Lemony Egg In A Spinach Chickpea Nest Recipes

LEMONY EGG IN A SPINACH-CHICKPEA NEST

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the spinach along with a pinch of salt and pepper and saute, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 1 minute.
• Add chickpeas and lemon zest. Carefully smash the chickpeas with a fork while combining the ingredients.
• With a wooden spoon, shape the mixture into a "wreath" with a hole in the middle. Drizzle the remaining teaspoon of olive oil into the hole, and then crack the egg into the hole.
• Cover pan with a lid and cook until egg has cooked through to desired doneness (for me, that's about 3 minutes).
• Use a large spatula to transfer the egg and "nest" to a plate. Some of the edges of the nest may fall off; just put it back into position on the plate.
• Top egg with a little additional salt and pepper, if desired, and squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the top. Serve.

SPINACH WITH CHICKPEAS AND FRIED EGGS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. When oil begins to shimmer, add 1 garlic clove. Stir until beginning to turn golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Add spinach to pot. Toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Cook until spinach is wilted but still bright green, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside. Wipe out pot.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in same pot over medium heat. When oil begins to shimmer, add onion and 3 garlic cloves. Cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 3-4 minutes.
• Add cumin and paprika; stir until cumin is toasted and fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add chickpeas and tomatoes; stir to coat. Cook until tomatoes start to caramelize and chickpeas begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. Add 3 cups broth; bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pan. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, occasionally mashing some chickpeas with the back of a spoon or a potato masher, until sauce is thickened, 15-20 minutes. Fold in spinach; simmer for flavors to meld, adding more broth by 1/4-cupfuls if too thick, 8ñ10 minutes.
• Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of 1/8" (about 1/4 cup). Heat until oil begins to shimmer. Crack 2 eggs into hot oil, spacing apart. Using a large spoon, carefully baste whites (not yolks) with oil until whites are set and edges are crunchy, lacy, and golden brown, 2-3 minutes (do not turn). Season eggs with salt and pepper. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining 2 eggs.
• Spoon chickpea stew into bowls and top each with a fried egg.

CHICKPEAS WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Pick over the chickpeas, discarding any misshapen peas or grit, rinse well, and soak overnight in water to cover. The next day, drain the chickpeas and put them in a saucepan with water to cover by 2 inches. Tie together 4 of the garlic cloves, the onion, and the bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and add the sachet to the pan. Add the optional ham hock only if you will not be adding salt cod later, and then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered, adding 2 teaspoons salt (less if using the ham hock) after the first 10 minutes of cooking, until the chickpeas are tender, about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the heat, and remove the sachet from the pan. Leave the chickpeas in their cooking liquid. Discard the ham bone. Untie the sachet, discard the bay leaf, and reserve the garlic and onion.
• Place the spinach in a saucepan with only the rinsing water clinging to its leaves and cook over medium heat, stirring and turning constantly with tongs, until wilted, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain well in a sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon. If the leaves seem stringy or too big, you can chop them a bit more. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bread and the remaining 3 uncooked garlic cloves and fry, turning as needed, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender or small processor, add the saffron, and pulse until pulverized. Add the onion and garlic reserved from the chickpeas, the cumin, paprika, and 1 cup of the chickpea cooking liquid and purée until smooth.
• Add the purée and the spinach to the cooked chickpeas along with the salt cod or the ham, whichever you are using. Place the mixture over low heat, stir well, and bring to a simmer. If it seems dry, add a little water as needed so the stew is spoonable. Season to taste with salt and lots of pepper. Taste and balance the seasoning with vinegar.
• Transfer to a serving dish. If serving with the optional eggs, top with the fried eggs and serve hot, or with the hard-boiled eggs and serve warm.

LEMONY CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until tender., Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, broth, pepper flakes and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Uncover; simmer 4-5 minutes or until liquid is slightly reduced, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon zest and lemon juice. Serve with rice. , Freeze option: Do not prepare rice until later. Freeze cooled chickpea mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if necessary. Serve with rice.