Cape Town’s winter chill has set in, and standing over the stove feels a little easier when the air is crisp and cool. Still, I find myself leaning toward simpler, comforting meals, ones with fewer ingredients and shorter cooking times. Of course, I don’t always win that battle, but today I did (YAY!). After a long day of shaking off holiday laziness and easing back into reality, I decided to make this vegetarian dish, which also works beautifully as a side. Spinach is one of my favourites, and I especially love it when it’s paired with just a hint of cheese, it’s the perfect touch of warmth for a winter evening.
For me, spinach must dominate, as a result I seldom cook creamy spinach, in fact, I have long grown to disliking it as it just destroys the spinach nutrients. Thus, I like all my veggies and salads to be clean as possible, no cream; contrariwise I don’t mind hard cheeses on selected veggies like spinach and carrots. I made this spinach with lots of flavourful ingredients and added chickpeas as a source of protein. However, I should mention that, if you are not used to nutmeg, rather use as little as possible or omit it as it can overpower the meal, and may overwhelm you. I hope everyone that has been asking for vegetarian options, will enjoy this and will keep trying to give you more options. And those who are not, like me, you may use this as a side.
Parmesan Spinach and Chickpeas
Equipment
- 1 Large frying pan
Ingredients
- 200 g Swiss Chard Spinach
- 100 g Baby Spinach
- 400 g Chickpeas Can drained
- 20 g Parmesan Cheese grated
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper
- Pinch of Nutmeg optional
- ¼ Teaspoon Chili Flakes optional
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley
- 1 Teaspoon Fresh Sage
- 6 Salad Spring Onions finely chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Instructions
- Prep the spinach: Rinse well and pat dry.
- Start cooking: Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and butter, then toss in the onion and garlic. Season with a little salt and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Add herbs: Stir in parsley and sage, cooking for another 2 minutes.
- Wilt the spinach: Add all the spinach to the pan. Let it wilt for about 2 minutes, then season with salt and nutmeg. Stir and cook for 6 more minutes.
- Melt the cheese: Add the cheese and stir until it melts and blends into the spinach, about 3 minutes.
- Finish with chickpeas: Stir in the chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes until heated through.
- Serve: Sprinkle with chili flakes and enjoy warm.
Notes
