Chickpeas & Kale

It was my birthday yesterday, and what better way to celebrate then with sharing a potluck dinner? I wasn't really in the mood for a big fuss or fanfare, and so being able to celebrate in a relatively low key manner, with a gathering of friends that was already scheduled into my day, was perfect.

Since it was my "big day" and all, my husband said he would cook for potluck, baking me a special cake. In fact, he'll be guest blogging all about his cake-making experience later this week!

However, that didn't mean that I wasn't going to cook as well. I whipped up a quick batch of chickpeas and kale amidst flour, sugar & Fluff being tossed around the kitchen. This dish is a great one for using up those dark leafy greens, and better yet - it's simple and cooks up in a hurry.

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale (we went with curly kale)

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 teaspoons of olive oil

cumin, coriander & a pinch of cinnamon (I eyeball the spices to taste...clearly this is more recipe-ish than recipe).

salt & pepper

Directions:

Start by steaming the kale. You can steam it in water (which is what I did) or chicken/vegetable stock to give it a bit more flavor. I wash and tear up the kale first and put it in a saucepan. Then I add enough liquid to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan, turn the heat up to medium and cook about 7 minutes, keeping an eye on the kale and make sure the liquid doesn't dry up. You want it to keep it's lovely color and not wilt too much.

Once the kale is cooked, drain and set aside. Heat up oil in the pan and add the garlic, cooking for about 2-3 minutes.

Add the chickpeas, spices & salt & pepper, cooking for another five minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

Re: spices... I probably go w/a tablespoon of cumin, teaspoon of coriander & a pinch of cinnamon

Toss the kale back in for a quick stir, and then serve... hot or warm!

You can add a splash of lemon juice on top before serving (I completely spaced and forgot to bring my lemon to potluck, so unfortunately, we went without, but it was still tasty).

We ended up having a wonderful meal, and I couldn't have asked for more on my birthday. The chickpeas & kale went nicely with the savory bread pudding, sweet potato fries, parsnips and fresh bread & butter.