Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas with Cous Cous

Another recipe that caught my eye in the last issue of Cooking Light was this Chickpea dish. I love spicy dishes, and chickpeas are a staple in my pantry, along with cous cous, so this meal was cheap and easy to make on a weeknight. I forgot to buy escarole or another leafy green at the market, so instead I used a bag of frozen chopped spinach. Though I'm sure the escarole is great, I really enjoyed it with the spinach. The apricots added a sweet bite, and the North African spices were in perfect harmony. The recipe calls for 1 tbsp. of Garam Masala, which I thought might be too much, but in the end I thought it could have used a bit more! This dish was a sure winner for us, and will be added to the rotation for quick, wintry weeknight meals.

Spicy Moroccan Chickpeas
adapted from Cooking Light November 2010

1 tbsp. EVOO

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, sliced

1 dozen dried apricots, chopped

1 tbsp. garam masala

Salt and black pepper

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 c. vegetable stock

Zest of a lemon peeled in thick ribbons

Juice of 1 lemon

2 c. chickpeas

1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes

6 c. chopped leafy dark greens or 2 c. defrosted and drained chopped spinach

Cilanto, roughly chopped

Mint leaves, torn

Prepared cous cous

Heat a saute pan over medium heat, add EVOO.

Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, stir for a minute, until fragrant, do not burn.

Add onions, apricots, garam masala, salt, pepper and cinnamon stick.

Stir and cook for another minute, until onions are lightly browned.

Add stock, lemon zest ribbons, chickpeas and tomatoes, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in greens, wilt if fresh, bring to temperature.

Remove lemon rind and cinnamon stick.

Spoon into a bowl over cous cous, squirt with lemon juice, top with mint and cilantro leaves.

Congrats to Holiday Baking Pack Winner: Rachel, who likes Libby's Pumpkin Roll best. Email me at veggiebyseason at gmail.com so I can get it off to you! 
Thanks to everyone who entered, I've got another fun giveaway coming soon.