Moroccan Skillet Spinach & Chickpeas

A can of beans & a bag of greens...

... sometimes that is all you need. Or at least it was in this case.

I am so blessed to live where I live. And this little dish  came together simply because the sun came out so beautifully on a Sunday afternoon it practically screamed "open up those doors and let me inside".

So I did.

And then I went outside and cooked beans.

The thing is the fridge was a wee bit bare - nothing defrosted, marinating or brining. So to the pantry it was. I keep several cans of chickpeas on hand these days in case my 98% vegan sister (she permits a 2% margin of error for these and these) pops by. (my current vegan wheelhouse consists pretty much of humus & veggies, but I am working on that)

After a quick flip through some books and a few pinterest boards, I landed on skillet cooking the beans on the grill. All that was missing was some seasoning...

One of my favourite cookbooks over the last year is Well Fed by Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan. It is written from a paleo perspective and although I don't follow the paleo diet, I am a big fan of meat and veggies so it works for me. Her food has this beautiful Moroccan influence with lots of cocoa and cinnamon in savoury main dishes. Awhile back, inspired by her recipes, I made up a large dose of Moroccan spice and keep it on hand for all sorts of dishes.

And on this day - it met some chickpeas.

So for all the planning and thought that goes into some meals we make around here, this throw together lunch was a perfect reminder that sometimes I don't need to over think it. That the most flavourful and aromatic meals (or as Little would say "mmm, smells good mommy") can come from...

... a can of beans and a bag of greens.

Moroccan Skillet Spinach & Chickpeas

Author: sixtyone45.com

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 20 mins

A can of beans, a bag of greens and some simple spices are all you need to transform ordinary ingredients into this flavourful and aromatic dish.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 2 Tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet white onion
• 3 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 small cans of chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 4 cups of loosely packed fresh spinach
• 2 Tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Flat leaf parsley or fresh cilantro for garnish.

Instructions

1. Make the spice blend. Mix the first 8 spices together in small dish and set aside.
2. In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add garlic and onions. Saute until translucent.
3. Add the spice blend & tomato paste. Stir & heat for 2-3 minutes until well mixed and spices are very fragrant.
4. Add spinach and chickpeas. Cook until spinach is wilted.
5. Finish with fresh lemon juice and garnish with parsley or cilantro.

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