Broccoli & Chickpea Salad

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Break down the broccoli into small florettes (cut larger ones in half). Peel and trim broccoli stalks and cut into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces. Place florettes and stalk pieces on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper or foil. Add chickpeas to the tray. Drizzle broccoli and chickpeas with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil (perhaps 1 tablespoon) and toss with your hands to coat the broccoli all over with the oil. Place in a 425 degree oven on the middle rack and roast about 25 – 30 minutes, turning the contents of the tray eith a spatula at least once. Meanwhile, dice the red onion and saute in a small amount of oil until caramelized (15 – 20 minutes) – stir frequently. Or lightly saute sliced green onion. Let the broccoli, chickpeas and onion cool a bit before assembling the salad. Place broccoli, onion, chickpeas and sun dried tomato in a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flake (if desired). Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar – mix and taste. Adjust the oil, vinegar and seasoning to your liking. Options: - add cooked quinoa, pasta, or brown rice for a more substantial salad - add fresh herbs (such as basil, flat-leaf parsley) - use any other kind of beans (cannellini beans would be good) - any vegatable can be roasted like this and used in a salad (cauliflower, squash, carrots) - add fresh greens, such as spinach, swiss chard, dandelion greens