September 17, 2008: Pantry Challenge Chickpeas

What's a pantry challenge? In our home, 1 time every calendar week or so, I tend to delve into the bottom 2 shelves of the pantry, looking for a half-finished parcel of something that tin move hold upwards alone finished for dinner. Noodles, quinoa, rice newspaper sheets or felafel mix - these dry out as well as colourless ingredients tin move genuinely hold upwards a cracking launching indicate for a build novel meal, given a quick trip to the shops for or as well as thus fresh veges on the means dwelling solid from work.

That's hardly a challenge, though, is it? Well, on Tuesday nighttime I managed to practise a repast using only ingredients already at home. I realise that's par for the bird inwards many households, but it's highly odd here. We oftentimes don't innovation our meals whatsoever to a greater extent than than hours ahead, as well as purchase groceries upwards to 5 times a week. (For the record, my pantry repast consisted of stir-fried mock chicken as well as shredded Brussels sprouts amongst soba noodles as well as Happee Monkee's dark caramelised garlic sauce.)

Kathyrn from Limes as well as Lycopene has laid an fifty-fifty greater pantry challenge. Can you lot practise a tasty as well as nutritious repast using only ingredients from her listing of fifteen non-perishable foods? I reckoned I could, though many of the items don't typically reside inwards my ain pantry (Michael eyes frozen vegetables amongst deep suspicion, as well as nosotros don't fifty-fifty hoard tinned legumes, though nosotros swallow them often). It's non just the on-the-table-in-20-minutes thing that virtually folks are looking for on a weeknight, but that's because I wanted to deadening prepare the onions for maximum soft sweetness. However this recipe all the same doesn't require also much examine - simply laid the onions cooking equally shortly equally you lot tin move as well as pass the adjacent one-half hr ticking off or as well as thus other task. Answer your mail, write a greenback to long-distance friend, or hand your mum a call!

Moroccan spiced chickpeas

250g box frozen spinach
2 x 400g cans chickpeas
2 onions, sliced into rings
a modest splash of olive oil
1 tablespoon ras el honout (a Moroccan spice mix, or substitute garam masala)
salt as well as pepper
vinegar
bread

Put a modest splash of olive stone oil inwards a non-stick frypan as well as add together the onions. Cook them over rattling depression heat, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes, until rattling soft. While the onions are cooking, accept the spinach out of the freezer to partially defrost, as well as drain as well as rinse the chickpeas.

Once the onions are ready, force them to the side of the pan as well as plonk the spinach into the centre. Gently interruption the icy chunks upwards amongst your spatula or wooden spoon equally it thaws. Once it's completely thawed, add together the chickpeas as well as stir everything together. Sprinkle over the spice mix as well as flavour to taste.

If I were unconstrained, I'd advise finishing this off amongst or as well as thus lemon juice as well as a side of couscous. As it is, a splash of vinegar as well as or as well as thus toast does rattling nicely.