Apple Spice Muffins

I am an Impatient Baker. I rarely bake anything because I usually don’t have the patience to measure precisely, which is very important for baking because the wrong proportion of flour to liquid can result in a goopy mess that splatters all over the oven or burns up like a piece of kindling. I also used to have the bad habit of opening the oven door every few minutes to peek inside because I was always paranoid that the cake wouldn’t rise or the cookies were burning up. Of course, opening the oven door that much lowered the temperature so the food didn’t cook properly anyway. It took me a while to make that connection because I’m also a Slow Baker. But I did, eventually, figure it out. These days, I’m a Happy Baker because the oven I use now has a window in the door, so I can monitor the progress of my baking without affecting the temperature. And lo and behold, the cakes always rise and the cookies rarely burn up so I need to learn how to relax a little when I pop stuff into the oven. I like this recipe for apple spice muffins because it’s pretty foolproof as long as you follow the directions. I always use whatever apples I happen to have on hand so use your favorite. I usually have Macs or Galas but any kind will taste good.

APPLE SPICE MUFFINS

3 apples, peeled and finely diced
3 cups of flour
1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2/3 cup butter, melted and then cooled (it should still be liquid)
2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup quick cook oats
1/4 cup dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and butter. Pour over the flour mixture, stirring constantly until well incorporated.

Stir in the apples.

Put paper or foil liners into the muffin cups. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, until each is about 3/4 filled. I use 2 baking pans that make 6 jumbo muffins each. You can also use 2 regular sized muffin pans that make 12 muffins each.

In a small bowl, use a fork to mix together the cold butter, oats and sugar. Spread a spoonful of the sugar mixture on top of the batter in each muffin cup.

Bake for 25-35 minutes. Regular sized muffins will be ready after 25-30 minutes. Jumbo muffins will be ready after 35 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out fairly clean.

Makes 12 jumbo muffins or 24 regular muffins.

Pink Peppercorn Crusted Cornish Game Hens with Arugula Salad

Cornish game hens are cute and dainty little things, aren’t they? But don’t be fooled by their small size- two people can dine quite well on a single hen. The best feature of Cornish game hens is the exquisite ratio of crisp, roasted skin to succulent meat because, unlike bigger birds, game hens have a much smaller amount of meat in comparison to skin surface. Game hens are also great because they’re ready to eat in less than an hour after minimal prep work, perfect for a night when you want something a little more special than plain old chicken but don’t have the energy to spend a lot of time beating a bigger hunk of meat into submission.

Game hens have a neutral flavor so they’ll taste great with almost any seasoning you’d like to try but make sure to use a liberal amount of salt because salt helps the skin crisp up in the oven. This recipe uses kosher salt, dill and pink peppercorns, which aren’t actually peppercorns but little dried berries that have a peppery yet sweet taste. If you can’t find pink peppercorns then substitute white peppercorns, although white peppercorns will have more bite and less sweetness.

PINK PEPPERCORN CRUSTED GAME HENS WITH ARUGULA SALAD

2 Cornish game hens, about 1 3/4 pounds each
2 tablespoon butter at room temperature
1 small lemon
1/2 tablespoon pink peppercorns, crushed
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups arugula
1 large vine ripe tomato, sliced
1 large shallot, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the game hens in a small baking pan so that they are close together but not touching.

Use your fingers to massage one tablespoon of butter into the skin of each game hen.

Halve the lemon and squeeze one half over each of the game hens. Place the squeezed halves inside the cavities of the hens.

Mix together the peppercorns, dill and salt in a small bowl. Rub half of the spice mixture onto the skin of each game hen.

Roast in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, arrange the tomatoes and shallots on top of the arugula in a serving bowl.

Whisk together the oil, vinegar and mustard. Drizzle over the salad.

To serve the game hens, use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut each one in half along the center of the breastbone and through the bones on the underside.

Serves 4.

Farfalle with Bacon & Kale

We ate this for dinner tonight. It was so good.

You need to experience the delectable joy of a big bowl of pasta blanketed with smoky morsels of bacon and wilted kale. Highly regarded as a “superfood” for the vitamin punch it packs, kale is an excellent source of calcium, beta carotene, vitamins C and K, and lutein. So, of course, what better way to incorporate some nutritious kale into your diet than to cook it up with a lot of bacon? (There’s a joke in there somewhere…) Sorry, vegetarians. You’ll want to avert your eyes for the next couple of minutes. Everybody else, feast your eyes upon this recipe and try not to drool all over your keyboard.

FARFALLE WITH BACON & KALE

1 1/2 pounds farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
10 slices thick cut bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
20 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound of kale, chopped or torn into bite size pieces
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup crumbled ricotta salata
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Farfalle usually takes about 12 to 14 minutes to prepare once the water is boiling.

Meanwhile, saute the bacon over moderately high heat in a large saute pan with high sides. Cook until the bacon begins to brown lightly and releases most of its fat but is not crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Drain off most of the fat. Lower heat to medium.

Add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 or 6 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning the garlic.

Add the tomatoes and saute until they start to soften and collapse a bit, about 5 minutes.

Spread the kale on top of the bacon mixture. Pour over the broth. Gently mix the kale and bacon a bit.

Cover the pan.

Return heat to a moderately high temperature and steam the kale until it is completely wilted, about 10 minutes. Most of the broth should evaporate during this time. It’s okay if some broth remains.

Remove the cover and season generously with black pepper.

Drain the pasta and pour into a serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta. Garnish with the crumbled ricotta salata and chopped parsley.

Serves 6 generously – enough for a laid back dinner party. Try it with your favorite shiraz.

Movin’ On Up

If you check your address bar, you’ll notice that Revel & Feast has moved on from Blogspot and now resides at the simpler and more elegant http://www.revelandfeast.com. Please adjust your bookmark accordingly. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sorting out the kinks and adding new features so let me know if there’s something you’d like to see on the new site.

Not Quite Jerk Chicken

I’m a huge fan of Afro-Caribbean food, especially the spicy dishes that make your tongue tingle and your cheeks flush pink. So, of course, Jamaican jerk chicken ranks high on my list of favorites. The heat in traditional Jamaican jerk seasoning comes from Scotch bonnet peppers, which are one of the hottest peppers on the planet. I’m talking light-your-mouth-on-fire screaming hot. My kids like heavily seasoned food so I knew that they would enjoy most of the spices used in jerk seasoning but their tender palates can’t handle Scotch bonnets so I created a kid-friendly chicken dish that is inspired by the bold, aromatic spices of traditional jerk chicken but leaves out most of the heat. A jalapeno pepper steps in for the Scotch bonnet so that you still taste a glimmer of heat but your head doesn’t feel like it’s going to explode. I also skipped over the traditional ingredients of rum and molasses because the chicken would taste too sweet without the spiciness of the Scotch bonnets for balance. Serve with white rice and wash down with Red Stripe for the adults, lemonade for the kids.

NOT QUITE JERK CHICKEN

4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into large pieces
5 scallions, sliced into 3 inch long pieces
10 garlic cloves, smashed
2 limes, quartered
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 jalapeno pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place chicken pieces in single layer in a large roasting pan.

Nestle the pepper pieces, scallions and garlic among the chicken pieces.

For a mild hot pepper flavor, halve the jalapeno and discard the seeds and ribs. Mince finely and add to the pan. If you like more heat, don’t remove the seeds and ribs.

Sprinkle with the soy sauce and olive oil. Squeeze the limes over the chicken and add the squeezed pieces to the pan.

Mix together the ginger, allspice, salt, pepper and thyme in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken pieces.

Bake the chicken for 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when a piece is pricked with a knife. If the skin hasn’t become crisp, turn the broiler to high and broil for a few minutes until crispy.

Serves 4-6.

Andouille Sausage with Warm Fennel & Endive Salad over Polenta

Anyone who has ever watched Emeril on the Food Network knows about andouille sausage because it was one of his favorite ingredients. But in case you don’t know, here’s a little primer:

1. Andouille sausage originated in France before making its way to America, where it is commonly used in Cajun delicacies like jumbalaya and gumbo.
2. Andouille sausage is made from pork and usually heavily spiced with pepper and garlic. Down in Cajun country, andouille is smoked over pecan wood and sugar cane, which give the sausage its smoky hallmark.
3. Andouille sausage is ridiculously delicious. Try some if you never have. You’ll love it.

In this dish, the andouille is sauteed quickly and and presented with a warm salad that is a cinch to put together. The overall preparation is simple but there is one catch – you must plan ahead by a few hours because you need to cook the polenta and then give it time to cool down before you can finish preparing the rest of the whole meal. You can even make the polenta the day before if that makes your life easier. Or, buy premade polenta at the supermarket. Look for it near the Italian specialty foods, like the capers and marinated artichokes. Premade polenta is usually wrapped in plastic and shaped like a cylinder. Peel off the wrapper, slice and saute. Very easy.

ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE WITH WARM FENNEL & ENDIVE SALAD OVER POLENTA

4 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking polenta
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons olive oil

12 ounces andouille sausage, cut on the diagonal into 1 inch thick slices
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium fennel bulb
1 head of Belgian endive
1 small yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, cut into slivers
salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
4 or 5 sprigs of fresh parsley

For the polenta:

Heat water and salt to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly pour in the polenta, whisking constantly in one direction until all of the polenta is in the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon until the polenta thickens, about five minutes. Stir in butter, pepper and dried parsley.

Pour into a greased 9 inch square or circle pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. Polenta will become firm to the touch. Once firm, turn out onto a cutting board and slice into nine wedges.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add a few slices of the polenta and saute until lightly browned, about three minutes. Flip over carefully and brown the other side. Remove to platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and polenta.

OR

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush the polenta wedges with the olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned on top, about five minutes. Flip over and brown the other side. Remove to platter and cover with foil to keep warm.

For the andouille, fennel and endive salad:

Shave the fennel, endive and onion using a mandoline or slice very thinly with a sharp knife.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the andouille in a single layer and saute until browned and crisp. Turn over pieces and brown the other side. You might need to cook the andouille in two batches. Remove the andouille and place on the platter with the polenta.

Add the teaspoon of olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes, until slightly softened.

Add the fennel and garlic. Saute for two or three minutes, until the fennel softens but isn’t too limp.

Add the endive and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the fennel mixture onto the platter. Cover to keep warm.

Add the red wine vinegar and olive oil to the pan. Whisk to combine, scraping up any brown bits that have collected on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the dijon mustard. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Drizzle the warm dressing over the fennel mixture.

Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Slow Roasted Beef in Cabernet, Bay Leaves & Garlic

Well, I guess last week’s wishes for warmer weather didn’t pan out because the sky opened up last night and covered us with several inches of snow. Sure, it’s pretty to look at but just glancing at the snow drifts outside my window makes me want to snuggle up inside a fuzzy blanket and hibernate until May. On days like this, when I wake up to cold and blustery wind, I pull out the crock pot in the morning and get a jump start on dinner so that I can have more time to do other things, like brush the mountains of snow off my car or try to entertain the kids while they have a snow day off from school. I tend to use the crock pot mostly during the winter for large roasts and stews but it’s a handy tool all year round because once you prep the ingredients and toss them in, you can turn on the power and walk away for the rest of the day. It’s also a great investment because tougher cuts of meat, which are usually less expensive, really benefit from slow cooking and come out so tender that the meat practically falls apart into succulent bites. I’m not going to try to fool you into thinking that a chuck roast is on par with filet mignon but it does have its own charms that you won’t be able to deny once you sink your teeth into a forkful of meltingly tender slow roasted chuck. You will be back for seconds.

Like a lot of people, my favorite food to prepare in the crock pot is roast beef. There are as many roast beef recipes in the world as there are cooks in the world. And I have tasted a lot of them. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a roast beef that I didn’t enjoy but this version is my all-time favorite because of the big handful of garlic and bay leaves that season the meat. This is a pretty traditional recipe- there’s nothing really unusual about the ingredients but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. This is comfort food at its best- familiar, delicious and easy to prepare.

SLOW ROASTED BEEF IN CABERNET, BAY LEAVES AND GARLIC

3 pound boneless chuck roast
10 large bay leaves
10 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups Cabernet
1 cup low sodium beef broth

Place 5 of the bay leaves and 5 of the garlic cloves in the bottom of the crock pot.

Season the beef on all sides with the salt, pepper, thyme and mustard.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Sear the beef well on all sides, until deep brown but not scorched.

Place the roast on top of the garlic and bay leaves in the crock pot.

Deglaze the skillet with the beef broth. Pour over the roast.

Pour wine over the roast.

Place the remaining bay leaves and garlic on top of the roast.

Cover and set the crock pot on a low setting so that it will cook for at least 6 hours.

Don’t peek for at least 6 hours! If you open the cover while the roast is cooking then the temperature inside will drop.

To serve, lift the roast carefully and place on a platter. The meat will be so tender that you should be able to pull it apart with a fork. Spoon over a little of the cooking liquid inside the crock pot.

Serves 4, with leftovers.

TIP: Save the cooking liquid and make a beef noodle soup using the leftover roast. Chill the cooking liquid overnight. Skim off the fat that rises to the surface. Saute one chopped onion, one chopped carrot, and 2 chopped celery stalks in a splash of olive oil until softened. Add one chopped tomato and saute for a few more minutes. Add 3-4 cups of low sodium beef broth and the leftover cooking liquid. Bring to a boil. Add 12 ounces of wide egg noodles and cook for 10 minutes. While the noodles are cooking, shred the leftover beef and add to the pot. The soup is done when the noodles are cooked through.

Or, save the cooking liquid for later. If you don’t want to re-use the cooking liquid right away, chill it overnight before skimming off the fat that rises to the surface. Freeze for later use. Thaw the liquid in the refrigerator before using.

Pear Berry Tart

For some reason, fruit tarts remind me of sunshine and summertime. Yesterday was a chilly day, albeit not as chilly as it could have been this time of year, but I still found myself longing for a warm summer day. The kind where you lounge around lazily on the porch, drinking lemonade and doing a whole bunch of nothing. Considering that we’re nearing the end of February, it was obvious that any wishes for warmth would be pointless so I decided to engage in a little self-help by baking a fruit tart. Even if I couldn’t get the feel of summer, I could at least get the flavor of summer.

I used blueberries and strawberry preserves in this recipe but you can substitute any berry combination that you like. You can even use frozen berries, like I did. I usually keep a bag of frozen blueberries or cherries in the freezer, especially when they’re out of season. Frozen berries work well in this tart because you don’t need to thaw them before using. Just plop them down into the tart and you’re good to go. Oh, and one more thing- this recipe uses two kinds of fat in the pastry dough. The butter tastes good (shocking, I know) while the shortening makes the crust flaky. If you have a favorite butter pastry dough that tastes great but your crusts are tough, try swapping out a bit of the butter for shortening. Try a butter to shortening ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. That will probably solve the problem. And remember to keep the butter and shortening really cold or else it will melt as you work the dough mixture and the crust will be heavy. I keep them in the fridge right up to the point where I use them.

PEAR BERRY TART

1 1/4 cup flour
6 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons ice water
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 firm but ripe Bartlett pears
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup strawberry preserves
2 teaspoons milk

Combine the flour, butter, shortening, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture looks like coarse meal.

Drizzle in the almond extract and 3 tablespoons of the ice water. Pulse to combine.

Pinch a little bit of the mixture between your fingers. If it holds together well, then do not add any more water. If it’s still too dry and crumbly, add the remaining water one tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together when squeezed.

Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Form into a flattened disk and gently smear the dough, using the heel of your hand, across the board until the disk is elongated by a few inches. Fold in half. Repeat those two steps a couple of times. This helps the fat to become evenly distributed throughout the dough so that when it melts the crust will be delicate and flaky.

Reform the dough into a disk about 6 inches across. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, to allow the butter and shortening to firm up again. Or, you can leave the dough in the fridge for up to one day.

Right before assembling the tart, peel and core the pears. Slice thinly lengthwise and toss with the lemon juice to prevent the pears from turning brown.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Lightly dust your work area with flour. Roll out the dough into a large circle that is a few inches bigger in diameter than a dinner plate. Don’t worry if the edges are uneven.

Carefully fold the dough in half and then in half again. You should have a wedge shape. Place wedge on the parchment paper, with the point in the middle. Carefully unfold the dough.

Take a large dinner plate, turn it upside down and gently press it into the middle of the dough to make an imprint of a circle. Use this circle as a guide for assembling the inside of the tart. Everything should stay inside the circle.

Spread the strawberry preserves on the dough, inside the circle.

Artfully arrange the pear slices, slightly overlapping, on top of the preserves.

Place the blueberries in the center of the circle of pears.

Gently fold the dough outside the circle up over the top of the pears to form a rustic crust. Some of the fruit should still be visible.

Brush the crust with the milk.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden brown.

Allow to cool before serving.

Serves 6.

Roast Chicken with Herbes de Provence

We eat a lot of chicken at my house because it’s inexpensive and a small roaster is the perfect size for our little family. Over the years, I’ve experimented with numerous ways to roast a chicken but lately I keep coming back to this recipe because I love the pairing of orange and herbes de provence, a classic French herb blend. The deliciously floral aroma and delicate flavor of herbes de provence are usually created by mixing lavender, tarragon, bay leaf, chervil, dill and thyme. Actually, each maker’s blend of herbes de provence will vary a little depending upon their personal taste but, in my opinion, herbes de provence must include lavender and tarragon as the top notes to be the real deal.

Simple meals are often the best meals. Roast chicken is a classic so it doesn’t need a lot of fancy side dishes to support it. Try serving up some steamed green beans topped with a pat of sweet butter and some wild rice or roasted potatoes.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH HERBES DE PROVENCE

4 pound whole chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 orange
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 tablespoon herbes de provence
1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
2/3 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse chicken, inside and out, with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place in roasting dish.

Use your fingers to massage the olive oil all over the skin of the chicken.

Halve the orange and juice over the chicken. Place the orange halves and the garlic inside the cavity.

Evenly sprinkle the skin with the herbes de provence, the fennel seed, kosher salt and white pepper.

Truss the chicken with kitchen twine.

Roast in the oven for one hour and fifteen minutes, up to one hour and thirty minutes. A meat thermometer should register 170 degrees when placed in the thigh (make sure the thermometer isn’t touching bone).

Place chicken on a serving platter and cover loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 10 minutes while you make the pan sauce.

Place roasting pan on stove burner over medium heat. Spoon off any excess fat so that only a tablespoon or so remains.

Add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook for a couple of minutes but do not allow to brown too much.

Add the white wine and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth.

Cook for a few more minutes until the sauce is thickened.

Check seasoning before serving. You may wish to add a little more salt or pepper.

Serves 4.

Spinach & Chickpeas with Garlic

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I agree but with a twist- imitation is good but well executed inspiration is far superior. In the kitchen, imitation of your favorite chefs by dutifully following their recipes down to the last letter is sure to net good results, but also predictable results. Sometimes you need to shake it up a little by adding something new or unexpected into the mix. Taking risks in the kitchen, even small risks like tossing in a spoonful of a new spice you never tasted before, can result in the kind of creative, mouth watering meals that make all your friends and family want to hang out at your place. And if taking a risk doesn’t work and you hate the way it tastes, well, then don’t do it again. It’s that easy. So don’t be afraid to fail in the kitchen, especially if you’re cooking for just yourself.

I recently patronized my favorite Spanish tapas restaurant, which has an amazingly delicious dish called spinach and chickpea casserole on its menu. I loved this dish so much that I had to make it part of my own culinary repertoire. So, a few days ago, I made it at home. I followed the taste sensations I remembered from my dining experience- olive oil, spinach, chickpeas, garlic, lemon and cumin. Fortunately, it was a simple dish to recreate and I was really psyched to discover that my version tasted exactly like the original dish. Yesterday, I cooked it again but I wanted to do something to make the dish my own so I rummaged through my spice cabinet looking for something to add. I pulled out adobo seasoning, smoked paprika, all kinds of dried chilies, anything with a Spanish or Mexican connection. Then I noticed the bottle of nigella seeds I picked up last month at the local spice shop. Before I saw them in the shop I had never heard of nigella seeds, which look like tiny jet black pods and have a faintly sweet onion-like aroma. Nigella seeds are quite beautiful and once I smelled them there was no way I could resist the purchase even though I had no clue how to use them. I decided to add a small spoonful to my recipe because I figured that adding something faintly onion-y to a dish dominated by cumin and garlic would probably have a good pay-off. And let me tell you, it sure did. The original dish is fantastic but the addition of the nigella seeds not only tasted great, but also added texture and visual interest because the teeny black specks are gorgeous against the golden chickpeas and the dark green spinach.

So, my friends, give this recipe a try and be bold enough to play around with it to make it your own. If you come up with something spectacular, post it in the comments!

SPINACH & CHICKPEAS WITH GARLIC

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained
8 ounces baby spinach, chopped small
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 big garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoon nigella seeds
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
juice of half a lemon

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan with high sides over medium heat.

Add garlic and nigella seeds. Saute until garlic is fragrant and beginning to lightly color on the edges, about three minutes. (The nigella might pop a little so watch out for a few flying seeds!)

Add the spinach and saute until most of the spinach starts to wilt.

Add the chickpeas and saute until all the spinach is wilted.

Add the remaining ingredients, except lemon juice, and mix thoroughly. Continue cooking for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Stir frequently.

Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and stir well.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a meal.