More on those chic peas, everybody's comfort food

I had planned to feature kale this week because all its forms are so prevalent in farmers' markets right now, but since Wednesday morning, I've had the feeling nobody wants to be told to "eat their spinach." Kale has unfortunately become one of the foods the affluent and arrogant lord over the McDonald's crowd to prove their moral superiority and eliteness. So back to the humble chickpea, that little black dress of the kitchen. It fits everybody's needs: it's cheap, it's nutritious, it's tasty, it's worldly, it's filling, it's vegan and it goes with just about everything that isn't dessert. Maybe a few more chickpea recipes are what we all need to feel right again.

Braised Butternut Squash with Chickpeas

serves 4

1/4 c olive oil
2-3 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp ground cumin
4 whole cardamom pods, crushed to release the seeds, pods discarded
Salt and black pepper
2½ tbsp harissa paste
½ tsp rose water
2 c + 2 tbsp vegetable stock
1 large butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1 1/2" pieces
1 2/3 c canned cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
7 dried apricots, thinly sliced
1 lemon skin, roughly chopped
2 tsp cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
2/3 c Greek yogurt

 

Heat the oven to 425º. In a large lidded sauté pan heat two tbsp. oil on a medium-high. Add the shallots and fry 7-8 minutes, stirring every so often, until they’re soft and caramelized. Stir in the garlic, spices, half a tsp salt and plenty of pepper, and fry for two minutes more. Add the harissa, rose water, stock and 1 c water, bring to a boil. Add the squash chunks in a single flat layer. Lower heat to medium, cover the pan and simmer 10 minutes, until it is almost cooked through.

Take the pan off the heat and with a slotted spoon, transfer the squash to a medium bowl. Add two tbsp. oil, ¼ tsp salt and some pepper to the bowl. Mix to coat the squash, then spread the squash on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast at 450º 20 minutes, until golden-brown and thoroughly cooked. Cool.

While the squash is roasting, tip chickpeas, apricots and lemon into the stock left in the sauté pan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and cook for about 12 minutes, until the sauce reduces a little and becomes thick and rich. While cooking, crush a few chickpeas with the back of a spoon, to thicken the mix more.

To serve, line the bottom of a shallow serving dish with ¾ of the squash. Spoon the chickpea sauce over it. Top with the rest of the squash, sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve at once with yogurt. For a total vegetarian meal serve with rice.

Greek Cinnamon Spiced Chickpeas with Brown Rice and Feta

This soup is one of my most favorite comfort foods ever. Everybody loves the flavor combo.

from Rhodes for 6

½ c top quality olive oil

1 lg onion, minced

½ c dry white wine

2 tsp Aleppo pepper*

6 c hearty vegetable or chicken broth and or water

1 15/6 oz. can chickpeas, drained (you need 2 cups)

1 c chopped boxed or canned tomatoes

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

1 c short grain brown rice

Salt to your taste

½ c crumbled feta cheese

½ bunch flat leaf parsley minced for garnish

Optional: dried mint leaves for extra flavor and garnish

*Ground Aleppo pepper is a moderately hot Syrian chili. Substitutes would be ground chipotle pepper or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes.

NB: do not use Basmati or any other long grain rice. Short grain rice is for soaking up flavors and you need that here.

In a medium heavy pot, heat olive oil, add onion and sauté over medium heat until soft and translucent, 8-10 minutes. Stir in wine and Aleppo or other hot pepper alternative. Raise heat and cook briskly 45-60 seconds until most liquid is gone.

Add 2 cups broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and oregano. Bring to simmering, cover and cook on low heat 10 minutes. Stir in the rice and 2 cups broth. Cook until rice is tender, about 45 minutes.

Season with salt. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Stir in feta, cover, remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Serve in bowls garnished with minced parsley. Optionally you can double garnish with pinches of fresh mint.

 

Uzbek Chickpea Salad with Sourcream

serves 4

3 turnips

1 white onion

2 carrots

10 oz chickpeas

1/4cup sour cream

salt

fresh chopped dill to taste

Clean and boil the turnips and carrots. Drain to cool. Cube the turnips and carrots into pieces about the size of the chickpeas. Dice the onion. Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl. Add sour cream, salt, fresh dill and mix well.

Crunchy Chickpea Snack
for at least 4

2 large cans chickpeas

1 cup corn oil

1 tbsp lemon zest, in strips

1 tbsp smoked paprika

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 tsp coarse salt to taste

4 cloves of garlic, sliced

Drain chickpeas and set on paper towels over a colander to dry thoroughly (can be done 1 day in advance). They must be absolutely dry.

Heat oil in large cast iron pan until it bubbles around 1 chickpea. Add lemon zest, thyme sprig, and chickpeas in batches to not crowd the pan. Fry 5 minutes or until chickpeas are crunchy and their color has darkened. Remove from oil, drain well. Add garlic to the pan and fry till golden. Remove and drain. Toss chickpeas with the garlic, smoked paprika & salt. Serve warm.

Moroccan Cassoulet (Chickpeas with lamb three ways)

This is a dazzling party dish that takes some fussing and time, but it's actually easy every step of the way.
serves 8
1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp turmeric
2 lamb neck fillets (around 1½ lbs), cut into ¾” slices
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
½ bunch coriander, leaves and stalks separated, both finely chopped
1 2/3c canned plum tomatoes, drained
1 cinnamon stick
5 c canned chickpeas (3 15oz cans), drained and rinsed
Salt

For the meatballs
1 garlic clove
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 ¼ lb ground lamb (go over not under on the amount)

For the breadcrumbs
1 c fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbsp harissa
1 tbsp olive oil

To finish
2 tbsp olive oil
6-8 merguez or other lamb sausages
A squeeze of lemon, to taste
Harissa, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 350º. In a pestle and mortar or spice grinder, grind the cumin, coriander and peppercorns, then add to a mixing bowl along with the ginger, turmeric and a few generous pinches of salt. Add the lamb neck and rub the spices in well, then set aside.

2 In a large casserole, warm up the oil over a medium-low heat and add the onions, garlic, chopped coriander stalks and pinch of salt. Leave to soften, stirring occasionally, for around 8 minutes.

3 Turn the heat up to medium-high and stir in the lamb neck and accompanying spices. Add the plum tomatoes and cinnamon stick, then pour in enough water to not quite cover the meat. Put a lid on top, then put in the oven for 60 minutes, stirring in the chickpeas after 35 minutes.

4 Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs. In a pestle and mortar, bash the garlic clove and a generous pinch of salt into a paste. Add the cumin and fennel seeds and crush them lightly. Scoop into a bowl and add the paprika, lamb mince and the chopped coriander leaves. Season generously, mix well with your hands, then shape into about 16 golfball-size spheres. Put in the fridge to firm up.

5 Meanwhile, mix the breadcrumbs with the harissa and oil and put to one side.

6 Put a frying pan over a high heat and add 1 tbsp of oil. Brown the meatballs briefly, just to get a bit of colour on the outside, then do the same for the sausages.

7 Remove the pan from the oven and check that the lamb neck is soft (return to the oven if not). Taste the chickpeas and adjust the seasoning if necessary. At this stage, you can skim away a little lamb fat if you want. Squeeze in a little lemon and push the meatballs and the sausages into the liquid, adding a little more water if it appears dry. Sprinkle over a thick layer of breadcrumbs, then drizzle over the final tbsp of oil before placing in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are crisp.

8 Remove the dish from the oven and leave for 10 minutes, so that all the juices can be soaked up by the chickpeas. Serve with a green salad and a little extra harissa, if you like.

Nepali Chickpea Curry
 serves 4-6

5 cups cooked or canned Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans, drained but keep the cooking liquid*

2 cups chopped Tomatoes

Sunflower, Canola, Mustard or Corn Oil

1 large or 2 medium Onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1” fresh Ginger, peeled and grated

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

Salt to taste

½ tsp Arbol chili powder

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh Cilantro leaves, chopped

*To be very authentic, soak dried chickpeas in water overnight, then boil in a pressure cooker, with sufficient water for two whistles. Or boil until soft but retaining the shape. Or to do this quickly, use canned garbanzo beans, drained but have vegetable broth handy.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high. When it’s very hot, fry the onions and garlic until the onion pieces become translucent. Add grated ginger and cook a few minutes. Add the turmeric, garam masala, cumin, coriander, and salt to your taste. Stir and cook about 2 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes. Stir to blend. Add some of the cooking juices from the chickpeas or vegetable broth so nothing burns. Cook about 3

minutes, until tomatoes are incorporated. Add 1 cup liquid again. Let everything simmer 10 minutes until juices are reduced and the dish is not soupy. Add lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Season to taste and adjust if required.

Chickpeas with Cod and harissa
serves 2

1 lb skinless and boneless cod loin, cut into 1” pieces
2½ tbsp olive oil
½ tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, peeled, 1 crushed, the other thinly sliced
Salt
½ medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
⅛ tsp ground cardamom
1 tbsp rose harissa (or regular harissa)
2 tsp tomato paste
1 small preserved lemon, finely chopped or zest of 1/2 lemon
1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 c (scant) vegetable stock
handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

 
Mix the cod with 1½ tsp olive oil, ¼ tsp cumin, the crushed garlic and a pinch of salt. Marinate 30 min.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. oil in a large sauté pan on medium-high flame. Once hot, fry the onion 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden brown. Reduce heat to medium, add the sliced garlic and stir for a minute, then add remaining cumin, the cardamom, harissa, tomato paste, lemon, chickpeas and ¼ tsp. salt. Stir for a minute, pour in the stock and cook 3-4 minutes, crushing some of the chickpeas with the back of the spoon, until the sauce is thick. Add the fish to the pot and poach for 3-4 minutes, gently turning it over halfway, until cooked through and starting to flake apart. Stir in the cilantro. Spoon into a shallow bowl and serve hot.