Chickpeas & Chard
Who knew! Apparently chard grows all year round! Every time we visit the allotment there’s delightful greens, deep reds and yellows to greet us popping up through the bare soil. Not much else is growing now especially since we’ve had frosts this week but the chard… the chard is still there, steadily growing. We use it like spinach, adding it to soups, or sautéing it with garlic and onions, and add it to other veg for a good dose of vitamins A and C, magnesium and iron. Chard is a bit like having two vegetables in one, the leafy greens and the colourful stalks – we usually use both, cooking the stalks first so they get an extra bit of cooking time.
Who wants a forkful?
We eat a lot of chickpeas in our house! Too many probably if that’s possible! Back home, hubby would sometimes even have chickpeas for breakfast – a tradition which has slowly crept into our house! Chickpeas are packed full of protein, iron, vitamin B6 and magnesium and also have a good dose of calcium and vitamin C… what’s not to like! 😀
Chickpeas & chard in a richly spiced gravy
This is a relatively easy recipe and you can of course, as with most of my recipes, switch the herbs and spices to your taste. You might find it unusual that I’ve used the whole can of chickpeas without draining, but this gives a more intense – a richer flavour without diluting the recipe using added water.
This week I’m co-hosting Angie’s Fiesta Friday with Trupti @ My Culinary Saga. If you’ve never joined a blog party before, just click the link and come on over and join in the fun! There will be loads of yummy food I can guarantee it and lots of new friends to make! What are you waiting for! See you there! 😀
Gather Prepare Serve & StoreChickpeas & Chard (Vegan & Free-From)
Can you resist this quick and easy flavoursome dish?
Ahh, this reminds me of the black-eyed bean and greens stew I had growing up, thanks for sharing 🙂
Ooo Thanks Eva that sounds yummy! Going to find me some black beans! 🙂 Does it have a name and was it a traditional dish?
I grew up in a Greek Cypriot family (in London) and we called it ‘Louvi’…I guess it’s a traditional village sort of dish. I’m ashamed to say I haven’t cooked it myself since leaving home (slapping my wrists!) x
Ooo… I’m going to check that out! Look out for my version soon! 😛 You should so cook it – especially now the weather is getting colder here!
This is going to sound quite confusing lol but I’m living in Spain now due to work… but yes, it is getting cooler here as well (or the equivalent of a pleasant Spring in the UK!)
Oh… my guess is you’ve not got the frosty mornings like we have!
No, we don’t get frost here, we’re ‘lucky’ if it rains haha
Oh it’s raining here now 🙁
I’m definitely in the minority who doesn’t mind rain 😉
It’s good for the garden! and I used to love being in the rain when I was younger! 😛
It’s the opposite with me: I never liked the rain when I was younger, now I love it! Obviously, not ideal if you’re out and about in it…. Going back to what we’re eating for lunch, I made a baked bean recipe from a vegan site called Gift of Health if you’re interested…it’s quite time-consuming but worth it once in a while 🙂
Three hours cooking time! Wow! and Pineapple? hmmm… if you’re sure they’re worth it I’ll look into it! We often make a version of baked beans (or chickpeas baked bean style). I’ve not come across her site before but I’m liking the ‘bacon’ (not bacon) recipes! Thank you!
Yeah, I know, it’s definitely not something I make on a regular basis. I think the doctors who write this blog are based in the US so I’m not surprised with the unusual pineapple addition but it does seem to work lol. I’ve not attempted any ‘bacon’ recipes before but it’s on my ever-growing list of things to make 🙂
I tried aubergine bacon! I’m after trying tofu fish next though… tofu bacon will have to wait!
Ooo thanks for that! You’ll never guess what I’m eating for lunch!!!
Could it be something Spanish lol?
In a way yes! I found a louvi recipe! No black beans or black-eye beans in the house but I found white cannellini beans. Mixed with cavolo nero (I need to pick more chard) Spanish lemon, Spanish olive oil and some fresh rosemary. It’s REALLY good!
That’s great, enjoy! I really like Spanish lemons and olive oil (after the Cypriot ones, of course lol) 🙂
I need some ‘tomato’ olive oil! Someone brought some from Barcelona and it’s so good! Haven’t been able to find it here! (It’s labelled Rojo if anyone knows where I can get it in the UK)! 😀
I’ve not seen any where I live either (down south ‘country bumpkin’ Andalucia…not as cosmopolitan as Barcelona lol). Will look out for it though, sounds interesting…someone from the UK also told me about low-fat avocados that come from Spain too which I hadn’t heard of either lol
Low fat avocado??? Seriously!? Ooo Andalucía 🙂 We’ve been to Seville – it’s such a lovely place!
Wonders will never cease…maybe you’ll get some low-fat avo at a Waitrose near you soon lol. Yes, Seville is a beautiful city…but wouldn’t like to live there in the summer months! 😉
Maybe so.. I just looked it up! http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-41594264
Thanks for that…what a win/win: lower in fat, ripens quicker and oxidises slower! I had a chuckle at the last sentence haha.
I know… hmmm, avo on toast or a house!!! Half an avocado per portion though! I don’t think they’ve seen the tiny ones we have to buy!
Mmmm I love chard! This reminds me I need to pick some up. Looks delicious!
This sounds lovely and super healthy! Thanks for sharing and for co-hosting this week’s Fiesta Friday party! 😀
Thanks Jhuls 🙂 My new go to quick lunch! Lots of yummy food at this weeks fiesta… I’m so getting me some ube! 😛
Yay! So exciting! 😀
Looks so hearty and simple to make salad. Thank you for bringing this to Fiesta Friday 🙂 So much fun co-hosting this with you!
🙂 Thank you 🙂 So many yummy things to try out at this weeks Fiesta! No idea how you’re fitting it in with packing and moving though Trupti!
Yes, I had a very busy weekend. Just got some time to look through – 🙂 Imagine if we had to eat it all
Oh Trupti that did make me giggle! 😛 Mind you, if someone else was making it all…I’m sure my boys would make short work of it! lol!
Lol 🙂 agree….
My chards are still alive, too, amazing! I haven’t cooked much with chards, though. I may be the one person in the world that prefers kale, which is also still alive. Chards are much prettier, therefore harder to harvest. I have a hard time harvesting pretty things. Yes I know I’m weird 🙂 Thanks for cohosting, I hope you’re having fun!
A super easy tasty chickpea chard dish! Yum Yum Yum! My 2 chard plants are still alive too!
Thank you – yum yum yum indeed! But only two chard plants Sophie? … I think we have ten or twelve! 😛 I love the colours and we use it most days – but we do like to pick it when the leaves are still young.