Chick Peas and Greens Salad

First of all, hooray, I’m not dead! I apologize profusely for the lack of January (and now, at the time of finishing this, February and most of March) posts. I just realized that I could not stay away from this wonderful world of food blogging.

I’m finally adjusting to the new job, though. I’m coherent enough to type this, anyway… and that’s about all I can ask for at this point!

I probably won’t be posting as often as I used to. I imagine that posting once every couple of weeks will be my maximum, as I’m currently working on another side project in addition to the full-time job. I just thought I should give you fair warning. 😛

I’m toying with the idea of taking less photos of the cooking process, but I don’t really want to go that far because it’s kind-of my thing. Perhaps I will only include photos of the process if a certain step in the recipe is particularly difficult or confusing. I’m open to comments on that, by the way!

Anyway… on to today’s recipe! This recipe is adapted from the version in the Jan/Feb 2011 Cooking Light magazine.

You will need:

• 4 slices of bacon
• 1c chopped carrot
• half of a medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 (15-ounce) cans of chick peas (garbanzo beans), rinsed & drained
• 4 cups chopped fresh kale (or other dark leafy green – even spinach)
• 1/4 tsp salt

Begin by frying the bacon in a dutch oven (or larger pot) until crisp. Remove the bacon from pan (leave the fat), and crumble.

Add the carrot and onion to the rendered bacon fat. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic, and cook for1 minute.

Add paprika, salt, cumin, and red pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Stir in the chicken broth, water, and beans.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, an simmer for 20 minutes (stir occasionally).

Add the kale. Cover and simmer for 10 mins, or until the kale has tenderized. Stir occasionally. This looks like a lot of kale, but it will shrink up considerably (as shown in the next picture).

Give everything a final stir, and serve!

Hope you enjoy! This is a great salad to make ahead and take to work (which is exactly what I did with it). It’s actually tasty served warm or cold, in my opinion! It keeps well for 3-4 days, refrigerated in an air-tight container.

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Now, on another note… I’m hoping to include some Japanese recipes in my upcoming posts. I’ve been cooking a lot of Japanese food lately (before the earthquake). A couple of weeks before the quake, I had ordered a lot of supplies from Japan for bentos (thanks in part to an awesome book I have been reading, The Just Bento Cookbook by Makiko Itoh). I have felt an odd sense of connectedness with the Japanese people as I have been glued to the television/online news following the quake and subsequent disasters. Luckily, it seems that we are starting to get a bit of positive news about getting the reactors under control, so hopefully that trend continues.

At any rate, I will say that my prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to Japan. ❤