September 28, 2012 - Friday

The recipes included in this blog are ones that take into account the dietary requirements of the members of my family, which are widely varied.  I have many food sensitivities which include peppers, eggplant, walnuts (the worst offenders).  We tend to eat mostly vegetarian meals, with almost no use of onions or garlic.  There are some exceptions, but notably, when garlic and onions are included in a recipe, my inclination is to leave them out.   Fortunately I live in a place where there is abundant seasonal, local produce, and a twice weekly farmers market nearby.  This informs the choices that I make when preparing meals.

Most recently, in planning for Break the Fast, following Yom Kippur, I prepared Faith Durand's Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon.  I served this with roasted sweet potatoes and rice (on the side) and it was delicious!  Super easy and fast to prepare with ingredients that I usually have on hand.  This recipe is a keeper, I highly recommend it.

Braised Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas with Lemon

serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side

2 teaspoons oil or ghee

1 small yellow onion
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger, from a 3-inch piece
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 large lemon, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons juice)
1 dried hot red pepper or dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 pound baby spinach
14-ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground ginger

To serve:
Whole roasted sweet potatoes
Cilantro leaves, to garnish
Toasted unsweetened coconut, to garnish

Heat the oil or ghee in a large, deep Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is beginning to brown. Add the garlic, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest and red pepper, if using. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chickpeas and cook over high heat for a few minutes or until the chickpeas are beginning to turn golden and they are coated with the onion and garlic mixture.

Toss in the spinach, one handful at a time. This will take about 5 minutes; stir in a handful or two and wait for it to wilt down and make room in the pot before adding the next handful. When all the spinach has been stirred in, pour in the coconut milk and stir in the salt, ground ginger, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer then turn down the heat and cook for 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are warm through. Taste and add more salt and lemon juice, if necessary.

Serve hot over roasted sweet potatoes, with cilantro leaves and toasted unsweetened coconut to garnish.

Serving note: This is thick enough to eat on its own with a fork; it's not terribly soupy. But it's saucy enough to eat over pasta, rice, brown rice, quinoa, or another grain.