Food in a time of Coronavirus:

People are panicked, quarantined, confined and berserk. Fear stalks the land. Yet people have to eat. Especially to boost their immune system. Supermarket shelves have been stripped bare and suppliers speak of slowdowns and shutdowns that mean shelves empty long term.   We're at the pantry moment  when what you stashed away matters. I hope it was thoughtful. A good pantry can propel you a long way for a long time.

I keep my own shelves stocked with what I call the necessary. Here's  what that means:
roasted nuts
dried fruits including raisins
Pita crackers and my homemade taralli        
pasta, several shapes 
rice, at least two kinds* 
farro or fregola 
polenta or cornmeal
a jar of tomato based spaghetti sauce
2 boxes vegetable broth/stock 
1 bag lentils (either red, brown or green)
can of fava beans
2 cans cannellini (white) beans
1 can black beans
1 can black-eyed peas
2 cans chickpeas
2 cans tuna (at least one in oil)
1 box chopped tomatoes 
1 can or tube of tomato paste 
1 extra bottle olive oil
1 small bottle corn oil (for frying)
2 jars pickles (asparagus, beans, cucumbers) 
box of chocolates
box of oats  
onions
garlic
potatoes
carrots
parsnips
celery  
Parmesan cheese
Butter  
Eggs
Smoked meat (e.g. pancetta, pepperoni, salami) 
small jar mayonnaise
                                      
You'd be amazed how far this can take you: vegetable soup, polenta with tomato sauce and fried eggs, chickpea stew, ful (Egyptian fava bean stew/soup), potato/parsnip pancakes, paella, lentil soup, carrot raisin salad, pasta e fagioli (pasta bean soup), spaghetti with tomato sauce or a sauce of ground nuts in butter, tuna and egg salad with pickles, stewed fruits, and so on. 

Here are a few pantry proud recipes:  
Pasta with chickpeas

Pasta e ceci as it's known in Italy is a traditional Catholic dish for Fridays and Lent. There are many variations, some with anchovies, some without tomatoes. This Roman recipe is from my chickpea collection.           

Serves 4   
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 stick celery, finely diced
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
6 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 sprig of rosemary
16 oz canned  chickpeas
 2 c vegetable or chicken stock
1 Parmesan rind, or other vegetarian hard cheese rind, plus extra finely grated cheese, for serving

½ lb small dried tubular pasta, cooked al dente
Salt and black pepper

In a large, heavy-based saucepan, gently fry the carrot, celery and onion in the extra virgin olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the tomato puree and rosemary, stir, then add ⅔ of the chickpeas. Stir again, then cover everything with stock and throw in the Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and leave to bubble away gently for about 20 minutes.

Remove the rind and rosemary, puree what’s in the pot with an immersion blender or in a small food processor. Add the rest of the cooked chickpeas and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Add the cooked pasta to the soup, then let it all rest 5 minutes so the flavors  mingle. Serve drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and extra cheese.

Darjeeling Aloo Dum (spicy potatoes)

This most popular snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner dish is from my Himalayan collection. Everybody has their own recipe so mine is a compendium of possibilities. Cut the recipe in half if you have to save ingredients.

Serves 4-6

2 lb boiling potatoes (waxy ones like Yukon gold don’t work well)

5 lg garlic cloves, smashed and minced

2” fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp cumin seed

1/4 tsp yellow mustard seed

¼ tsp ground turmeric

1 sm green chili, diced

optional (if you like hot potatoes!)1/2 tsp chili powder

½ cup chopped tomatoes

salt to your taste

fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Scrub the potatoes and put them in a large pot. Cover with water, add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium, partly cover the pot and gently boil until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. This may take 20-25 minutes depending on size of potatoes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain well. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

Try to mash the garlic and ginger together into a paste. 

In a large sauté pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium flame. Add the cumin and mustard seeds and fry 30-60 seconds until they begin to “jump.” Stir in the garlic/ginger paste. Sauté 30 seconds until it’s aromatic. Stir in the tomatoes, then the turmeric, chili and salt. Once this mix is boiling, add the potatoes and 2 tbsp water. Carefully stir to coat the potatoes with the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook 3-5 minutes until everything is thoroughly heated.  Garnish with chopped cilantro to serve.

Tuna Bean Salad

In my catering and cafeteria kitchen we called this two can salad as we whipped up a lot of it because it was so popular.  It's based on the Italian summer dish tonno e fagioli in which fresh tuna is served with white beans. 

Serves 4

(This recipe requires EQUAL visual portions of the first four Ingredients.)

1 7oz can tuna in olive oil

1 15 oz can cannellini, white kidney or other white beans, drained, rinsed and drained again

1 sm red onion, minced

1/2-1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to your taste

juice of 1 lemon

¼ c olive oil

In a medium glass or ceramic bowl, combine tuna, beans, onion and parsley. Mix evenly.

Season with salt and pepper. Dress with the lemon juice and olive oil. Blend evenly and serve.

Tortilla Espagnola

This most basic Spanish favorite, a omelet/fritatta of potatoes and onions is included in my book Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking. The recipe is from my Catalan friend Sonia whose family has been in the professional food preparation business for three generations.  

Serves 4-5

2 tbsp olive oil (extra if your pan is large)

4 round potatoes about 2” in diameter

1 med onion, peeled and diced

1 tsp salt

5 eggs

Cut potatoes in half, then cut the halves in half again, and cut each into uniformly thin slices.

Heat a frying or sauté pan on medium high. When it’s hot, coat the bottom with olive oil and heat until it is almost smoky. Cut heat to low and add potatoes, stir frying to coat them with the oil. Continue to sauté potatoes 3-5 minutes until they are soft, then cover the pot and continue cooking until they just start to brown, about 5 minutes. (Fresh or new potatoes will cook faster.) Add onion and salt. Cover the pot and continue to cook on low until onions are soft, 10-12 minutes. 

Meanwhile beat eggs in a medium or large bowl.  Have ready a flat plate as large as the pan you are cooking in, at least as large as the tortilla will be. When the onions and potatoes are soft and golden, pour contents of the pan into the scrambled eggs and blend. Return the emptied pan to the stove and raise heat to high. If there are not still have droplets of oil all over the bottom, add a tsp of olive oil and heat it.

When pan and oil are very hot, cut heat to low and pour in the egg mixture. Spread and level it. Cover the pan and cook on low 3-5 minutes, or until the bottom half of the tortilla is firm.

Put a large plate over the top of the tortilla, remove the pan from the heat and flip it so the tortilla lands on the plate.  The cooked side will be up. Slide the tortilla back into the pan with the cooked side up. Cover the pan, return to low heat and continue cooking another 3-4 minutes until the entire tortilla is firm.

Immediately invert the tortilla onto a serving plate.  Cut into wedges and serve warm.  (Served with grilled artichokes and zucchini in Romesco sauce, this makes a memorable meal.)

You can also find in earlier posts recipes for Turkish red lentil soup,  Egyptian fava bean stew (ful), minestrone, pasta with walnut sauce, and more.  

              



                

 

Pasta express: fast homemade food

Beans aren't the only food for those feeling financially diminished by tax season (property and income). How about pasta!?! It's fast, healthy and filling. And did I say: easy?  Here are some of the simplest, most elegant, nourishing and comforting pasta recipes I know. Just make a colorful and crunchy salad (throw in roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds or spiced nuts) while the pasta is cooking. 

Cacio e pepe

This beloved Roman dish whose name means cheese and pepper is my most favorite go-to fast food recipe when I haven't shopped, am exhausted and can't think of what to eat. It's satisfying in every way including the fact that you can make it in a pinch from pantry staples. The traditional recipe calls for a mid length pasta but I keep bucatini in the cabinet so that's what I use. Choose what you have on hand. It will work. 
serves 4

14 oz dried pasta (pici is traditional but I use bucatini)
2/3 c unsalted butter
Salt to your taste
4 tbsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 c Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, finely grated

Fill a large pot  2/3 with water and heavily salt it. Over high heat, bring to a boil and add the pasta.  Cook according to package instructions.  Remove from the water, saving some of that water. 

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the black pepper, lemon juice and 2 tbsp pasta cooking water. Whisk and cook over very low heat until the ingredients emulsify into a sauce.

Add the pasta to the sauce. Top it with the Parmesan but do not stir the Parmesan in. Let it melt from the residual heat of the pot.  Once it has melted, stir everything together. Season with salt to your taste and serve at once.                                                                           

Orecchiette with broccolini or broccoli rabe

This most beloved and traditional dish from Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot, is one of my beloved standbys. I probably make it once every two weeks. It's colorful, nourishing, cheap and the bitterness of the broccoli helps keep my sinuses open. It also makes me feel virtuous: except for the final sprinkle of cheese, it's vegan. There's no exact way to make this so what follows is my version, more suggestion than dictate. Some people in the US add crumbled sausage to this.  
 serves 4 
  
1 bundle broccoli rabe, chopped 
Salt
1 package orecchiette pasta (known as little ears)
6-7 tbsp richly flavored olive oil
2 tsp red chili flakes 
2 tbsp pine nuts
4 lg garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c Parmesan or Romano cheese, finely grated

Fill a large pot 1/2 with heavily salted water. Bring to a boil and add the chopped broccoli rabe. Cook 1 minute. (This removes some of the bitterness.) Remove with a slotted spoon or strainer to a colander to drain. If you leave a little broccoli in the water, no problem. 

Add another 2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Pour in the orecchiette, a tsp of salt and cook according to package instructions until the pasta is past al dente and soft.

While it cooks, in a large skillet, heat 4 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the chili flakes and pine nuts and cook 1 minute. Stir in the broccoli, then the garlic. Season with salt to your taste and stir in 1 tbsp olive oil to keep everything moist. Sauté over low heat 5 minutes. Turn off heat but leave pot where it is.  If it looks dry add more olive oil.

When the orecchiette is cooked, take 2 tbsp of the pasta water and stir it into the broccoli mixture.  Drain the orecchiette in the colander and add it to the broccoli. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt. Stir to blend. Top with grated cheese and serve.                    

Here's an alternative to that:

Vietnamese garlic noodles with kale or Asian mustard greens and lemon

I included this recipe in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking, as my combination of the wildly popular American/Vietnamese creation, garlic noodles, and a Zen Buddhist dish of kale and lemon with pasta. All the vitamin A and C and lung cleaning garlic make it medicinally perfect for right now. Plus, it can make your feel virtuous for being vegetarian without much sacrifice.

serves 4-6

 

½ lb spaghetti

4 cups coarsely chopped fresh kale or Asian mustard green leaves (no stems)

6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp salt

juice of ½ large lemon

1 tbsp butter

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Halfway through add the kale or mustard greens to the pot.

While the spaghetti cooks, in a large sauté pan, heat the butter and 3 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for 60 seconds over medium low heat so the garlic doesn’t brown.  Add the black pepper and continue to sauté another minute. Add the cheese and reduce heat to lowest setting. 

Drain the cooked spaghetti and kale well. Toss into the sauté pan and raise heat to medium low. Add the salt and lemon juice and toss the spaghetti to coat with the garlic and oil.  Heat 30-60 seconds. Remove from heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, blending it in to serve.

Pasta with walnut sauce

Walnut sauce is a specialty of Ligura and used on a variety of pasta with emphasis on ravioli. Please do not serve this near anyone allergic to nuts. Otherwise it's a hearty vegetarian dish loaded with protein.                  

Serves 4

½ c walnuts, shelled
2 pieces day-old crustless bread

¼ c whole milk
1 garlic clove

¼ c flat leaf parsley leaves
½ c extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp heavy cream or crème fraiche

¼ c parmesan cheese grated

salt and freshly ground black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes
¾ lb cavatelli (thin twisted 2” long) pasta

Soak the walnuts in boiling water about 15 minutes. Drain and remove as much of the skins as you can. It’s a pain but this will keep the sauce from being too bitter.

Preheat the oven to 225º.

Break the bread into small pieces, put it in a bowl and pour the milk over it. Let it sit 5 minutes, then squeeze out the milk. In a food processer, combine the bread with the walnuts, garlic and parsley leaves. Blitz while pouring in the oil to make a smooth sauce. Transfer the mixture to an over proof serving bowl. Mix in the cream, cheese and pinch of red pepper flakes. Season with salt and a bit of freshly ground pepper. Place the bowl in the warm oven while the pasta cooks.

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving some of the water.  Stir in into the warm bowl of walnut sauce, add 2-3 tbsps of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Serve at once with an extra bowl of grated parmesan.

Venetian spaghetti with slow cooked onions
serves 4

6 lg white onions
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
1 c chicken or vegetable broth
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb (12 oz) dried spaghetti
1 tbsp unsalted butter  
1/4 c flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese 

Peel the onions and slice them into the thinnest possible rings. 
In a large frying pan, heat the oil on low. Add the onions and sauté  12-15 minutes, stirring frequently. They should become glossy and translucent with a hint of gold, not burnt. Add the broth and cook 10 more minutes on low.

While that happens, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. When it is al dente, drain it and add it to the onions in the frying pan.  Mix well. Add the butter, a generous pinch of coarse salt. freshly grated black pepper to your taste, the parsley and almost all the parmesan. Stir and immediately remove from heat.   Stir again to get the cheese to melt.  When serving sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top.         

Bhutanese soba noodles with eggs and tomato
This is another recipe from Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking.  Buckwheat is the only grain that grows in the icy mountain climate especially in the eastern half of the country where this homey dish comes from.            

Serves 4          

½ lb. buckwheat noodles (Soba)
1 lg. onion, peeled
8 scallions, roots off
2 tomatoes
1 poblano chili pepper or 2 lg. jalapenos
fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. cooking oil (corn, canola, safflower, mustard)
3 extra large eggs
OPTIONAL: 1 tbsp. unsalted butter OR 1/8 lb. yak cheese*
* See Ingredients section

Boil the buckwheat noodles in salted water until tender—usually 6 to 8 minutes. Drain.           

While the noodles boil, whisk eggs with ¼ tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper.  Coat the bottom of a 10” skillet with 1 tsp. oil and heat on medium.  Pour in the eggs and form a pancake, tilting the skillet so uncooked egg runs to the side or underneath the cooked egg. Once you have a solid pancake, turn it out onto a cutting board. Slice it into thin strips.

Chop the onion coarsely. Chop the tomatoes.  Seed the pepper(s) and slice into thin strips. Slice the scallions into thin strips.

Put another 2 tsp. of oil in the skillet and heat on medium. Add the onion and pepper and stir fry until soft and lightly browned—about 3-4 minutes.  Add the scallions and tomato, stirring to blend.  Cook until the tomato has softened, another 3 minutes.

Lower heat. Add the egg strips, noodles and ¾ tsp. salt and toss all ingredients in the skillet while heating thoroughly. Remove from heat. Garnish with fresh cilantro.    

Something fishy for Lent

Not eating meat during Lent is a millennium old tradition-- one that led to the discovery of America. Hint: Catholic countries were in a desperate search for lots of fish, the kind thick enough to preserve for the voyage back, and found them in the Gulf of Maine. Since Lent is upon some of us, here are simple fish recipes from my files that will glide you through.

Crete Fisherman's stew

This is  a simple as a good meal gets and glamorous to boot. It's actually the way fishermen made their meals right after the catch. You can use this recipe for Lent and save it for summer too.

Serves 4

2 1/4 lbs medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 turbot (around 4 lbs), scaled, gutted and cut into 5 pieces,
1 1/2 c tomatoes, chopped (boxed or canned okay)
2 celery stalks
4 bay leaves
Salt
1 2/3 c extra virgin olive oil
3 c water
Juice of 2 lemons
Parsley leaves
4 langoustines or prawns  or a lobster in pieces
 

Use a lidded saucepan that will fit the potatoes snugly in a single layer at the bottom of the pan. After adding the potatoes, add the fish, followed by the tomatoes, celery, bay leaves, salt, olive oil and water. The liquid will only partly cover the fish. 

Put the saucepan over a high heat and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and continue to boil another 20 minutes. Shake the pan every so often, but never stir the contents. Before you turn the soup off, make sure the potatoes are soft. Add the lemon juice and parsley leaves, then give the pan a final shake. Turn off the heat, add the langoustines or prawns and let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.
 

To serve, use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the fish to shallow bowls. Divide the soup and potatoes into bowls. Add a langoustine or prawn to each  Serve with toasted baguette or warm pita.

Fish fillets in Tomato Raisin Sauce

This Greek recipe is one of the longest running in my repertoire because it's easy, tasty and eye catching. Just add a side of garlic braised spinach and cucumber salad for a colorful table--and a very     nutritious meal.   
serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil 
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lg onion,  diced
Freshly ground black pepper to your taste  
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 lbs  or 24 oz cooked whole tomatoes in juice 
4 cloves, whole
pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 c dark raisins 
1/4 c dry white wine 
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, minced     
1 1/2 lbs haddock, cod, hake, monkfish or other white fish fillets
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt to your taste 
Garnish: 1-2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped    

Heat oven to 350º.
In a small heavy gauge pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic , black pepper and oregano.  Sauté 4-5 minutes until onion is soft.  Reduce heat to low and add the tomatoes with their juice, the cloves, cinnamon, raisins, wine and 2 tbsp parsley.  Stir to blend and heat 5 minutes.

Wash the fish fillets, drain well and sprinkle the the lemon juice and salt. Lightly oil the bottom of a baking dish large enough for one layer only and arrange the fish on it. Pour the sauce over the fillets. Bake at 350º 30 -35 minutes or until the fish is flaky and cooked through. Garnish with chopped parsley to serve.                  


Salmon with leeks

Quick, tasty and colorful. Leeks are readily available now as many farmer s winter them over to harvest in earliest Spring.  
serves 4 

2 1” thick leeks, split and washed                    

1 tbsp fresh chopped tarragon

3 garlic cloves, minced                            

1 tbsp dry white wine                              

1/3 c veg, vegetable or fish broth         

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1½ lbs boneless chunks of fresh salmon

1 tbsp olive oil                                         

¼ tsp dried thyme leaves

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Garnish: chopped dill and chives

To clean leeks: remove green tops, tough outer leaves and roots. Cut into 2” lengths, split and cut each piece into thin strips.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté leeks over medium-low heat, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 min. Add wine, broth, thyme and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Cover, lower heat and simmer 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Skin salmon and rub with 1 tbsp lemon juice. Lightly season with salt. Stir tarragon, salt and pepper into leeks. Put salmon chunks on top of the leeks, cover and simmer 4-5 mins, until salmon is cooked. Plate the leeks, arrange salmon chunks on top and drizzle with pan juices. 

Garnish with freshly chopped chives. Serve with roasted potatoes.

Palestinian shrimp with pine nuts
This is a traditional, treasured recipe from women who lived by the Mediterranean Sea. It's fragrant and colorful. You can serve it with their local grains like maftoul, bulghur, freekah or farro. Or just flatbread for soaking up the sauce.

serves 6
1 kg (2 1/3 lbs) fresh shrimp, peeled
3 sm red onions, diced (about 1 1/2 c)
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
salt
1/4 c pine nuts, silvered almonds or raw cashews
2 tbsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 Serrano chili peppers
1 26 oz can diced tomatoes (or 6 fresh tomatoes skinned and diced)
6 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp black pepper, ground
1 c water
2 tbsp sesame seed

Preheat oven to 325º.
Put the peeled shrimp in a dry sauté pan or wok on med/low heat 3 minutes until the liquid they release evaporates and they are pink. Remove from pan and hold.
Coarsely shop the chili peppers and crush with 1/2 tsp salt into a chunky paste. Chop dill and garlic together as finely as you can.
 

In the pan shrimp were cooked in, add olive oil and heat over med. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent, 5-8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and blend. Add diced tomatoes, spices, crushed salted chilies, water and the dill/garlic mix. Blend well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Simmer 10 min.
   

While that's happening, toast the nuts and sesame seeds or fry them in 1 tbsp olive oil: either way.
Stir the shrimp into the sauce. Pour the contents of the pan into an earthenware or other oven casserole dish. Cover with the toasted nuts, sesame and chopped parsley. Cover the top with foil or a lid. Bake 10 minutes. Remove foil/lid and bake 2-3 minutes until the top is crusty. Serve with grains or flatbread and green salad.

        
Spanish salt cod and chickpea stew

This is actually a traditional Lenten dish on the Iberian peninsula. Using ground almonds instead of the 1 tbsp flour makes it  gluten-free.       

Serves 6

2 cups dried chickpeas

pinch of baking soda

8 oz. salt cod

½ head garlic, broken into cloves, unpeeled

1 bay leaf

2 small onions

½ to ¾ lb. spinach

6 tbsp olive oil

8 oz. canned diced tomato or 2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 tbsp flour or very finely ground almonds (almond meal)

1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika

1 sprig fresh parsley

Salt

Put chickpeas in a bowl and cover with water by 1 inch and add a pinch of baking soda and a pinch of salt. Let soak overnight or at least 12 hours.

Put the bacalao (salt cod) in water to cover and let soak at least 12 hours changing the water at least 3 times.

Drain the chickpeas and rinse.

Reserve 1 of the garlic cloves and put the rest in a large pot along with the chickpeas, cover with water by 2 inches. Peel and quarter one of the small onions and add it to the pot along with the bay leaf. Heat to a boil and turn the heat down to medium low and cook for 2½ hours adding more water if needed.

Drain and rinse the salt cod. Chop it into 1" cubes and add to the pot. Cook 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the remaining onion and over low heat sauté in the olive oil  10 minutes until light golden brown. Add the tomato and cook 10 minutes, mashing the tomato to break it up. Stir in the flour and cook two or three minutes. Add the paprika and remove from heat.

When the mixture has cooled a bit, process it in a blender or food processor or with an immersion stick until it's pureed.

Stir this mixture into the chickpeas. Season to taste with salt.

Pound parsley and remaining peeled clove of garlic in a mortar or process in a food processor. Mix in 1 tablespoon of liquid from the pot and then add mixture to the chickpeas. Add the spinach and cook 15 minutes more.