Kale and Chickpeas

I made this warm chickpea and kale combination based almost entirely off of Mark Bittman's recipe for Spinach and Chickpeas  from his NY Times piece titled "Recipes for the Semi-Vegan."  I've been noticing a trend of so-called "semi-vegan/vegetarian"-ism lately, and while one is either vegan/vegetarian or not, I think that the emphasis on a diet that includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans, etc. is never a bad thing.  I may not be a card-carrying vegan (and probably never will be due to its restrictiveness and my abiding love of fish), but I do have "vegan days" where I commit to eating no meat or dairy and at least one vegetarian day per week.  I think doing so forces you to be more creative about how you prepare meals and to eat healthier, meaning consuming more veggies and less processed, possibly hormone-pumped foods.

As for this dish, I substituted the spinach with kale because I didn't have the former on hand.  I also excluded bread crumbs because, well, I didn't have any.

The dish was pretty tasty; it should definitely be served warm!  I look forward to trying more of Bittman's vegan creations.  Expect another Bittman entry soon!



Kale and Chickpeas (adapted from Mark Bittman's recipe)

Ingredients:

Chickpeas
Kale
Pimenton (smoked paprika)
Cumin
Garlic
Sherry Vinegar
Olive Oil

Preparation:

1. Cook a generous amount of minced garlic cloves in enough olive oil to coat a pan until fragrant.
2. When garlic is tender, add the kale to the pan (and more oil if needed), along with about 1 teaspoon each of cumin and pimenton.
3. When the kale begins to wilt, add a can of cooked & drained chickpeas.  Cook for about five minutes.  Afterwards, when you're ready to serve the chickpeas, stir in about a tablespoon of the sherry vinegar.