Caraway Seed, Tri-Color Quinoa, Freekeh, and Chickpeas, and that I shared my success with the Tri-Color Quinoa and Ground Caraway Seed (see the post here). Today it’s my pleasure to tell you about my great experience with Pereg’s Freekeh and Chickpeas.

* Complimentary Products Received.

Pereg describes their freekeh as “young, green wheat that is roasted over an open flame for a rich smoky flavor and cracked to reduce the cooking time.” It’s full of whole-grain nutrition, supplying protein and fiber along with minerals including manganese and iron. Cooking freekeh is easy, like most grains; simply simmer it in water or stock until the liquid is absorbed, adding any seasonings you like. My first time making it, I sautéed some chopped onion in butter and olive oil, then stirred in the freekeh, chicken stock, salt, and pepper; after it came to a boil, I reduced the heat and covered the pot. About 15 minutes later, I had a delicious freekeh pilaf that was a wonderful accompaniment to turkey meatloaf and zucchini. The freekeh reheated beautifully in the microwave the next night, too. My husband and I both enjoyed its full flavor and chewy texture. I’ve been hearing about freekeh for a while now, and I’m glad it’s a new part of my kitchen repertoire!

Chickpeas have been a long-time favorite of mine, since they taste great and provide protein, fiber, and other nutrients. I’ve always used the canned version, so I was excited to try cooking dried chickpeas. In the morning, I set one cup of Pereg’s Chickpeas to soak, then in the afternoon when I drained them, I was astonished to see that they had swelled to nearly three times their original size. I cooked them in my pressure cooker with water and a couple of bay leaves. The finished chickpeas held their shape nicely and I could hardly stop nibbling on them. We’ve been using the chickpeas as a tasty topping for salads—so good! For snacking, I seasoned and roasted some of the cooked chickpeas, and they came out much better than those I’ve made from canned chickpeas. Pereg’s dried chickpeas are perfect, and I mean that literally; before cooking them, I did the usual picking-over step to pull out any that might be broken or shriveled, and I found only one that had split in half, so there was no waste. My next chickpea adventure will be homemade hummus.

Bonus: For a double-whammy of yummy, I heated a few cooked chickpeas with some leftover freekeh pilaf for lunch. What a great combination! Definitely a lucky happenstance to have had both in the refrigerator at the same time.

If your interest is piqued and you want more information or to try Pereg’s products for yourself, visit their website or check them out on Facebook; look for their products at your local retailers, too. Sign up for their newsletter and get 15% off your first order!

Disclaimer: A. Bailey received complimentary products for review purposes & feature on The Classy Chics blog. No monetary compensation was received. A. Bailey’s thoughts, opinions and words are 100% her own. Your thoughts may differ.