5 Things To Do with a Can of Chickpeas
Not all canned foods are evil or tasteless. Cans of sardines, tuna, tomatoes, and chickpeas are convenient, versatile, and, when prepared with a bit of creativity, quite delicious. As part of our ongoing series, "5 Things to do with a can of ______," (tuna was featured a few months back) we scoured this season's batch of chef cookbooks and found five inventive and easy to make chickpea recipes.
1. Stewed Black Cabbage with Chickpeas
from Salt to Taste by Marco Canora
Serves 4 to 6
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup minced carrot
1/2 cup minced celery
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 whole peeled canned tomatoes
3 pounds black cabbage (aka dinosaur kale or cavolo nero), ribs and stems removed, leaves chopped (about 12 cups)
21/2 cups canned chickpeas
6 cups of soft polenta
Heat the oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and fry, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and color, about 15 minutes. Season the soffrito with salt and pepper.
Using your hands, crush the tomatoes into the pan, allowing the juices within to fall into the pan, allowing the juices within to fall into the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato juices evaporate, about 5 minutes.
Add cabbage a handful at a time, mixing and allowing it to wilt before adding more. Season with salt and pepper (add a little water if the pan looks dry). Cover the pan and cook, stirring every 5 minutes or so and adding a tablespoon or two of water if the cabbage begins to look dry. Cook over low heat until the greens are tender, about 30 minutes. add the chickpeas and heat through, about 10 minutes. Serve warm over polenta.
2. Chickpeas and Skordalia
from Michael Symon's Live To Cook by Michael Symon
"...perfect with roast chicken or hanger steak. It can be made a couple of days ahead and refrigerated."
Serves 6 to 8
2 cups 1/2-inch crustless day-old bread
1 cup whole milk
4 garlic cloves
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of almonds, toasted
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 cup cooked chickpeas
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Cover the bread with the milk and let it soak for 30 minutes.
Using your hands, wring excess milk for the bread (reserve the milk) and put the bread in a blender with the garlic, lemon juice, almonds, olive oil, and a three-finger pinch of salt. Puree this mixture until smooth, adding some of the reserved milk to bring it to a thick, hummus-like consistency. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the chickpeas. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Stir int he parsley and lemon zest before serving.
3. Roasted Chickpea Bruschetta
from The Gastrokid Cookbook by Hugh Garvey and Matthew Yeomans
"...The kids love this. The adults love this. The wallet loves this."
Makes 4 Servings
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A handful or two chopped parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped olives
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 baguette loaf, sliced and toasted
Preheat the oven to 450° F. On a cookie or baking sheet, spread out the chickpeas and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix it all up. Roast for 20 minutes or so, or until golden brown. In a large bowl, mix the chickpeas with the chopped parsley, olives, garlic, and balsamic vinegar. Serve on toasted slices of baguette. The spherical little beans tend to roll of the bread if you're eating too hastily, but chasing down stray chickpeas makes it all the more fun.
4. Chickpea Confit
from How to Roast a Lamb by Michael Psilakis
Cloves from 1 head of garlic, separated and peeled
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
28-ounce can best-quality chickpeas (such as Goya), well rinsed and well drained
Kosher salt and whole black peppercorns
Blended oil (50 percent canola, 50 percent extra-virgin olive), as needed
In a Dutch oven or a heavy pot, combine the garlic, cumin, mustard seeds, and chickpeas. Season liberally with kosher salt and pepper, and barely cover with blended oil. Cover the pot and cook at 325° F until aromatic but not browned, about 45 minutes.
When the mixture is cool, transfer it, with all the oil, to a sterilized glass container and use as you like. If the chickpeas are covered with oil, the confit will last for at least 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Always save the oil for another use, for example, in a cumin vinaigrette or for sauteing.
5. Garlic-Parsley-Chickpea Dip
from New American Table by Marcus Samuelsson
"...great accompaniment to grilled asparagus, fennel, celery, and carrots."
Makes 1 1/4 cup
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves chopped, plus 3 garlic cloves whole
2 poblano chiles seeds and ribs removed, chopped
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 teaspoons tahini
1 cup canned chickpeas
2 canned sardine fillets
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Heat the sesame oil and olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic, chiles, coriander seeds, and tahini and saute until the garlic is golden, about 4 minutes.
Transfer to a blender with the whole garlic cloves, the chickpeas, sardines, lemon juice, and salt. Puree until smooth. Fold in the parsley.
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