i’m going to lead off this post with the statement that i’m not a huge fan of feta. the briny saltiness that feta and olives contain just isn’t really my thing. i purchased a bunch of feta for an event that we catered and i overestimated how much i would need for my watermelon & feta skewers. so now i have a bunch of left over feta and no clue what to do with it. after some internet research, i found some inspiration that i thought i might actually enjoy.

and now that you know all that, you should also know that i devoured this dish with feta as the star.

this dish is great as a vegetarian main dish or as an appetizer shared among friends. it is perfect with some crusty bread or pita and it was also delicious over a bed of arugula, salad style.

baked feta + crispy chickpeas & lemon yogurt

serves: 2 for a main course/4-6 as an appetizer

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 15 mintues

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: .5 lb greek feta, sliced into .5 inch thick pieces. 1 medium brown onion, halved and sliced .25 inch thick. 1 bunch rainbow chard, stems & leaves chopped but keep the leaves and stems separate. 6 tbs of coconut oil. 15 oz can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), rinsed and dried REALLY well. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. .25 tsp garlic powder. .25 tsp turmeric. .25 tsp paprika. .25 tsp ginger. 3 pinches of cinnamon. 4 garlic cloves, smashed. .5 cup greek yogurt. 1 tbs honey. juice of 1 lemon. large cast iron skillet (or other heavy pan that can go in the oven) and 1 large nonstick pan. lemon slices for garnish. pita, crusty bread or bed of arugula for serving.

start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees f. while the oven is preheating, heat 2 tbs of the coconut oil over medium high heat until nice and hot. add in the onions and a couple pinches of salt. once the onions start to soften, add in the chopped chard stalks. cook for another 1-2 minutes till the stalks start to soften.

meanwhile, combine the rest of the salt, pepper, garlic powder, turmeric, paprika, ginger & cinnamon in a small bowl. mix well till combined.

add in the greens in two or three batches, waiting till the first batch is wilted before adding more.

season the mixture with one third of the spice blend and stir well. place your feta pieces among the onions and greens and place it in the oven. bake for 8-10 minutes, till the cheese is nice and soft.

while the feta is baking, heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet. if you only have a smaller skillet, work in batches so you do not over crowed your pan. if you over crowed your pan, your chickpeas will not get crispy. when the oil is really hot, you can test it with one chickpea to see if it sizzles, pour in all your chickpeas. make sure they are in an even layer with a little space in between. add in the garlic and the rest of the spice blend. toss well till the chickpeas are nice and toasted and then spread them out once again in an even layer with space. and then walk away. don’t touch them. let them crispy up. cook for 5 minutes, toss and then let them toast for an additional 5 minutes. when they are done, they look like this.

while the chickpeas are crisping, mix together the lemon juice, greek yogurt and honey and set it aside. when your feta is baked, remove it from the oven.

top with crispy chickpeas. drizzle some of the lemony greek yogurt on top.

finally, top with lemon slices.

serve with your choice of bread or over your favorite greens as a salad.

xo, a

baked feta + crispy chickpeas & lemon yogurt

serves: 2 for a main course/4-6 as an appetizer

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 15 mintues

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: .5 lb greek feta, sliced into .5 inch thick pieces. 1 medium brown onion, halved and sliced .25 inch thick. 1 bunch rainbow chard, stems & leaves chopped but keep the leaves and stems separate. 6 tbs of coconut oil. 15 oz can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), rinsed and dried REALLY well. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. .25 tsp garlic powder. .25 tsp turmeric. .25 tsp paprika. .25 tsp ginger. 3 pinches of cinnamon. 4 garlic cloves, smashed. .5 cup greek yogurt. 1 tbs honey. juice of 1 lemon. large cast iron skillet (or other heavy pan that can go in the oven) and 1 large nonstick pan. lemon slices for garnish. pita, crusty bread or bed of arugula for serving.

start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees f. while the oven is preheating, heat 2 tbs of the coconut oil over medium high heat until nice and hot. add in the onions and a couple pinches of salt. once the onions start to soften, add in the chopped chard stalks. cook for another 1-2 minutes till the stalks start to soften. meanwhile, combine the rest of the salt, pepper, garlic powder, turmeric, paprika, ginger & cinnamon in a small bowl. mix well till combined. add in the greens in two or three batches, waiting till the first batch is wilted before adding more. season the mixture with one third of the spice blend and stir well. place your feta pieces among the onions and greens and place it in the oven. bake for 8-10 minutes, till the cheese is nice and soft. while the feta is baking, heat the remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet. if you only have a smaller skillet, work in batches so you do not over crowed your pan. if you over crowed your pan, your chickpeas will not get crispy. when the oil is really hot, you can test it with one chickpea to see if it sizzles, pour in all your chickpeas. make sure they are in an even layer with a little space in between. add in the garlic and the rest of the spice blend. toss well till the chickpeas are nice and toasted and then spread them out once again in an even layer with space. and then walk away. don’t touch them. let them crispy up. cook for 5 minutes, toss and then let them toast for an additional 5 minutes. when they are done, they look like this. while the chickpeas are crisping, mix together the lemon juice, greek yogurt and honey and set it aside. when your feta is baked, remove it from the oven. top with crispy chickpeas. drizzle some of the lemony greek yogurt on top. finally, top with lemon slices. serve with your choice of bread or over your favorite greens as a salad.