By now, you guys can probably tell that our love for food is immense, and we are not even going to deny it. It’s true, we love food, but more than that, we also love staying healthy. Believe it or not, we see to it that we dedicate some time in our day to do intentional movements like exercise or even just house chores. Aside from moving around, we also see to it that we are intentional with our diet. That’s right, we try our best to not only have a healthy diet, but also have a sustainable one. 

That being said, we make sure to include super-clean superfoods in our meals from time to time. If you guys loved our Pan Roasted Shrimp with Bacon and Green Pea Puree, where we incorporated U.S. green peas, then you are in for more than just a treat today! This time, we reached for U.S. chickpeas and used it to turn a beloved classic Filipino dish into an even tastier and healthier version.

Chickpeas are affordable, versatile, and most of all, highly nutritious! They are a rich source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein, and so it doesn’t come as a surprise that they offer a lot of health benefits, particularly in regard to weight management, blood sugar regulation, and digestion.

Apart from that, chickpeas also help in protecting your body from certain chronic diseases, promote brain health, and prevent iron deficiency. Amazing, right? Who knew these yellow, tiny things can do so much for our health?

Since chickpeas have high protein content, they are also commonly used as an alternative for meat in many vegetarian and vegan dishes. However, as we have mentioned, for today’s recipe, we used U.S. chickpeas in a classic Pinoy dish that is actually usually part of a number of households’ weekly meal rotations. This dish we are talking about is none other than the crowd favorite Chicken Pochero.

With its reddish orange sauce, Chicken Pochero is sure to bring a smile to people’s faces when they see it on their dining table. This Filipino delicacy usually uses chicken as its main protein and chorizo de bilbao for that added meatiness, alongside some vegetables such as green beans and potatoes, together with leafy greens like cabbage, bokchoy, or pechay. This dish could also contain plantain bananas which give the whole dish that delectable hint of sweetness in every mouthful; and for its sauce, tomato sauce is used to achieve the spotlight-deserving reddish orange sauce we are talking about.

Aside from all of that, another important ingredient that a great Chicken Pochero really has is none other than garbanzo beans, or also known as chickpeas. By using U.S. chickpeas in our Chicken Pochero, we have actually made our dish not only tastier and healthier, but also more filling and satisfying, since chickpeas and other U.S. Pulses are packed with protein, fiber and a whole lot of other nutrients.

Thanks to U.S. chickpeas, our Chicken-Pochero-starred meal time with our loved ones was definitely one for the books! If you are curious to know more about U.S. chickpeas, and other U.S. Pulses, then we suggest visiting their Facebook and website to learn more about superfoods like U.S. beans, chickpeas, split peas, and lentils. Truly, you’ll learn something new while giving friends and family a meal that is both amazingly delicious and healthy.