Easy Spanish chickpeas

One of the objections I regularly hear from people struggling to eat a whole food plant based diet is about time. Things like:

• I don’t have time to cook from scratch.
• Recipes require too much prep and/or cooking time
• It’s too complicated

And I get it. I realise that just because this way of cooking and eating has become second nature to me, not everyone feels the same. Exploring new recipes, learning different ways of cooking, understanding how alternative ingredients work all takes time. And if you’re not a keen cook, it can feel too arduous to bother.

However, if you need to eat nutrient-packed fresh plant food to manage or prevent a health condition, it really is worth that extra effort. Because this is the food that is going to help you heal and live well.

I already have some 20 minute or less recipes on the website like this tasty creamy pasta dish, stir fried veg and chickpeas recipe or roasted rainbow veg and lentils. But I have more to share, so over the next few weeks I’ll be adding them to the website as well.

All these recipes are quick to make, taste delicious, and won’t have a negative impact on the bank balance. Something I believe is very important in the current economic climate.

I’ve been thinking about this more recently as I’ve been working on a project to create a range of recipes that are low cost in terms of money, time and energy (power supplied and human!). As prep is an issue for some people, I’ve tried using more frozen veg instead of fresh. The bonuses of doing this include:

• vegetables are usually frozen soon after harvest so can have a higher nutrient profile than fresh, especially out of season
• peeling and chopping is not required
• portion control and food waste reduction is much easier to manage
• generally, frozen veg is cheaper than fresh. The same for fruit out of season like berries or mango

The downside of using frozen veg is that there is more input from factories so more energy used up front (if you’re concerned about sustainability) and you have to remember to buy it! The other thing I’ve found is it’s important to check the ingredients label as sometimes extra preservatives, fats or other chemicals you might want to avoid are added in.

This recipe uses a combo of fresh and frozen veggies. It’s super filling and is packed full of lovely rainbow nutrients from the sweet potato and seasonal greens. I like to buy seasonal greens (like kale or Winter greens) as they flourish in the UK climate and are generally a good price. And they are a great source of essential nutrients like calcium, magnesium and iron as well as packed full of lovely anti-inflammatory phytonutrients that support all parts of the body. In this group, the polyphenols in these veg are fully enjoyed by the friendly bacteria in the microbiome. This enables them to thrive, and they in turn will help you to thrive too.

These easy Spanish chickpeas are fully gluten free and can be nut free if desired – just omit the sliced almonds. You could add some pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds instead. Serve with cooked whole-grain rice or chunks of fresh bread. Filling, delicious and super quick.

I hope you enjoy this tasty recipe. Do let me know how you get on (as you’ll have more time to do that now!)

Easy Spanish chickpeas

A super tasty, nutrient-packed meal that's easy and quick to prepare.

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Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 3 portions

Course: Main Course

Calories:

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 3 tbsp frozen chopped onion or 1/2 fresh onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon frozen chopped garlic or 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 400 gram tinned tomatoes thick, rich ones or cherry tomatoes are best
• 150 grams frozen sweet potato chunks
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or pinch of chilli flakes
• 400 grams tinned chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 250 grams seasonal greens or kale washed and chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp sliced almonds optional

Method

 

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of water into the base of a medium sized pan. Add the frozen onion and garlic. Cook on a medium heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, sweet potato, smoked paprika, chilli flakes and drained chickpeas. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for 12 minutes.
3. Whilst the tomato mix is cooking, wash the greens or kale. Cut out the tough inner stem and shred the leaves.
4. Add half the leaves to a steamer and cook for 5 minutes or so until just tender but retaining their colour.
5. After the tomato mix has simmered for 12 minutes, add the remaining greens to the pan and simmer for another 3 minutes until they are just wilted but retain their bright green colour.
6. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Scatter sliced almonds on top (if using) Serve on whole grain rice or with bread and the steamed greens on top/on the side.

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