chickpeas & spinach (and dessert, too!)

Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Spinach

Remember when your mom used to promise you dessert if you ate all your healthy dinner?  Well, this post is kinda like that.  Read this post (suffer through it?) in its entirety, and you'll find something sweet at the end, too. 

How many of you just scrolled all the way down?  Cheaters.

When I saw this post on Eats Well With Others, I knew I had to try it.  I'm not a huge fan of chickpeas, but the picture that Joanne posted was so mouthwatering that it made me want to cook it immediately.  Of course, my picture doesn't do it any justice.  Blame the point-and-shoot.  Maybe you should just go to the original post to see it.  It really was a pretty one!

I had high hopes for this recipe.  And you know what?  Until I started writing this post, I actually liked it.  It was definitely not the best thing I ever made, but it was good.  Solid.  Satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs, don't-have-to-choke-it-down, good.  Good enough that I ate it three days in a row, which is rare for me.  But, by lunch #3, I was bored.  "It lacks a certain je ne c'est quoi," I thought.  "But it's still fine - maybe I just don't love chickpeas after all."  When I went to write up this post, I navigated to the original post so I could link it to my own entry.  And I saw it.  And it hit me like a Mack truck.

The honeyed sweet potatoes.  I didn't make them.  "Well no wonder this dish was bad!  I forgot the sweet potatoes!"   You might wonder how that could happen, so I'll give you a limited-time-only glimpse into my psyche and explain.  I was searching for a recipe to make out of pantry staples because I didn't want to have to go to the grocery store.  I conveniently had everything the recipe called for - except the sweet potatoes.  I spent a few minutes debating whether or not I wanted to go to the store, and then I looked outside.  It was raining.  "No sir," I thought.  "Definitely not going to the store just to buy some sweet potatoes."  So, I "forgot" about them.  You see, I didn't actually forget them in the conventional sense, like someone forgets to pay a bill, return a phone call, or pick up the dry-cleaning, but rather, I convinced myself that they never even existed in the first place.  I pushed the sweet potatoes out of my short-term memory and stored them somewhere in my subconscious.  (Side note:  I do this a lot.  I find it works really well for most things, but not so well for other things.)  This would have been caught if I actually followed the recipe while I was cooking, but I made it from memory.  I didn't have it sitting in front of me shouting, "You moron.  You should probably make the sweet potatoes."

Upon my epiphany fifteen minutes ago, the meal, in my hypercritical mind, went from "passable" to downright awful.  Now that I discovered the reason for its suckage, I debated even writing about it.  But, the whole point of this blog is to showcase my successes and laugh about my failures, right?   I'll chalk this misadventure up to selective memory and refusal to follow any recipe to the letter.  I'll call it a failure that kinda-sorta-ends-up-halfway-okay-but-not-really and be done with it.  In fact, I'd venture to say that this would have been the kind of dinner that is force-fed to kids who want dessert.  But I bet with the honeyed sweet potatoes they would have gobbled it down. 

This makes about three lunch-sized servings, but could be served over rice, couscous, or quinoa for a nutritious dinner for two.  Or, ya know, you could just follow the original recipe and make the honeyed sweet potatoes with it.  Also, I know I photographed it with the yogurt sauce, but honestly I wasn't wild about it.  I left it out for my second two servings, so you could probably leave it out too.  But again, maybe it would have been good on the sweet potatoes....

Chickpeas and Spinach with Yogurt Sauce, adapted from Eats Well With Others
Serves 2-3 as a main

1 14 1/2 ounce can chickpeas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon brown sugar (I used Splenda brown sugar)
Three handfuls baby spinach
salt and black pepper
6 oz Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, crushed
juice and grated zest of one lemon
fresh mint

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and add the onion, cumin, and coriander.  Toast for eight minutes, while stirring, until golden brown.
2.  Add the tomato paste.  Cook for a minute while stirring.  Add the diced tomatoes and juices and brown sugar.  Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
3.  Stir the spinach into the tomato sauce.  Add the cooked chickpeas.  Mix together and cook for another 5 minutes. 
4. Make the yogurt sauce by whisking together the last four ingredients.
5.  To serve, spoon the warm chickpea mixture into a serving dish.  Spoon the yogurt sauce on top or serve on the side.


Okay, so now that you've suffered through dinner, I've promised dessert.  Reason #58 I am glad I gave up meat instead of sweets this year....

When somebody wants to go get cupcakes, I don't have to say no.  Because I have a hard time saying no to dessert in general, much less cupcakes.

Georgetown Cupcake (photo taken via Instagram)

Here are my thoughts on Georgetown Cupcake.   Full disclosure: I'm a huge fan of the cupcakery's hippie neighbor, Baked & Wired, and they will always hold the key to my cupcake heart.  Ever since Gtown Cupcake got that stupid TV show, the already long line of sweet-toothed patrons has stretched even further down 34th Street and has become even more overrun by out-of-towners.  That said, the cupcakes are flavorful, creative, and very cute - I am just not willing to waste an hour of my life waiting for a tiny cupcake. But, I was down in Georgetown a few nights ago, and my date had never been to Georgetown Cupcake, so it was an obvious choice for dessert.  Yes, the line was down the block, but it moved pretty quickly and I got some great material for Overheard in DC: Tourist Edition, so I can't complain.  Per usual, the cupcakes were super sweet (especially the salted caramel, top right).  The hummingbird (banana & walnut cake with cream cheese frosting) was the highlight for me - out-of-this-world tasty.  Definitely one of my favorites I've had from the shop.  It's one of their seasonal flavors, only available till the end of April, so get it while it's hot.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, il Canale....

Admittedly, I am a bit of a pizza snob.  Don't get me wrong - I believe there is a time and a place for every type of pizza - from high-brow gourmet pies to a 3am heap of melted, cheesy goodness from Jumbo Slice in AdMo.  I sometimes like a cold slice of Papa John's for breakfast.  And, disgustingly enough, I have been known to polish off an entire Kavanagh's pizza in one afternoon, but let's not go there.  All-time low. 

In DC, gourmet pizza shops are a dime a dozen.  People rave about 2 Amy's, but I've always been a bit underwhelmed.  Their sauce is too thick and not quite zesty enough for me, and I think the crust is undercooked.   I am always happy with Matchbox and Pizzeria Paradiso, both excellent choices in my book for a quality pie with premium toppings.  However, when I really want pizza, there's only one failsafe place in my book - Il Canale.


Il Canale is a charming pizza restaurant that I stumbled upon last summer completely by mistake (another failure that ended up okay).  I was actually searching for another pizza restaurant, Fratelli La Bufala.  Unbeknownst to me, FLB was only in DC for a hot minute.  When I walked up to the shuttered door on 31st Street, a notice taped to the door revealed that they had moved out due to a lease dispute, and were apparently not planning on returning to the city.  An additional notice said that another restaurant, Il Canale, was to move in soon, and a few weeks later I checked it out.  The Georgetown establishment (I refuse to call it a "pizza joint") boasts my favorite type of 'za - the high-quality Neopolitan variety, complete with a D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) qualification.  Tim Cameron, I apologize for the blatant elitism in that statement, but just work with me on this one - D.O.C. pizza is one of a kind.  


Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there are only two places you can find a D.O.C-certified pizza in the District - Il Canale and 2 Amy's.  The certification essentially means that the Italian government deems the preparation and ingredients "authentic" and respectful of the art of Neapolitan pizza making.  Similar certifications are common with wine, cured meats, and fine cheeses, and are not unique to Italy.  For D.O.C. pizza napoletana, the pie must be tossed by hand, prepared with authentic Italian ingredients (for example, San Marzano tomatoes and bufala mozzarella), and cooked in a wood-burning oven.  In fact, it takes less than 2 minutes to cook a pizza this way!  

I had the pleasure of dining last night at Il Canale when Whit's parents were in town.  Every time I go there, I'm reminded of why I love it.  First, it's never full.  This must be the best kept secret in DC!  I arrived a bit earlier than my fellow diners and was chatting with the pizzaiolo and watching him assemble one pizza after another.  That's the other thing about this place - the staff is so friendly.  I think they only have about three waiters on staff because I usually always get the same server, Ben.  The meal itself is 100% Italian from beginning to end.  Your dinner starts with complimentary bread served with a delicious olive oil that has whole roasted garlic cloves swirling around.  Your server may or may not be interested in taking your order, so you might have to flag him down.  Very Italian.  Best of all, food aside, is that this place has the most legitimate rooftop seating in Georgetown.  You could easily fit twenty of your closest friends on the upstairs terrace on a warm summer's night.   


The restaurant has a ton of vegetarian options, and any of the pizzas are customizable (you can ask them to hold the meat, if desired).  I've ordered almost every pizza on the menu and they are all delicious.  Whitney loves the Regina.  I am obsessed with the Ortolana and the Margherita, but last night I ordered the Capricciosa (sans ham) and it was also delicious.  My favorite salad is the Ciliegina, but Whitney's mom ordered the Mediterranea and raved about it.  You also can't go wrong with a create-your-own antipasti platter.  Also, because everybody loves a good happy hour special, Weekdays from 5-7pm - $10 for a Margherita pizza and a glass of house wine or a beer!!  That can't be beat.  You must check out Il Canale!


I forgot my trusty point-and-shoot, so these are from the Il Canale page on yelp.  Head to the website or facebook page to check out more pics!

french lentils: this must be what people call "inner beauty"

French lentil soup stew stoup bowl

First, let me get something out of the way.  I know this picture is terrible.  Disgusting, really.  I don't blame you if you don't want to make this dish from the looks of this particular picture.  But throw me a bone, because I am not a real blogger with a real camera.  I have a pink point-and-shoot that is more often on the floor of wherever I am than in my own hands.  Additionally, the blogosphere has this set of rules that you can't take other blogger's pictures.  Something about being "under copywrite".  So, I have to take photos with the aforementioned point-and-shoot instead of just doing a google image search for "french lentil soup."

Sunday afternoon I came down with a bad case of Monday anxiety.  A common 24-hour bug that afflicts millions, Monday anxiety sets in late in the weekend and is most often caused by an overindulgent, overzealous few days, changes in weather, and a daunting to-do list for the week ahead.  When all of these causes coincide with daylight savings time, it is a recipe for disaster, and the only prescription is simple, healthful comfort food.  Since DC is stuck in this "let's-have-the-temperature-hover-at-52-degrees-with-obnoxious-wind-gusts-and-no-sunshine-at-all-and-call-it-springtime" mood, a vegetarian french lentil soup fit the bill.  I have gotten really into making soups this fall and winter.  I love french lentil soup, but I've never made it without a ham hock or some kind bacon fat for flavor.  Wanting to stick to my resolution, I figured I'd try to do without it, but I made a half portion in case the stew was a flavorless fail. 

Well, the dish did end up as a quasi-fail, but not for lack of flavor.  It was just the "soup" part that failed.  I make this soup all the time, normally with great success, but something happened here.  Somewhere along the way, the vegetable stock was completely absorbed and I ended up with just lentils.  Maybe I mismeasured something, or maybe I let it all simmer too long - I am not really sure.  It was surely an operator error, as I was barely functional after returning from New York.  When I realized I had not a thin soup but a thick pot of cooked lentils, I stored the beans in tupperware, covered with an extra cup of vegetable broth, and went to bed.

On Monday morning, I opened the tupperware and, to my amazement, the beans had continued soaking up the extra liquid I put in, even though they were already cooked.  My poor lentils were ugly.  "Well," I thought. "If this tastes bad I am totally going to Taqueria Nacional."  (I obviously was still FOMO over the missed opportunity for La Esquina.)  I shoveled some of the ugly stuff into a smaller container to take for lunch, mixing it with a bit of leftover quinoa from last week's stuffed eggplant.  When 1pm rolled around, I begrudgingly heated it in the office microwave and wow - I was blown away!  Though I wanted it to be a soup, it turned out to be delicious, hearty, fork-based lunch that stuck to my ribs all day long - I didn't even have dinner until 8:30pm! Since it is so thick, the lentils would also be nice as a side dish or wrapped in a tortilla.  The nice thing about green lentils is that they weren't too mushy, because even when overcooked they still maintain their shape better than other lentils.

This recipe for lentils is for green lentils, French-style, though lentils make a terrific canvas for any flavoring you'd like.  I also love robust Moroccan flavors for regular brown lentils.  (Stay tuned for a Moroccan recipe next week!)


French lentils
Serves six

olive oil and/or butter
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped (or about 3 teaspoons minced garlic)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 pound dry green lentils (about 2 cups)
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons fresh or dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6-8 cups of stock, varying the amount of stock depending on desired thickness
Note:  I like a lot of "stuff" in my lentils.  If you don't want the extra veggies and potatoes, just cut it down or out entirely.  Most recipes only call for one stalk of celery and one carrot, for example.

Rinse the lentils and quickly sort through them to make sure there are no small pebbles in there.   Finely chop the onion, carrots, and celery.  In a large pot, saute the onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Let them all mix and cook for 5-7 minutes until they start to sweat.  Make sure they don't brown.  Then, add the sweet potato, lentils, stock, and spices.  Bring to a boil.  When it comes to a rapid boil, cut the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for about 40-45 minutes.  Make sure to keep checking on the soup to ensure the desired liquid content is maintained and lentils remain al dente.  I think that's where I went wrong!

That's it!  Hard to believe that I neglected the pot and ended up with a thick lentil dish instead of a thinner soup.  Either way, they are both tasty dishes!  This soup/stoup/hot mess also freezes very well.

P.S. On a completely unrelated note, what did y'all think of The Bachelor?  I must admit, NOT the outcome I expected, and, after watching the after-show, I can't say I'm pleased with the result.  (Not that I saw a great future with the other one, but I wasn't as happy as I thought I'd be when I learned who he chose.)  Yep, I said it....sorry, y'all, but I do not see a rosy future for those two.  I hope they prove me wrong.

ALSO, I get the stats for this blog and I know how many of you peeps are reading it.  It's a lot more than just the five of you who have commented.  Stealth readers, reveal yourselves!  Leave your feedback in the comments or shoot me an email.  Thanks!!