One week into social isolation and I am starting to hear from friends who are reaching their cooking fatigue after trying to balance work from home, wrangling children, attempts at home schooling and the added stress of providing three home cooked meals a day. I’ve been trying to make the most of this time by thinking about ways to make cooking with pantry staples both easy and appetizing and I’m excited to start sharing some of my favorites on my blog.
I can’t stop thinking about all those families who are food insecure and whose daily stress is consumed by just providing enough food for their families. I also feel devastated for all the restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and local catering companies that have become part of our lives in Brooklyn that have been forced to shutter and let go of their employees. In addition to busying myself at home in the kitchen and wrangling my own kids to try and learn something each day, I am finding small ways to help those in need. We’re purchasing gift certificates to our favorite restaurants like Hometown BBQ and Frankie’s 457, I even asked my local coffee shop Velvette Brew if they would consider starting an annual coffee membership I could purchase in advance. I am also donating to organizations like Food to Eat, a woman owned catering company that partners with immigrant women, and minority-owned restaurants in NYC. During the crisis, Food to Eat will be donating all the orders placed through their site to shelters and food banks in NYC. My work with Equal Parts continues as I am staying busy generating recipes and guides to home cooking for an even broader audience and community.
For now, stay safe at home, hug your loved ones and try to embrace some small joys in your daily life whether it’s through cooking, enjoying more family meals together through these long days or finding ways to remain sane and laugh just a little.
Here’s a super simple and versatile recipe for Oven Roasted Chickpeas that you can eat on its own, add to a bed of greens, serve with a fried or hard boiled egg or add to tuna salad for a dressed up lunch.
Oven Roasted Chickpeas
Recipe created for Equal Parts
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 small onion or 2 small shallots diced
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 2 (15 oz) cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup capers, drained
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (alternatively 2 bay leaves)
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- Paprika for serving
- Optional: Crusty bread, hard boiled eggs, salad greens or greek yogurt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. .
- In a small pan, heat 1 tbs of olive oil over medium heat and saute onion approx 3 mins. Add garlic and saute an additional 2 mins until onions are golden, careful not to burn garlic. Remove from heat and scrape into the bottom of an oven-safe baking dish.
- Add the drained chickpeas, capers, salt, pepper and fresh thyme or dried bay leaves. Pour the remaining olive oil over the chickpeas and stir gently to combine. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 mins until mixture is bubbling and chickpeas are softened.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with feta cheese and paprika to taste. Cool slightly and serve over mixed greens, or with a dollop of greek yogurt and fresh herbs. Try reheating for breakfast topped with a fried or hard boiled egg. Or try Combining with canned tuna and a little mayo or yogurt for lunch the next day.
Bedford Balabusta 