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1. Add olive oil to a large skillet and place over medium heat. Lightly crush the garlic cloves with the side of a knife or the flat of a spoon to bruise them, keeping them mostly intact.
2 tbsp olive oil,
3 clove garlic cloves
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2. Add the bruised garlic cloves to the warm oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and just turning lightly golden at the edges, about 1 to 2 minutes.
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3. Stir in the chickpeas, smoked paprika, ground cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper, coating the chickpeas well in the spiced oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas start to crisp and smell smoky, about 4 to 5 minutes.
2 can canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed,
1.5 tsp smoked paprika,
0.5 tsp ground cumin,
0.2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes,
1 tsp salt,
0.2 tsp black pepper
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4. Add the cherry tomatoes and vegetable broth to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a brisk simmer and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices, about 3 to 4 minutes.
1.5 cup cherry tomatoes,
0.8 cup vegetable broth
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5. Add the baby spinach in large handfuls, turning it into the warm chickpea and tomato mixture until just wilted. Continue cooking until all the spinach is wilted and the liquid has reduced to a saucy consistency, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4 cup baby spinach
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6. Remove the skillet from the heat. Finely grate some lemon zest directly into the pan, then cut the lemon and squeeze in the juice, tasting and adding more as desired. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper if needed, and discard the garlic cloves if you prefer a milder flavor.
0.5 tsp salt,
0.1 tsp black pepper,
1 piece lemon
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7. Spoon warm couscous or cooked rice into shallow bowls. Top generously with the smoky chickpea and spinach mixture from the skillet. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt if using, then serve immediately.
0.2 cup fresh parsley (garnish),
3 cup couscous or cooked rice,
0.5 cup plain Greek yogurt (optional topping)
By james