Spinach and Chickpeas

     When I originally started this blog, I didn't want to write.  I simply wanted to share recipes and food - pictures of the food and text for the recipe.  A few months ago, I started making weekly posts about my trips to the grocery store - by far my favorite blog to write each week! Writing has become somewhat therapeutic for me and I enjoy giving others a glimpse of what is going on inside my head.  My plan is to actually write something with each post I make, not just pictures and recipe text.  

     Spinach and chickpeas is such a simple dish.  I made this  for J.T. and I when we first began dating, back in the "Forest Trail" apartment days.  Only recently did I realize that I have never blogged about it.  For those of you who read my previous post about kicking processed food out of my diet, I made this before I decided to make that change  - hence the canned tomato sauce and dry cereal crumbs.  Many times I do not blog about a particular dish that we ate until a few weeks (or sometimes months) later.  Speaking of processed foods, we still have many of them in our pantry - Worcestershire sauce, Lipton onion soup mix, sugar-free jello - just to name a few.  I am on the fence about what to do with these items.  Do I use all my processed foods first, so I am not wasteful or should I just give them away?  

     Back to spinach and chickpeas - take the time to toast the  breadcrumbs and make the breadcrumb paste.  It makes a huge difference and gives the recipe it's distinct flavor.  I served this along side green beans, J.T.'s favorite vegetable (besides potatoes, which do not count!).  For my leftovers at lunch the next day, I spooned the spinach and chickpeas on top of a cornmeal griddle cake.  Very yummy! 

 

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

 

 

  

Ingredients

• ½ cup dried bread crumbs 
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, defrosted
• ½ pound dried chickpeas, cooked, drained, and rinsed (or 2 – 15 ounce cans)
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and stir to coat them with the oil. Let them toast for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir and toast for an additional minute or until brown and crispy. Remove from the heat. Pour the toasted crumbs into a mortar and pestle (or a food processor). Smash the bread crumbs with the red wine vinegar until it forms into a thick paste (or pulse if using a food processor). Set aside.
2. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the spinach, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Sauté the spinach for about 5 minutes. Then add the chickpeas, tomato sauce, bread crumb paste, and ¼ cup of water. Season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and paprika. Stir, cover with a lid, and cook over very low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serves 4 as a main dish.

* You may notice that my bread crumbs look funny.  I actually used crushed rice Chex cereal because I was out of my gluten-free bread crumbs.  For this recipe, use bread crumbs if you have them, but a crushed unsweetened corn or rice cereal is just as delicious.  

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