Spicy Chick Peas with Tomatoes and Cilantro
This is perhaps best considered a side dish or salad, but it also serves nicely as a meal in itself if you fancy garbanzos. And who doesn't?
The two key ingredients are home-cooked garbanzo beans (chick peas) and leaves of the herb, cilantro. You can use canned garbanzos (drained and rinsed), but full flavor comes from preparing the beans from scratch. It's easy, although not so easy as opening cans. If you use canned beans, both Goya and Green Giant are good choices.
De-gas the beans. Be sure to wash and drain the beans as described. Besides flushing away any foreign material, you'll experience a decrease in possible flatulent effects.
The musty flavor of fresh cilantro is essential (dried cilantro lacks flavor). Wash cilantro as you would fresh parsley. Then refrigerate it and use within a day or two—cilantro deteriorates quickly.
Bean preparation/cooking time: about 2 hours. Sauce preparation: about 30 minutes.
Serves 4-5 as a main dish; 7-8 as a side dish.
SHOPPING LIST:
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- Garbanzo beans (chick peas)
- Bacon
- Onion
- Red bell pepper
- Garlic
- Chile pepper flakes
- Tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- Tomato paste
- Oregano
- Fresh cilantro
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Prepare beans
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1
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Thoroughly wash and drain in cold water
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- 12 to 16 oz dry garbanzo beans (chick peas)
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2
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Cook the beans: Put drained beans in a heavy-bottomed pot together with 1 teaspoon salt, cover with about 3 quarts hot water, and boil gently—partially covered—for 90 to 120 minutes or until beans are firm-tender to the bite (nice chew without being mushy). If necessary, add hot water so that beans are always covered during cooking. Drain, cover, and set aside.
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Prepare sauce
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1
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In large sauté pan over medium heat,
fry until fat begins running
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- 6 to 8 lean bacon slices, chopped
(most fat trimmed)
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2
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Add, stir, and cook gently—uncovered—until vegetables are softened (5-8 minutes)
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- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
- sprinkling of dry red chile pepper flakes
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3
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Stir in, then simmer 10-15 minutes
—covered— stirring occasionally
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- Cooked garbanzo beans
- 1 15-oz can (or more) tomatoes, chopped with juice (or 2-3 peeled, seeded chopped fresh tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
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Top servings with: 2 to 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
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www.cybershingle.com/recipes/
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