I was reading a great blog about Spain and Spanish food called Spanish Sabores. (The pictures are soooo mouth-watering, and it’s so much fun to read.) I came across one of my favorite dishes from when I was in Sevilla – espinacas con garbanzos, or spinach and chickpeas! It sounds kind of boring, but it’s a seriously tasty dish.
I’ve eaten this in Andalucía either as a starter dish or a tapa. I like it alone, but I’ve always seen it served with crusty bread.
I decided to have a go at my own version. I kind of followed this recipe from the Smitten Kitchen, but I dumbed it wayyy down. Even though I cheated on the recipe, it tasted pretty good. Here are the cheater’s steps:
Ingredients: cooked chickpeas, olive oil, frozen spinach, tomato purée, spices from jars (garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, Spanish smoked paprika, cayenne pepper), and lemon juice.
The embarrassingly easy steps: Defrost the spinach with olive oil in a pan. Add everything except lemon juice and let it warm up until it looks tasty. Then pour it in a bowl and squeeze lemon juice on top. And that’s it!
Side note/disclaimer: I am possibly the world’s worst cook, so this is saying something. Once I set pasta on fire…while it was in the pan of water. Really. So I’m not pretending this is a real recipe by any means, but it’s perfect for 20-somethings like me who don’t cook real things or use real measurements.
This whole process took about 10-12 minutes, and it was a really easy, healthy lunch. The posh recipe looks nice, but I didn’t have the bread (or the patience!) to attempt it. So my dumbed-down version works, is incredibly easy/fast, and actually tastes good. Te lo prometo!
If you want a fancier version, check these out:
- Sauteed chickpeas with spinach and tomatoes (iusedtobefatter.wordpress.com)
- Espinaca con garbanzos… (ckenb.blogspot.com)
Currently listening to: “Live Forever” by Oasis
Currently reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Besos!
-Jess
I don’t cook real things either! So this looks perfect. I’ve only just started cooking for myself and when I don’t feel like making an effort (which is a lot of the time), the majority of my meals are cereal and rice and pasta (carb-tastic!). I might try this soon (thank goodness for frozen spinach, right?)
Frozen spinach is the best! I tend to make lots of easy, carb-heavy meals, so this one is a nice change.
This is easily my favourite tapas dish. You can never have enough chickpeas. This looks so easy and yummy, thanks.
You’re welcome, thanks for reading!
Hungry now!