Dinner on a Rainy Night...

Tonight was one of those nights where it felt appropriate to cook.  I'm no health food fanatic, but I'm kind of the opposite of a closet eater.  I tend to eat largely and obnoxiously when I'm out and about, so that when I have a night in, I often crave something healthy and maybe a bit on the lighter side.

So I was browsing Bon Appetit's October 2012 issue the other day (I'm way behind on my reading, obviously), looking for something to get for dinner, and ran across a recipe for Spinach with Chickpeas and Fried Eggs.  It looked tasty and healthy and easy and cheap, and what else is there, really? (as a general rule, anyway) so I picked up the ingredients next time I was at the store.

It's raining tonight, so I crawled into my sweats, cranked up my Planet Money podcasts and settled into that wonderful, blissfully comfortable rhythm of chopping and stirring that any fellow kitchen lover will recognize.

I sauteed some spinach with sliced garlic, set it aside and stewed tomatoes and chickpeas in chicken broth flavored with toasted cumin, smoked paprika, sauteed onions and more garlic; added the spinach and let it simmer for awhile, just to let the flavors meld.  In the meantime, a couple of farm-fresh eggs (courtesy of my baby sister) went into the fry pan with some olive oil.  I usually fry eggs in bacon grease, so this was new to me.  The eggs get all bubbly and crunchy around the edges.  You don't flip them; you just spoon some of the hot oil around the whites as they cook.  It was really cool!

The stew went into a bowl and was topped with a fried egg; then I decided to innovate and add a spoonful of Greek yogurt I had in the fridge, along with a splash of walnut oil and some salt and freshly ground pepper.  I've found that I really like adding a dollop of yogurt or sour cream and/or a drizzle of a nut or olive oil when I serve soups.  They add this luxurious mouthfeel that makes eating soup that much more enjoyable. (Ask Tunie; she'll tell you what a raging soup fan I am. Haha.)

It was good.  Warm and cozy and mellow and perfectly in sync with a rainy night.  I'm happy.


Spinach with Chickpeas and Fried Eggs
(hopefully Bon Appetit won't mind)

3 T - olive oil

4 cloves - garlic, thinly sliced

1 bag - spinach

1 cup - chopped onion 

1 t. - cumin seeds

1/2 t. - smoked paprika

2 - 15oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 - 15oz can - stewed tomatoes

3 cups - chicken broth

4 - eggs

Greek yogurt, olive or nut oil, salt and pepper, if desired

Heat 1 T. oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Saute one garlic clove until it just starts to brown, then add the spinach to the pot.  Cook and stir until spinach is wilted, but still bright green (just a couple of minutes).  Transfer the spinach to a bowl and set it aside.  Wipe out the pot and add another 2 T. of oil.  Add onion and remaining garlic; saute for a few minutes over medium heat until the onion is softened.  Add the cumin and paprika and stir until the cumin is toasty and the whole mixture is fragrant, another couple of minutes.  Toss in the tomatoes and chickpeas and turn up the heat a little; cook until the mixture starts to brown and stick a little, maybe 10 minutes or so.  (You know those browned bits add killer flavor to a dish.)  Add your broth, bring to a simmer, and turn the heat back down to medium; cook, stirring every so often and mashing a few of the chickpeas against the side of the pot, until the stew is thickened a bit; maybe 20 minutes.  Add the spinach and simmer for another 8-10 minutes for flavors to blend.  

Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a fry pan and crack your eggs into the hot oil (a couple at a time).  Spoon the hot oil over and around the whites of the eggs as they cook.  As soon as they are set, slide them onto a plate. (Don't bother flipping them.)

Spoon the stew into bowls, top each with a fried egg, and add a spoonful of yogurt and a drizzle of oil if you like.  Add salt and freshly ground pepper, and go to town.  

Serves 4.