It was great to escape the hustle and bustle of the city this weekend and trade it in for the flash and glitz of the casino.
There’s this sensation in a casino, or state of being maybe is the better phrase, that doesn’t happen anywhere else. There are no clocks, so time doesn’t exist. There are no windows, so day, night, sunny, cloudy, doesn’t matter. And everyone is in the same place for the same reasons – booze, gambling and fun.
It was great to spend time with his family and even better to put a rough week behind us. And I like the occasional night off from cooking.
But all day at work I couldn’t help but be antsy to get back to my kitchen.
It may be teeny, but it’s mine.
After a few overindulgent nights, we needed something light, healthy and vegetarian for Meatless Monday. I wanted fresh, crisp vegetables after so many vodka tonics and greasy fries. I saw quite a few people posting about sweet potatoes on Twitter today. I love sweet potatoes. That got the wheels turning.
I started googling recipes. I came across a sweet potato and chickpea curry. Close. But not quite. That led me to a Moroccan chickpea stew. Again, close, but not ….
Wait a minute!
Why not take the parts from each I like and do a mashup?
This is really the first recipe I’ve completely made up and winged it on.
You will need
- 1 clove garlic, diced
- 2 tablespoons shallot, diced
- 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas
- a few handfuls baby spinach
- paprika
- salt
- pepper
- vegetable oil
Drizzle the bottom of the pot with vegetable oil and add in the garlic and shallots, cooking until brown.
Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes. Look at that color! So much good stuff packed in there – potassium, Vitamin C. Okay. I’m not all health and nutrition knowledgeable. So I’ll stick to the cooking. 
Dice up the sweet potatoes into bite-size cubes and toss them into the pot, seasoning with salt, pepper and paprika ( a lot of paprika).
From this point on, it’s just about layering flavors into the pot. Once the potatoes, shallot and garlic are chopped, there’s very little counter space required. This, like most soups, is a great itty bitty city kitchen friendly dish. Okay, let the potatoes cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice so they don’t stick.
Add the can of tomatoes, juice included, and stir.
Add the can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained.
Add enough water to the pot to cover the veggies. For me, this was two fills of the chickpea can.
Cover and let simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Just before serving, tear up some baby spinach, stir in, and let it wilt a bit.
Serve up in bowls with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
This may be a soup with some hints of Thanksgiving, but it’s still light and refreshing enough for a healthy summer dinner.