Middle-Eastern Chickpeas with Spinach

I served this with the tomato-cucumber salad below. It was a great pairing (no, I didn't make that up! One of my favourite things about the Moosewood book is that it gives suggestions for things to add to make a complete meal).

This is a great source of vegetarian protein!

In place of the orzo, you may wish to use couscous or rice.

Serves 2

Sauce Ingredients:
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh mint

Beans Ingredients:
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cubed (I just used a handful of frozen tricolour peppers)
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Pinch of saffron (oops... forgot to pick some up! I'm excited to try it in there next time - I love saffron!)
3/4 cup canned chickpeas, reserve the liquid and then rinse the beans
5 oz. spinach, rinsed, stems removed, and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Cooked orzo pasta

Method:
1. Prepare the sauce by combing the yogurt, mint, and garlic in a bowl. Refrigerate while you prepare the beans/orzo.

2. *Prepare the orzo while you make the bean mixture. In a skillet, saute the onions in the oil over medium heat until softened (about 6-8 minutes). Add the bell pepper, coriander, cumin, and saffron. Continue to saute for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

3. Stir in the chickpeas and 1/8 cup of their liquid and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Add more of the reserved chickpea liquid if necessary.

4. Add the spinach and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Stir in the lemon juice. Serve over the orzo with the yogurt sauce on the side.

Reference:
This recipe is from the Moosewood Low-Fat Favorites cookbook.