You’re here…and you’re getting Happelsaucey! You didn’t give up on me. Thank you, thank you. Truly. Thank you.
I could have stopped in to say hello. And I didn’t. I need to get better about just popping in, dashing off something quick and delish, and then going on my way. It’s easier said than done, but I can do it. Of course I can do it. I have to do it.
Time, that elusive thing I once had almost enough of, is now in very short supply. Without delving into details (quick and delish is my new mantra), I started working full-time again last month. My life recipe has been as follows:
Combine 4 very full work weeks, a couple dashes of summer travel, and an excessive amount of fun.
Mix thoroughly.
Produces an effervescent elixir. Enjoy!
Okay, so without much further ado, I give you a recipe that pays homage to Spanish cooking – Chickpea Chorizo Gonzalez. Initially, I wanted to write this post in early June. (Yes, I know. It’s now late July.) But, you see, I’d Happelsauced it in my mind – I would dedicate the recipe to my friends in Spain and marvel at the fact that it was one year ago, in June 2009, when I left Barcelona and headed back to New York, entirely unsure of what I would do next.
Now it’s a bit late to marvel and gush about how quitting my job in New York to farm in Spain and France was arguably the best decision I’ve ever made. I’m not, however, too late to send the Gonzalez sisters a little love (and insert their last name into this recipe). Lee and Lauren made me feel at home in Barcelona. Really, truly at home. Such a feeling can’t be underestimated. Also, they happen to love food just as much as I do. So, this recipe is for them. May our paths cross again…with as much food, laughter and Cava as before.
I first saw this recipe featured in Mark Bittman’s Minimalist column back in February. I’m happy to report it marries well with my new mantra – quick and delish. I’ve since made it twice and tinkered with it both times. Recently, I topped the chickpeas and chorizo with a poached egg, and it morphed from a Spanish side into a savory breakfast dish. My notes below reflect as much. Feel free to improvise.
Chickpea Chorizo Gonzalez
Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main course
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, as dry as possible (I dried them between paper towels.)
Salt and black pepper, to taste (Be generous.)
4 ounces chorizo, diced (Be sure to use the spicy, Spanish kind.)
1/2 pound spinach or kale, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sherry (White wine works too.)
1 to 2 cups bread crumbs (I omitted, not because I’m opposed. I just didn’t have bread crumbs.)
2-4 eggs, gently poached
Directions:
- Heat the broiler. (Only if you’re including the bread crumbs in the recipe.)
- Put three tablespoons of the oil in a skillet large enough to hold chickpeas in one layer over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add chickpeas and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until chickpeas begin to brown, about 10 minutes, then add chorizo. Continue cooking for another 5 to 8 minutes or until chickpeas are crisp; use a slotted spoon to remove chickpeas and chorizo from pan and set aside.
- Add the remainder of the 1/4 cup of oil to the pan; when it’s hot, add spinach and sherry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook spinach over medium-low heat until very soft and the liquid has evaporated.
- Add chickpeas and chorizo back to the pan and toss quickly to combine; top with bread crumbs (if you’re using them) and put pan under the broiler to lightly brown the top. (No need to use the broiler unless you’re adding the bread crumbs.)
- Divide onto plates and top each serving with a poached egg. (Still runny in the middle is best, so the yolk spreads.) For a bit more kick, sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Buen provecho!
Y is for YUCCA. Yucca fries, arroz con coco, fish and calamari. A typical coastal lunch.
You could write a book about my life.
