chickpea stew

This is a delicious and nutritious traditional starter in Spanish cuisine that combines carbs, vegetables and protein. So it's a hearty dish on its own, but for the main dish you can should serve something light, like a red pepper or mixed salad with tuna or mackerel.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

• 800 g canned cooked chickpeas

• 4 medium eggs

• 100 g frozen chopped spinach (optional)

• 1 medium onion

• 1 Italian green pepper

• ½ red bell pepper

• sweet paprika

• extra virgin olive oil

• salt

1. Boil the eggs for 10 minutes in a saucepan [see tips at the end]. Then, remove from heat, discard the cooking water, refill with cold water, and let the eggs rest to cool.

2. Fill a saucepan halfway with water and cook the spinach. Once the water boils, reduce to medium heat and stir occasionally with a wooden fork. When the spinach is thawed and loose, turn off the heat, drain the cooking water, and set the spinach aside.

3. Peel, wash, and roughly chop the onion. Place it in a pressure cooker with about half a finger’s worth of olive oil (see tips at the end) and heat. When the oil starts to sizzle, reduce to medium heat and let the onion sauté.

4. Wash and roughly chop the green and red peppers, discarding the stems and seeds. Once the onion turns translucent and softens, add the peppers and continue sautéing, stirring occasionally with a spatula. Keep a jug of water nearby.

5. Meanwhile, peel the boiled eggs, chop them, and set aside.

6. When the peppers have softened, season with salt and stir until the vegetables are well-cooked and slightly colored (without burning). Add a teaspoon of sweet paprika, stir, and immediately pour in enough water to cover the vegetables. (This prevents the paprika from burning and turning bitter.) Cook the vegetables in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes.

7. Once cooking is complete, turn off the heat, remove the pressure cooker, and wait for it to release all pressure before opening. Meanwhile, drain the chickpeas and place them in a pot. Strain the cooked vegetables, pouring their cooking water over the chickpeas. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Add the spinach and cook on medium heat, partially covered, for about 10 minutes. Since the chickpeas are already cooked, the goal is to let them absorb the flavor of the cooking water.

8. Blend the vegetables into a smooth puree using a food mill or blender. After the chickpeas have cooked for 10 minutes, stir in the vegetable puree and the chopped boiled eggs, turn off the heat, and cover the pot to let it finish cooking with residual heat. Chickpeas retain heat well, so if you finish preparing the dish about 45 minutes before serving, you likely won’t need to reheat it.

USEFUL TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE

eggs: - Before boiling eggs, always check freshness: fill a pot with cold water and place the eggs at the bottom. If they lie flat, they’re fresh. If they stand on one end, they’re less fresh but edible if cooked. If they float they are old and you should discard them.

- To prevent the eggs from cracking while boiling, add a splash of vinegar to the water. Bring water to a boil at high heat, then reduce to medium for 10 minutes. After boiling, discard the water, refill with cold water, and let the eggs cool before peeling. "fingers" as a measuring unit for liquids: Imagine laying your index finger flat on a surface. The height of the finger is the measure for '1 finger'.