Meals for One – Spinach with Chickpeas

One of my favorite easy meals involves little more than a bag of spinach and a can of chickpeas. Add heat, a little olive oil and a few spices and in just a few minutes it is ready for the table. Enjoy Spinach with Chickpeas as a meal for one or an easy side dish. Serve with Naan or, if you have a heartier appetite, add grilled meat, rice or quinoa.

Spinach and Chickpeas

In some ways this is a strange time for me to start a food blog. While it seems my family has always been busy and meals have been erratic for years, I just sent my middle child off to college and now I have even fewer mouths to feed at dinner time. In fact my husband often misses meals and my youngest son, who still lives at home, is frequently grabbing a quick bite between football and other activities and eating at odd hours.

Quite often these days I find that I am eating dinner alone. Sometimes I eat leftovers or fast food but there are times when I want to eat something fresh and healthy and home cooked, though it is always nice if the preparation is easy.

One of my favorite easy meals involves little more than a bag of spinach and a can of chickpeas. When I am hungry and in a hurry, but want to feel that I am nurturing my body with natural vitamins and calcium, I am always glad to find a bag of spinach I picked up at the market waiting for me in the refrigerator.

 A Quick Meal for One

How do you turn that bag of spinach into a meal? Start by heating some olive oil in a large skillet. Next, open a can of chickpeas. Once drained, rinsed and patted dry, add the chickpeas to the skillet. A sprinkle of salt and pepper and maybe a little curry powder or cumin brings out their flavor and adds a little spice. Now continue cooking over medium heat until the beans are warm and toasty. Sometimes I leave them a little longer for a nuttier flavor and texture. Then remove them from the heat and transfer to a plate.

Now heat a bit more olive oil in the skillet and when it is hot add a clove of minced garlic. Stir until fragrant and then gradually add the fresh spinach. Add a big handful, turn and stir, then add more as room allows. Continue cooking and stirring until the whole bag has been added and all of the spinach has wilted. If the spinach begins to stick or get dry, sprinkle with a few drops of water and continue cooking.

When all of the spinach has wilted, squeeze the juice from half a lemon across the leaves and stir. Now it is time to add the toasted chickpeas back to the pan. Combine and stir until the chickpeas are warm again, then remove from the heat and serve.

Served with toasted Pita or Tandoori Naan, Spinach with Chickpeas makes a quick and healthy meal for one. Or, for a heartier appetite, add grilled meat, rice or quinoa to the plate.

Enjoy!

Spinach with Chickpeas

Course: Main Dish, Sides, Vegetables

Servings

1 or 2

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Total time

20

minutes

Enjoy this simple and healthy dish as a meal for one or an easy side dish. Serve with Naan or, if you have a heartier appetite, serve with grilled meat, rice or quinoa.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

• 1 bag fresh spinach, washed

• 1/2 fresh lemon

• salt

• pepper

• curry powder or cumin (optional)

Directions

• Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add chickpeas to the skillet. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Add a little curry powder or cumin, if desired. Continue cooking over medium heat until the beans are warm and toasty, two minutes, or longer if you like them a bit nuttier. Remove from heat and transfer the chickpeas to a plate.
• Heat another Tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet. Add garlic and stir for one minute. Add spinach to the skillet in batches. Turn and stir, adding more as each batch wilts and space allows until the whole bag has been added and all of the spinach has wilted. If the spinach begins to stick, sprinkle with a few drops of water and continue cooking.
• Squeeze juice from half a lemon over the spinach and stir. Add the chickpeas back to the pan. Combine and stir until the chickpeas are warm again then remove from the heat.
• Served with toasted pita bread or Tandoori Naan.