Jan 25 2009
Recipe: Garbanzos con Espinacas (Chickpeas and Spinach)
Spinach is a wonderful stable to have in your fridge or freezer - I had cubes of frozen spinach to soups and stews to increase the nutrition content, I always include baby spinach in my fresh salads, and spinach makes a wonderful counterpoint to beans and grains. This recipe is loosely Spanish, and results in a warm chickpea salad perfect as a side dish or on its own, served on toast with a glass of wine as an appetizer or light meal.
I know a lot of people shy away from cooking beans from scratch, but it really isn’t that difficult. Investing in a pressure cooker is a great idea if you use a lot of beans and pulses; you’ll save lots of money cooking them from scratch rather than out of cans, and you can monitor the salt and sugar content for yourself.
Garbanzos con espinacas 200g chickpeas, soaked overnight with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, or 2 tins of cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained 4 tablespoons olive oil 500g spinach, washed (a large bag will do) 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 small bunch fresh oregano, roughly chopped 1 small dried red chilli, crumbled 1 1/2 tablespoons good-quality red wine vinegar a good pinch of saffron, infused in 4 tablespoons boiling water (optional) 3/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika 75 g bread, crusts removed and cut into small cubes (day-old is fine) salt and fresh black pepper Drain the dried and soaked chickpeas in a colander and rinse under cold water. Place in a large saucepan with 2 litres of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1-2 hours or until soft, skimming any scum off the top of the water as it builds. Remove from the heat and pour off the excess liquid until level with the chickpeas, seasoning with salt and pepper. Set aside. Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add half the olive oil. When the oil is hot (but not smoking) add the spinach with a pinch of salt, and stir well. You may have to do this in batches. Remove when the leaves are just tender, drain and set aside. Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the bread cubes for five minutes or until golden, then add garlic, cumin, oregano and chilli, cooking until the garlic is nutty brown (careful not to burn!). Transfer to a mortal and pestle or food processor and, adding the vinegar, mash to a paste. Return the mixture to the frying pan and add the chickpeas and saffron-water. Stir until the chickpeas are coated in the mixture and are hot, then season and add the spinach until it is also hot. Check the seasoning and serve with toast and with paprika sprinkled on top.
adapted from Moro East by Sam & Sam Clark
The beans sound delicious. Unfortunately I don’t care for cooked spinach, but love it raw in salads.
Karen
http://gardendiva.today.com/
This is a delightful dish. It may look a bit worthy and wholesome, but the smoked paprika, herbs and chilli really lift it out of the ordinary.