Chopping celery is easy:  Start by slicing the stalks lengthwise in half, thirds or quarters (depending on the size of the stalk).  Then chop into smaller bits.

So you make this chickpea salad, which can be enjoyed on a bed of greens, with pita chips or Pretzel Thins, and probably even stuffed into a celery stalk.  This particular blogger made it into a sandwich, and I decided to make mine into a wrap.  There are several possibilities which allow for just a little variety stretched out into several meals.

Chickpea Salad
adapted from the Simple Veganista

1 2/3 cups (1 can) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1/4 cup onion, diced small
1/4 cup or so hummus
1 - 2 tablespoons mustard (stone ground or dijon)
Sea salt & cracked pepper, to taste
Dash of garlic powder
Juice of 1 lemon, optional

Drain and rinse your chickpeas, place in medium size bowl and roughly mash with a fork, potato masher or pastry blender. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Add more hummus if you like it creamier and taste for seasoning.

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Chickpea Salad Wrap
1 tortilla shell, your choice of flavor and size (I used 12 inch sun dried tomato)
1/2 avocado, mashed
A couple big spoonfuls chickpea salad
Spinach leaves or other lettuce
Diced tomatoes

On a tortilla shell, layer the spinach or other greens, avocado, the chickpea salad, and the tomatoes.  Wrap like you would a burrito- fold up one or two opposite "ends" of the circle and then fold the other ends/flaps over it the folded parts/sides and the filling.

This time we enjoyed success.  Delicious, wonderful success.

Grilled Pizza

Pizza Dough
Shredded or Sliced Cheese
Sauce (we used both pesto and tomato sauce)
Toppings- veggies, meat, etc.  We used zucchini, mushrooms, roasted bell pepper, and onion

Prepare your grill for direct heat.  Preheat the stone on the grill.

Prepare your dough by shaping into a flat disc- keep it small-ish, around 10 inches in diameter.  I prefer extra thin crust so make it as thin as possible, but that's up to you.  If you use the recipe I mentioned above, you will probably get 3-4 small pizzas.  We made 3 pizzas and cheesy bread.  Delish!  Also, get your sauce and toppings together on a tray so that you can quickly assemble the pizzas.

Remove the preheated stone to a heat-proof surface and grill the dough, about 3 minutes total, flipping halfway through.  Remove to a cooling rack.  Replace the stone onto the grill.  Assemble the pizza and place it on the pizza stone.  Grill, covered, 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and it looks perfect.

Let cool for a minute before cutting.  Enjoy!

A Couple Pizza Ideas
Slather the crust with pesto.  Top with mushrooms, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses.  Grill, and after removing or toward the end, add halved grape tomatoes.

Top the crust with regular pizza sauce.  Top with onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and cheese.

Brush a crust with olive oil and top with cheeses.  Grill until cheese melts and slice into strips for cheese sticks.

I found the original recipe for today's post on Pinterest and fell for its visual appeal.  I am a sucker for well photographed food.  The colors and textures just burst off the screen and demanded to be made, and finally I got around to making it.

Instead of making the recipe as is, I adapted it to suit mine and Drew's tastes, and I wanted to simplify it.  We both really enjoyed it, but if you want it to be a light meal rather than a side, I would encourage you to make double the amount, which would feed 2-3 people, or serve it with pita toasts or something.

This comes together quickly and easily, and if you use canned chickpeas or ones you prepared earlier in the week, there's no cooking, which translates into keeping your house cool enough to live in without turning your power bill into an all consuming monster.

Chickpea and Tomato Salad
adapted from greenlitebites.com

feeds 1 very generously (with leftovers) or 2 as a hearty side- or as I said in the post, serve with pita to make a light meal

1 can chickpeas (1 2/3 cups), drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
2 Tb. olive oil
1 Tb. lemon juice
Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a medium to large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper with a whisk or fork.  Add all other ingredients and stir to mix and coat with the dressing.  Allow to sit for about 10 minutes prior to serving.

Decided to use the grill pan instead of the grill- just for convenience reasons

Salt and pepper
3/4 pound short pasta, such as campanelle
1 3/4 cups corn kernels (from 2 ears)
1 cup ricotta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
3 medium zucchini
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Prepare zucchini:  using a sharp knife or mandolin, slice the zucchini lengthwise into long, thin slices.  Grill on outdoor grill or grill pan over med-high heat, lightly oiling the zucchini and sprinkling with salt and pepper prior to grilling.  Flip when the bottom side has nice grill marks.  Remove from heat when zucchini are softened and both sides are lightly charred.  Set aside to cool, and then chop into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes less than package instructions; add corn and cook until tender, 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup pasta water, ricotta, and Parmesan. Add pasta mixture, zucchini, basil, and dill and toss to combine. Add more pasta water if necessary to create a light sauce that coats pasta. Season with salt and pepper and top with more basil and Parmesan.

Notes

• I used a mixture of cellentani and rigatoni pastas to use up what I had in my pantry.  Any shorter pasta will do.  
• I had fresh basil from my garden and didn't use dill at all.  
• I had some boiled corn left over from another meal, so instead of boiling it, I just sliced it off the cob and used it that way.  You could also use frozen corn.