Chana Masala

This is a hearty and easy Indian-spiced chickpea dish. Adapted from www.smittenkitchen.com.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (to taste)
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 cups tomatoes, chopped small or 1 15-ounce can of whole tomatoes with their juices, chopped small + tomato paste to thicken (about half a small can)
2/3 cup water or vegetable broth
4 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lemon (juiced)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cumin seeds, paprika and garam masala. Cook onion mixture with spiced for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. If you want a deeper tomato flavor and a slightly thicker sauce, add some tomato paste. Add the water or broth and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt and lemon juice.

Eat up or put a lid on it and reheat it when needed. Curries such as this reheat very well, later or or in the days that follow, should it last that long.

Alexis's Arabian Spinach

My friend Alexis brought this delicious and simple dish to my Chanukah potluck.

1 onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
14 oz spinach, washed and shredded
1 tsp cumin seeds
15 oz can chick peas, drained
a knob of butter (1-2 tbsp)
salt and pepper to taste
optional: feta

1. In a large frying pan or wok, fry the onion with the oil for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cumin seeds, then fry another minute.

2. Add the spinach, in stages, stirring it until the leaves begin to wilt. Fresh spinach condenses down dramatically on cooking and it will all fit into the pan.

3. Stir in the chick peas, butter and seasoning. (Optional: add as much feta as you like!) Reheat until just bubbling, then serve hot. Drain off any pan juices if you like, but this dish is rather nice served slightly saucy.

Escarole Soup with White Beans and Sausage

This is an easy and tasty slow-cooker recipe I made to use up some of the greens from my CSA share.

12.oz chicken sausage (any flavor), cut in 1/4" rounds
2 15oz. can cannellini beans,drained and rinsed
1 15oz. can garbanzo beans,drained and rinsed
1 28oz. can tomatoes, chopped, with juices
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
1 small head escarole, chopped
1/4 c coarse ground parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

1. Combine sausage, beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, and thyme in slow cooker and cook on low for 4-8 hours.
2. Stir in escarole and cook an additional 8-10 mins,until just wilted. Stir in the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Moroccan Spiced Chickpea Soup

A staple in our Somerville apartment, 2007-2008.

1/4 c olive oil
1 large onion, medium diced
6-8 cloves garlic, pressed
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground cumin
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 t sweet paprika
1 (14.5-oz) can chopped tomatoes
3 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 quart vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 t sugar
salt & pepper
1 (5-oz) package pre-washed baby spinach

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onions begin to turn translucent; lower heat if browning starts to occur. Add spices and saute a minute or so.
2. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, broth, and sugar. Season with a couple pinches of salt and 10 grinds fresh pepper. Stir well. Chickpeas should be just covered with liquid. If level is shy, add some water so the chickpeas are just covered.
3. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to low and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Use a potato masher to mash up some of the chickpeas right in the pot. Stir in the spinach and let heat through until wilted, just a couple minutes. Season again, to taste with salt and pepper. Ellie likes to add raisins at this point, but I'm not really a big raisin person - your call.