keep it simple stupid: quick n' easy rainbow chard & chickpeas over rice

Funny, I made a very similar meal last July. You'd think bringing out the heavy duty Le Cruset casserole pot would mean one thing: winter. But look at me? I defy the weather. It's hot, it's mid-July, and I'm cooking up a storm. I guess I really love the combination of chickpeas and chard. Don't mess with success...they just work so well together.

I whipped this up for a quick lunch because I was staaaarving and all the colours just looked so pretty together. I really thought about adding tomatoes to this dish, but in the end I decided to do without. In the ingredient list, I did add that you may want to add a lil' spoonful of fresh salsa to your bowl, but it really doesn't need it one bit. As for the feta, well, I love feta so I added some, but you can choose to top with another kind of cheese or just skip it altogether. This is a super easy meal to pull together. Just put the rice on first and then start with the rest. You should be eating in 30 minutes flat (or less if you skip the rice and just choose some crusty bread).


quick rainbow chard and chickpeas over rice
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 t red chili flakes
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/2 t kosher salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 orange pepper, chopped
1 bunch of rainbow chard, chopped
1 can of chickpeas, drained
1/2 c vegetable broth
1 juicy lime, juiced
1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves only
1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
crumbled feta, optional
fresh salsa, optional

Saute onion, garlic, jalapeno and red chilis in the olive oil over medium-high heat until fragrant. Throw in the chopped orange pepper and chard (stems included). Stir until chard becomes somewhat wilted. Pour in vegetable broth, thyme and chickpeas and combine everything. Squeeze in lime juice. Let simmer for 5 minutes so that all the flavours combine. Snip in some fresh parsley and if using, the feta and salsa to top. Serve over brown rice.

curry in a hurry: curried red lentil stew with chickpeas and rainbow chard

I made this dish last week when I was doing a lot of running around. I was out of the house most nights and did not spend a lot of time cooking, opting for days of adventure and fun instead of looking through cupboards for dinner. It was fine with me at the time, but now I'm paying for it in the worst way. I'm sick. My voice is gone and despite all the sunshine Vancouver has had in the last week, I couldn't go out and enjoy any of it!

So despite that this meal is hearty, nutritious and good for you, it still didn't save me from the flu — but don't let that be a deterrent in any way. I certainly don't hold a grudge and I'll be making this meal again as it was a simple dinner to prepare and it filled the kitchen with a wonderful aroma. When my husband walked in the door, he wanted to know what we'd be eating since it smelled so great. Lucky for us, this meal not only smelled amazing but it tasted better.


The wonderful thing about stews is that they are easy to mess with. Don't have chard? Try spinach or kale instead. I think some diced butternut squash or yams would lend a touch of sweetness to this dish that would really take this dish up a notch. Quick, easy and packing a wallop of flavour, it makes a great meal alongside a bowl of brown rice.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.

curried red lentil stew with chickpeas and rainbow chard
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 heaping T of a medium-spiced curry paste
1/2 t dried red chili flakes
5 1/2 c vegetable broth
2 c red lentils
1 large bunch of rainbow chard, tough stalks removed, coarsely chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained

In a large pot, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in curry paste and dried chilies and stir until well blended. Add broth and chard and bring to a boil. Add lentils and turn down heat to a simmer, adding the chickpeas to the mix. Cover and stir occasionally until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Serve over brown rice and top with yogurt, if desired.

rainbow chard & lady peas

Last week it was all "heat wave" and "sunshine" and now it's back to grey skies and threats of rain. Whatever, I'm going with the flow. I've got my head in the clouds anyway. Cornelius and I are planning a trip to Europe soon and we've been searching all over for the cheapest flights, browsing through travel books, and making lists on "must see" things to do. I'm all open to suggestions, tips, where to eat and stay (all on the uber-cheap, however!) in London, Belgium (Brugge, Brussles, Antwerp), the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Haarlem, Utrecht), Berlin and Lithuania. It's my first trip to Europe and last week received my passport in the mail. I'm so excited!

I made this meal on Sunday night when it was still hot outside and it made the perfect simple supper. I had come home with some fantastic rainbow chard from a recent grocery haul and I wasn't sure exactly what to do with it. I figured I could make pasta with greens again, but I was in the mood for rice and came up with this easy meal. Everything tasted so great together and even though the chard was steamed and wilty it still had a great bite. Topped with some feta cheese and parsley snipped from my garden, it was the perfect meal to sit curled up on the couch while dreaming up travel plans.

rainbow chard with chickpeas
1 bunch of chard, washed & rinsed
1 t dried chili pepper
1 small red onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1 can of chickpeas, drained
1 small can of tomatoes
juice of 1 lime
salt & pepper to taste
handful of parsley, chopped
feta cheese, optional

1. Cut off the bottom inch of the chard stems and toss. Chop up the remaining chard leaves and stems and toss all wet from rinsing into a pot on medium-high heat. Put on lid. About 4-5 minutes later remove lid and turn off heat. The chard should be all wilty and dark green and should have reduced considerably in size. Drain & set aside.

2. In a large pot, heat oil and add in onion, garlic and chili pepper flakes. Saute until translucent. Add in chard, chickpeas, lime juice and tomatoes along with a bit of salt & pepper. Stir to combine. Once everything is heated through...about 5 minutes, serve over rice with a bit of feta cheese and parsley to top it off.