Garbanzo Beans
Quite often lately I've been looking for good recipes to take advantage of our fabulous Maryland produce. And this means I'm often looking for new forms of protein. One thing that has captured my interest is the chickpea, or garbanzo bean. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino will tell you, this basic little bean has about a million uses.
A little background. The chickpea is closely related to the soy bean, which flourishes in Maryland. You'd think chickpeas would do well here, and maybe one day they will. But our humid summers promote a devastating fungal blight that kills off the plant. Nevertheless researchers are working to find a cultivar that will do well in the mid-Atlantic.
Meanwhile we can keep our fresh Maryland vegetables company with canned garbanzo beans, which couldn't be easier to find. Canned beans are cooked and softened and ready to use right away. Usually you'll want to wash and drain them.
One thing I've done before is to make hummus, one of the most healthy and nutritious spreads around. Hummus will give your food processor a good workout, so get it ready. You'll need your cooked chickpeas, some store-bought tahini (sesame seed paste), garlic, salt, cumin and lots of good olive oil. Blitz the heck out of it and finish it off with a dusting of paprika.
Recipes for Indian food are loaded with garbanzo beans. How about making a curry that features garbanzo beans along with our local cherry tomatoes, spinach, cauliflower, onion, and garlic? Just simmer the beans, onion and cauliflower in a broth. Once tender, you can add the soft ingredients and a healthy dollop of curry powder, and keep on a low heat until a nice thick sauce develops. Garnish with parsley and serve with jasmine rice.
Another very simple idea is to prepare a bed of chickpeas for a chicken that you are going to roast. Toss in a little onion and red pepper and let everything soak up the drippings from the chicken. Easy-peasy.
Chickpeas are a great ingredient in a salad. And here, the field is wide-open.
Some common companions would be feta cheese, sweet onions, cherry tomatoes, avocado, radish, peaches, melon, apples and nuts. Grains such as rice, quinoa, bulgur, wheat berry and lentils are natural partners. The choice is yours so get creative!
Stews are a great place for chickpeas to shine. Long slow cooking will allow the beans to absorb lots of flavor, so it plays to their strength. Here's a great recipe that combines garbanzo beans with sweet potatoes, spinach and assorted spices. Give it a try.
AL'S SWEET POTATO, CHICKPEA STEW
Ingredients
1 cup softened chickpeas
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tbs tomato paste
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 tsp brown sugar
3 cups baby spinach
parsley for garnish salt and pepper
(for sweet potatoes)
3 sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into thick slices
3 cups water
1/4 stick butter
4 tbs honey
pinch of salt
1. Wash and drain the chickpeas. Put into a skillet with lots of water. Boil, then simmer for 2 hours. Drain, set aside.
2. Boil then simmer the sweet potatoes in the water with the butter, honey and salt. Turn the sweet potatoes half way. When done, remove from heat and keep warm.
3. For sauce: heat oil in skillet, cook onions with cumin and coriander. Add tomato paste, then add the tomatoes, peppers, sugar and more spices. Stir and cook.
4. Add spinach to the tomato sauce, then add the chickpeas. Stir and cook.
Adjust seasoning.
5. Add the sweet potato slices and stir.
6. Garnish with parsley.
