Moroccan Spiced Chickpeas

i know, i know. i go through phases. apparently i’m in a chickpea phase.

or a chard phase.

or perhaps a curry phase. but this isn’t a curry. so hA!

yea whatever. i’ll get more creative when school stops kicking my ass.

adapted from foodnetwork.com. i wanted something chunky and hearty, not soupy, but the spices and flavors of this dish intrigued me. so here’s my take on it:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 yellow onion, minced
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 -1/3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbs paprika
• 1/2 tbs coriander
• 1 tbs brown sugar  (there’s a lot of acidity in this dish. may need more)
• chili powder (to your level of spicy tolerance)
• 1/2 tbs cumin
• 1/2 tbs tumeric (mostly for the color)
• 1/2 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 cup chicken stock
• pepper
• salt
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 batch rainbow chard

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. heat oil in dutch oven.
2. saute onions and garlic until translucent – 5-10 min
3. combine cinnamon, coriander, paprika, cumin, tumeric, and chili powder  in a small bowl, add half to the onions. mix well to distribute.
4. add tomatoes and chickpeas, along with about a cup of chicken stock, then the rest of the spices.
5. cover and reduce heat to simmer – 30 min.
6. rinse and clean chard. remove stems and cut leaves into 2 or 3 inch pieces.
7. in a separate pot, boil water and blanch chard for a few seconds until just wilted. remove from water and set aside.
8. check on chickpeas. once they’re soft and cooked through, squeeze in juice from one lemon. if too soupy, simmer uncovered until liquid reduces.
9. mix in chard
10. top with several grinds of pepper and salt to taste if needed.