Moot Thoughts & Musings

This recipe on epicurious.com caught my eye. It looks good; I'll have to try it soon. One reviewer subsituted vegetable broth for chicken (good recipe to have when you invite your vegetarian friends over). Another reviewer added carrots, another chicken. Seems flexible. I love flexible recipes. It also looks like a good one for the repertoire, because I'm always trying to find ways of not having meat every night. It gets expensive, and, you know, you don't have to have meat every day.

CHICKPEA STEW
The cumin really enhances this dish. Cook this spice with the onions to bring out its aroma. Lemon juice brightens the flavors while honey softens them.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced (1/4 inch) red onion
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas
(garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 can (14 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, with their juices
4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Cooked couscous for serving (optional)

1. Place the olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion; stirring occasionally, cook until wilted, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic during the last 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook 2 minutes more to mellow the flavors.

2. Add the chickpeas, the tomatoes with their juices, thyme, honey, lemon juice, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and stir in the parsley.

3. To serve, spoon couscous (if desired) into 4 shallow bowls and top with the stew. Serve immediately. Per serving (without couscous): 460 calories, 67g carbohydrates, 22g protein, 12g fat, no cholesterol.
Nutritional Breakdown: New Wellness, Richmond, Va.

Makes 4 servings.
Simply Delicious® by Sheila Lukins
PARADE®
October 2002

PARADE® and Simply Delicious® are used by CondéNet Inc. under license.

(i liked this reviewer's suggestion.)
Heather from New York, NY on 03/24/04
Based on other reviews I added more spices: doubled the cumin and thyme and added cinnamon, ground corriander, chili powder, and dashes of nutmeg and allspice. I also served it over quinoa which was a nice contrast and something completely different.

what's quinoa?