North African Chickpeas and Vegetables

Let me start by saying, yes, I know how gross this looks.  And no, I did not know that it was going to look like this.  And yes, it tastes a LOT better than it looks.  Definitely not date food.  It’s brown and gross looking and it has 6 cloves of garlic.

This is from the Forks Over Knives cookbook.  It’s a cookbook for a plant-based diet.  I have no interest in being vegan, but I am trying to follow Michael Pollan’s adage, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”  Slightly modified for me at the moment as, “Eat less, mostly plants.”  So, plants it is tonight.

This meal is a good candidate for the odds and ends in the vegetable drawer.  I think carrots would have been good.  Sweet potatoes.  Not Brussels sprouts.  The original has a pretty summery bend to it – zucchini, summer squash, eggplant.  I try to limit the out of season things I buy, particularly when there are reasonable seasonal substitutes.  You’ll see I hung on to the red bell pepper, and good thing.  You need some sweetness in the vegetables to balance the very lemony chermoula.

This recipe took longer to come together than I expected.  I roasted the broccoli, onions, and cauliflower.  An added step, but I think the added flavor, especially in the cauliflower is worth it.  And that stuff can be roasting while you’re chopping everything else and making the sauce so you’re not adding a ton of time.  The recipe for the chermoula calls for you to chop and mince the ingredients.  That’s silly.  You’re supposed to puree it in a blender.  No idea why you’d bother chopping the ingredients.  So that’s a time saver.  Sauteing the other vegetables takes about 10 minutes.  And then 10 more to put everything together.  Add a few minutes for starting the couscous in there. All in, I think it took me 45-50 minutes.

The roasting and sauteing vegetables you get.  You might be interested to know that the recipe calls for no oil.  You’re just supposed to add a little water while the vegetables cook so they don’t stick.  Now, let’s talk about this chermoula.  This is the North African part of the dish.  It’s an interesting combination of things, but in the end I mostly tasted the lemon and the cumin.  The tartness of the lemon kind of smacks you in the face and then the earthiness of the cumin follows.  It’s good, but it was a surprise.  I genuinely had no idea what this was going to be.  Certainly I had no idea what color it was going to be!

Here’s what you need:

For the vegetables:  use what you have, but make sure you have a few things on the sweet side. I used red bell pepper, sweet onion, broccoli slaw, broccoli crowns, and cauliflower.  And don’t forget the can of chickpeas.  Good protein.

For the chermoula:

• 8-10 grape tomatoes
• 1/2 C pitted kalamata olives
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 6 cloves garlic
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 1/2 lemons
• 1 T paprika
• 2 t ground cumin
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded

Put everything in a blender. Process until smooth.  Yep, that’s what it looks like.

Here’s what you do:

• Roast broccoli, onions, cauliflower (20 minutes at 400 degrees)
• Saute red bell pepper and broccoli slaw 5 minutes
• Add the chickpeas.  Saute 10 minutes.
• Add 1-2 T water as needed to keep the vegetables from sticking
• Add roasted vegetables.  Saute 5 minutes.
• Add chermoula.  Saute 5 more minutes.
• Serve with rice or couscous.

 

Green Turkey Chili with Corn Two Ways

I’m back!  I’ve been traveling for work (again).  I ate out 21 meals in a row.  I did pretty well with my choices for the first few days.  The last half of the week was a dietary train wreck.  Now I’m at home and starting my “do over.”  I need something to fill a few requirements:  1)  low fat, low calorie, low WW points; 2) enough leftovers to eat a few times this week; 3)  something to help my fight the polar vortex that’s about to descend on central Virginia.  Turkey chili!

I know that a lot of people lighten up their regular red beef chili by substituting ground turkey for ground beef.  To me, turkey chili is white chili.  No tomatoes.  If I want tomato chili I’d rather combine beef with veggie crumbles than abandon the beef.  This is green chili because I use a bunch of diced green chilis and a jalapeno instead of red chili powder.  It looks a tiny bit green.

Want to make really green chili for fun?  Add some of the green chilis and a bunch of cilantro to your bean puree.  A tip about the bean puree.  Most recipes will tell you to put all the beans in the pot and cook them with the rest of the chili.  Then you have to spoon a bunch out, add a little liquid, and puree.  I spend a lot of time chasing beans around the pot and picking out the other stuff.  I get it.  If you do it that way the bean puree has the same flavor as the rest of the pot and you won’t have to adjust the seasonings much.  But it’s kind a pain.  It’s much easier to just save some of the beans out from the beginning.  Besides, this way, if you’ve over-seasoned, you have a chance to use the bean puree to correct that.  Never a bad idea to give yourself an out like that.

Is bean puree the only way to thicken this chili?  Nope.  You could make a slurry of masa or ground corn and water.  Let it sit a little while before you add it, but that should work.  A regular corn starch slurry would work too.  Just remember to bring the pot to a boil if you’re using corn starch.  Otherwise it won’t thicken.

So, what’s with this corn two ways thing?  I add hominy and white corn.  What is hominy?  It’s just corn kernels that have been soaked in an alkali solution.  The solution removes the hull and puffs up the kernel.  You start with field corn, which is different than the sweet corn you buy to eat as is.  The hominy adds heft and just a hint of corn flavor, more like masa or ground corn than like kernels.  And the kernels add sweetness.  Normally I’d use frozen corn.  It keeps its texture a little better than canned.  Today I could only find the white corn in a can.  Feel free to use yellow corn instead.  I just prefer the look of the chili with the white corn in it.

There are lots of options for topping this chili too.  It’s great with sour cream and a squeeze of lime juice.  If it’s not chili for you until you add the cheese, add some grated pepper jack.  Add some diced avocado and chopped cilantro or a dollop of guacamole.  And don’t forget the pickled jalapenos and green Tabasco for folks who need some extra heat. Or make a whole bar of toppings and let everyone dress their own!    Great addition to your Super Bowl party next weekend!

“This sounds amazing, but I’m a vegetarian!”  No worries.  There’s enough stuff in here you won’t even miss the turkey if you leave it out.  Add an extra can of beans and use vegetable stock instead of chicken.  Or throw in some tempeh to add another texture.

Here’s what you need: serves 4-6

• 1 1/2 T canola oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 cans white beans, drained (cannellini or great northern)
• 3 C chicken stock
• 1/2 bag frozen pearl onions
• 1 can white hominy, drained
• 2 small cans diced green chiles
• 1 can white corn, drained
• ground cumin and salt to taste
• cliantro, sour cream, pepper jack, avocado, limes for garnish

Here’s what you do:

• Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot
• Add the onions, garlic, and jalapenos.
• Saute until they begin to soften, stirring constantly.  Do not brown.
• Add the turkey.  Break it up with a wooden spoon as it browns.

• Add the beans, reserving 1/3 of a can for the puree
• Add the stock, reserving 1/8 C for the puree
• Add the onions and the hominy

• Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered 1 hour, stirring occasionally
• Season with cumin and salt
• Puree the reserved beans and stock

• Add to the pot
• Adjust seasonings to tastee
• Add the corn
• Simmer 15 more minutes

• Serve with toppings

 

 

 

Vegetable Drawer Pasta Friday

The plan is 10 miles in the morning so it’s Pasta Friday.  The plan is also to leave town on Sunday so it’s empty the fridge time.  I’ve been out two nights this week so there’s a fair amount still in the vegetable drawer and I pulled a bunch of it out to throw in my linguine.  The result?  Meh.  On one hand, pasta is always good, especially if you’re on a weight loss plan.  On the other, being at the mercy of vegetable drawer leftovers rarely results in greatness.

What did I have in the drawer you ask?  Broccoli slaw, broccoli crowns, matchstick carrots, roasted eggplant slices (left from the pizza), a few mushrooms, and a bunch of tiny tomatoes.  I selected the eggplant, mushrooms and tomatoes for the pasta, plus some onion, garlic, mozzarella, and spices from Penzey’s.  All good choices.  So why meh?  Everything in the pasta is on the mellow and sweet side. There’s no punch.  I might have been better off to pull some artichoke hearts out of the cabinet and swap out the mushrooms for those.  Hindsight is 20/20 of course.

I learned something else tonight too.  Ok, I didn’t so much learn it as I was reminded of it.  A “serving” of pasta is a lot smaller than I’d like to believe.

Overall, I’m going to call tonight a success.  I used up a bunch of vegetables instead of throwing them out.  I observed Pasta Friday without blowing out my healthy choices for today.

Eggplant Pizza!

The last couple of nights have been eating out nights – business dinner and book club.  So, I ate (and drank) well, but not terrifically aligned with my healthy eating plan.  I’ve been doing pretty well today, and I planned to use the eggplant in my vegetable drawer to make Chinese eggplant in spicy garlic sauce.  But come dinner time, I just didn’t have it in me. I’m tired.  And not feeling very adventurous.  Pizza.  Yes, pizza.  Still a way to use the eggplant.

I know, you’re thinking there’s nothing even vaguely healthy about putting fried eggplant on a slab of dough and covering it in cheese.  You’d be right about that.  So I didn’t fry it.  I roasted it.  No batter.  No breadcrumbs.  Just a tiny brush of olive oil and some salt.  So I can taste the eggplant.  Yum.  Naan as a base and sauce made by cooking down a jar of home canned tomatoes.  Easy peasy.  The hardest thing is not eating all the eggplant before the sauce and naan are ready.

One tip about eggplant pizza.  After you roast the eggplant cut it up.  If you don’t, you know what happens.  The same thing that happens with pepperoni.  You bite into a piece and end up pulling the whole piece off.  Probably you burn your chin and definitely you leave a big naked spot on your pizza.  For that matter, cut the mozzarella too.

I have a wonderful Pizza setting on my countertop oven.  If you don’t have such a thing, no biggie.  Just use high heat.  450-500 degrees.  And if you have a Fan Bake setting, use that.  It will help the crust crisp up.

Comfort food that isn’t fat food.  Ok, it’s a little bit fat, but totally worth it!

“Everyday” Red Lentils

I have developed a serious love for lentils prepared with Indian spices – dal, in many of its forms.  For this Southern girl, with weird food texture issues, it might seem an odd comfort food, but that’s exactly what it is.  So I’m always looking for new recipes. I found this on foodnetwork.com.  It’s from Aarti Sequeira, so that seemed legit.  Whether it’s traditional or not, I love it!

I planned this as the wonderful cap to my “snow” day.  Sadly, I found out too late that I only had 1/2 C of red lentils so there’s only 1 serving of leftovers!  Frankly, I could eat this the rest of the week except that I have an eggplant thing on tap and a business dinner.  If you end up in this spot you could always serve it on rice to stretch it some.

This is super easy.  I was a little nervous about having to substitute mustard for mustard seed, but it worked out ok!  Other than that, I followed the instructions. I don’t know enough about cooking Indian food to monkey around with it but so much.  Could you use canned tomatoes?  I don’t see why not.  You’re cooking them down so not having the peels might be nice.  Could you use ground cumin?  Sure, but trust me on this, it’s not the same.  If you want to cook Indian food, invest in some cumin seed.  I was a little sorry I didn’t have a hot chili to add.  I like a little heat and it helps me not eat too much!

I think you could add rice and spinach to complete this one dish meal.  Lentils have protein, but they don’t offer a complete protein. Rice rounds that out.  And a leafy green is always a good idea.  I’ll do that for the leftovers.  I was so ready for these to be done that I ate them as is!

The one surprise for me was that adding salt too soon will make the lentils tough.  It took a lot of restraint for me to wait to add salt!

Here’s what you need:  serves 4-6

• 
• 1 cup red lentils, picked through for stones
• 2 cups water
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• One 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 serrano chile, sliced in 1/2, optional

Tempering Oil (Bagaar):

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
• Generous 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Here’s what you do:

• Put the lentils in a strainer and rinse them under running water. Add them to a bowl, cover with water and let soak for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of water, the onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, chile, if using, and the lentils. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim any scum from the surface. DO NOT ADD SALT YET; it will toughen the lentils, thereby lengthening their cooking time. Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid and gently simmer until the lentils are tender, almost translucent, and almost falling apart, about 30 to 40 minutes.

• Whisk the lentils, releasing its natural starch, and mash some them so the mixture becomes thick. Add salt, to taste.

• Tempering oil (bagaar): In a small bowl, combine the oil and mustard. In another bowl, combine the spice powders and cumin seed. Have all the ingredients ready because this will move very fast!
• In a small skillet, over a medium-high flame, warm 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add seeds and immediately cover so you don’t get covered in spluttering oil and seeds! Add the spices. They should sizzle and bubble a little – that’s the blooming and it’s exactly what you want. Don’t let them burn. The mixture should bloom for about 30 seconds, no more.

• Pour the oil mixture into the lentils, standing back so you don’t get hurt when the mixture splutters again. Stir to combine.

This is so good, y’all.  Really.  Every bit as much comfort food as mac and cheese or mashed potatoes.  And it’s vegan, for those of you who care about that.  It’s low fat and WW friendly.  Gotta love a comfort food that doesn’t make you feel the slightest bit guilty about over-indulging.  Enjoy!

 

Clam Chowder

It’s a sort of snowy evening in Central Virginia.  We can see a few flakes anyway.  And in preparation for the coming storm, I had a craving for chowder.  More importantly, I braved the grocery store to get provisions to make it!  Always a huge gamble here, especially if you need milk, bread, or toilet paper.  I needed potatoes, clams, and corn so I was in the clear except for the parking lot and the checkout line.

I’ve never made clam chowder before, as far as I can remember.  Honestly, my exposure to it is almost limited to the lovely bowl you get from Legal Seafoods.  Given my current attempts to reduce my fat and calories, in hopes of narrowing my waistline, it’s an odd choice.  But I found a recipe on foodnetwork.com that didn’t seem so bad.  More broth than cream.  I actually used a little half and half, because I had it, and some skim milk.  I’m sure it’s not as thick as intended, but it’s definitely chowder and not soup.  I added some corn for sweetness.  And some bacon on top to make it seem slightly more decadent.  Having my first beer in 2 weeks made it seem downright festive!

What would I do differently?  Well, I added too much salt, which is a bummer.  The corn helped balance that out, but still.  I’m super paranoid about not salting the water for potatoes, grits, and pasta.  In this case, since the potatoes are staying in the broth, waiting until the end to salt is probably a better approach.  Lesson learned.  On the leftover bowls, I’ll add some green onions as well.

UPDATE:  I decided to address the too much salt issue.  I chopped a few more potatoes (about 3 small red potatoes); boiled them until they were soft; drained most of the water; and pureed them with an immersion blender.  The added potato puree helped balance the salt and made the chowder a little thicker.

Here’s what you need (plus some flour, which I forgot for the photo, but managed to get in the dish): serves 3-4 as a main dish

• 1 T oil or bacon grease
• 1 C chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 T flour
• 2 C vegetable stock
• 1 C milk/cream or a mix
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 C chopped potatoes, about 1/2 inch in size
• 1 10oz can clams, whole or chopped
• 1 C corn
• 1/2 slice of bacon per bowl for garnish

Here’s what you do:

• In a heavy pot, heat the oil.  If you’re cooking bacon to top the bowls, feel free to use the bacon grease
• Add the onion and garlic.  Cook until soft
• Stir in flour
• Add stock, milk, and bay leaf.  Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly.

• Add potatoes, reduce heat to a simmer
• Add salt
• Simmer 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender
• Add clams and corn, simmer another 5-7 minutes

• Serve topped with crumbled bacon

 

Stir-Fried Veggies and Rice with Seared Tuna

My mission tonight was to use up the ends of vegetables in the fridge and turn them into something that didn’t seem like odds and ends.  I had half an onion; some shiitakes; wilty green onions; the last of the broccoli slaw; half a bag of matchstick carrots; and some cooked rice staring at me from the fridge.  I bought a beautiful piece of yellowfin tuna at the store to help dress it up.  If you figure that all the vegetables and rice are sunk cost, then I only invested the cost of the tuna.  This is one of the best $5 odds and ends dinners I’ve ever had!

I found a marinade for the tuna on Genius Kitchen.  I left out the red pepper flakes, just not in the mood; and the sugar, just didn’t need it.  I wish I’d used more ginger and less lime, but basically this is good.  And it’s fish, so you only have to marinate for 30 minutes.  Love not having to plan too far ahead.  I started the marinade first and then started on my vegetables.  About half of those were already chopped so the prep work was only about 10 minutes.

Your tuna is going to cook 2 minutes on each side so you’ll start the stir fry first.  A little canola oil in a wok or wide pan at the beginning and a little soy sauce and sesame oil close to the end and that’s it!  When you’re adding your vegetables, whatever you have, just think about how long each one takes to cook and how soft you want it to be in the end.  I wanted the onions to be pretty soft so I added them first, with the garlic and ginger.  Then the carrots and broccoli slaw to cook the raw flavor out of them.  I wanted to keep some crunch in the peppers so I added them just before the mushrooms. Always throw in the green onions last.  They look pretty on top.

Do the tuna in a separate pan.  That way you can be super careful about the timing on that.  This tuna steak was a little more than an inch thick, so 2 minutes on each side leaves a cool pink center.  That’s what you want.

Here’s what you need: (I added the carrots and rice at the last minute)

• Tuna marinade
  • 2 T soy sauce
  • 2 T lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1 T minced ginger
  • 1 t sesame oil
• any selection of vegetables:  for example,
  • 1/2 onion, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 C broccoli slaw
  • 1 C matchstick carrots
  • 1/2 C shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 C baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 5 green onions, chopped

Here’s what you do:

For the tuna:

• Mix all the marinade ingredients in a baggie or a dish
• Add the tuna and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature
• While the stir fry is cooking add 1 t canola oil to small, heavy pan
• Heat oil until it smokes
• Cook the tuna 2 minutes on each side, discard the marinade

For the stir fry:

• Heat 1T canola oil in a wide pan or wok until oil shimmers
• Add onions, garlic, ginger; cook 2 minutes
• Add broccoli slaw and carrots; cook 2 minutes

• Add bell pepper and mushrooms; cook 2 minutes
• Add 1 T soy sauce and drizzle of sesame oil
• Mix and cook 1 more minute
• Stir in the cooked rice, if using, until rice is heated (about 2 more minutes)
• Toss with green onions

So the stir fry takes about 10 minutes to chop and 10 more to cook.  There’s plenty of flavor, but no heavy sauce.  And mixing in the rice will reduce mean you use less of it.  More vegetables and less rice is good.  Serve with the tuna on top.

So, I spent $5.50 on 8 ounces of yellowfin tuna.  I had half tonight and have half left for tomorrow. That $2.25 a serving for this beautiful dinner.  It’s cheap.  It’s healthy.  And it’s good.  Mission accomplished!

Butternut Squash “Noodles” with Chicken and Peanut Sauce

Like many of you, I’m in the throes of shedding those excess holiday pounds.  I’m not a fan of diets or giving up things or being hungry.  Mostly I know what I should and should not be eating.  What I need is a system that helps me see when I’m making good and bad choices.  Calorie counting doesn’t work for me.  So, I’ve joined Weight Watchers.  I have no interest in selling you on that or any other program.  I tell you that as a way of explaining some of the choices I’m making right now.  Because I do not enjoy being hungry, I’m paying a lot of attention to the WW list of zero point foods.

Ok, moving on.  Over the weekend I was watching The Kitchen on the Food Network.  It was a “lighten up” themed show and Jeff Mauro made this amazing looking dish:  Thai Peanut Sweet Potato Noodles with Shrimp.  Mostly I was attracted to the peanut sauce.  What’s not to love about peanut sauce?!  I substituted butternut squash noodles because sweet potatoes have points and butternut squash doesn’t.  I thinned the sauce and only made half a recipe to keep the points under control.  And I used chicken instead of shrimp because that’s what I had.

As expected, I wanted to drink the peanut sauce.  I ended up with a cup of it.  It only took two tablespoons to add enough to my noodle bowl.  I might not thin it quite so much next time.  The “noodles” were a little mushier than I wanted.  Maybe the sweet potato ones hold up a little better.  Fortunately, I had some pre-cut broccoli slaw left from taco night and I added it in.  That gave me the crunch I needed.  And this whole dish came together in about twenty minutes.  A winner for sure!

Feel free to top with tofu for a vegetarian bowl.  And I’d guess you could use a different nut butter if peanuts are a no-go in your house. I might try it with tahini instead of peanut butter.

Here’s what you need:  2 servings of noodles and lots of peanut sauce

• 1 container pre-noodled butternut squash noodles
• 1 1/2 C pre-cut broccoli slaw
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, grated on a rasp grater
• water to achieve desired texture
• cooked chicken or shrimp or pork or tofu

Here’s what you do:

• Preheat oven to 375
• Spread the noodles and broccoli slaw on a sheet pan
• Bake 10-15 minutes on dry pan
• Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl to make the sauce
• Serve vegetables and protein in a bowl
• Top with 2 T of peanut sauce

Fish Tacos with Broccoli Slaw

I probably wouldn’t have bothered to write up yet another evening of fish tacos except for two things.  One, I’m trying to be more consistent about writing.  And two, the broccoli slaw is new and it’s fantastic.  To see previous incarnations, see here.

There’s not a ton to say really.  The pre-shredded cabbage didn’t look good at the grocery store, but you can’t have fish tacos without something crunchy on them.  I was actually in the pre-cut vegetables section, which I never go to, looking for butternut squash noodles. (Talk about something not worth your time and energy when you can buy them pre-spiralized).  Right next to the “noodles” was a contained of broccoli slaw.  Crunchy.  Pre-cut.  Done.

I have no idea how people usually make broccoli slaw.  I don’t actually like raaw broccoli so my first step was to blanch the vegetables.  Cooking them just a touch takes that bitter rawness out, but leaves the crunchiness in.  Then a little mayonnaise, much less than I would use for regular slaw, and a few dashes of white vinegar.  Some salt and a little of the seafood seasoning I used on the fish, and voila!  Yummy topping for my tacos.

I used catfish, as per usual.  It’s cheaper than most other fish in my part of the world and it has more flavor than something like tilapia.  A little seafood seasoning and a little canola oil.  2 minutes on each side.

Corn tortillas, always. I did try a new thing with these too.  I was watching Pioneer Woman earlier today and she was making a taco skillet dish.  She put her tortillas on her gas burner to char them.  Let me say, that’s a great idea for adding flavor to a taco skillet.  However, it makes a tortilla you’re planning to stuff a little bit tough.  Not terrific.  I ate them anyway of course.

Finish with some salsa or pico de gallo and some hot sauce and enjoy!

Malai Palak (Indian Creamed Spinach) with Chickpeas

This is one of my favorite dishes.  I love Indian food and I mostly shy away from making it at home.  Much of my favorite Indian food has dozens of ingredients and almost as many steps.  This is serious cooking.  So, in a “build or buy” analysis, “buy” almost always wins.  Except for this.  The yum factor far exceeds any difficulty, and it’s not really that hard anyway.  Be prepared for some kitchen cleanup though!

I’ve made this dish twice before.  Once, as described in the recipe – just the spinach; and once using one of the given variations that adds paneer.  The spinach only variety is fantastic, but it’s not a meal.  It’s a side or a sauce.  With the paneer you’re getting closer to a meal, but it’s still really a side.  I wasn’t in the mood to think of anything else tonight so I had to make this my entire dinner, without just eating the whole pan.  I could have added some cubed chicken, but that would have meant an extra pan.  No good.  Aha, chickpeas!  Nothing to do but drain the can.

The recipe below is how I made it tonight.  You should know that the original uses heavy cream, not half and half. I just used what I had on hand.  The end result is slightly less thick, but still so, so good.  The original, which is from my Rasika cookbook, also calls for fenugreek powder.    I’m sure it adds some depth of flavor.  I’ve just never ordered any.

Here’s what you need:

• 10-12 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 C (or  slightly less) canola oil
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 2 T finely chopped garlic
• 2 C chopped onions
• 1 T finely chopped ginger
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped or Thai chilis to taste
• 1/2 t ground turmeric
• 1/4 C half and half
• salt to taste

Here’s what you do:

• Blanch the spinach (wilt in boiling water, submerge in ice water)
• Drain the spinach well
• Add spinach and 1/2-1 C water to a blender
• Puree and set aside

• Heat the oil in a large skillet until the oil shimmers
• Add cumin and garlic. Stir 15-30 seconds (Do not burn the garlic)
• Add onions, stir 5 minutes until soft

• Add ginger, chilis, turmeric.  Cook 30 seconds

• Add chickpeas and spinach.  (watch for splatter)

• Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly
• Reduce heat to medium, add cream and salt
• Return to a boil and cook another 5 minutes
• Serve as is, or with rice and/or naan

A couple of tips.  First, adding the chickpeas reduces the splatter factor quite a bit, but still be careful.  If your bare hand or arm gets splattered by hot oily spinach, it really hurts.  Second, time these 5 minute steps.  You need to give the flavors time to develop and the chickpeas time to heat through and soften.  It will feel like a very long time, but do it.

I can hardly describe how good this is.  The addition of the chickpeas was a very good call.  They provide good substance and have a wonderful creamy texture.  I served it over rice, but this is one of the rare cases where I think riced cauliflower might actually be just as good.  I’ll try that next time.  And there will definitely be a next time.  It’s all I can do not to eat the leftovers before I even put them away!