What we ate Monday

Sweet LJ is such a good sport about eating what I cook. He's always so generous, even about the bad stuff--like the time he said, "the onions were a little raw," when the whole dish tasted like raw onions and he hates onions. He really seems to like this original creation, and I do, too:


Chickpeas with Pasta
8 oz whole wheat linguine. I like Delverde, and I especially like translated-into-English websites!
1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced or pressed using your favorite garlic press
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 roasted yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 c. quartered cherry tomatoes
2 T. chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper and red pepper flakes

Cook the pasta. While it cooks, saute the garlic in olive oil for a minute or so. Add the chickpeas, peppers, and tomatoes. Simmer together for about 10 minutes. Drain and add the pasta to the veg. (I tong out the pasta and drop it in the vegs to save washing a colander, plus I like a bit of pasta water in there to keep things loose.) Toss it all together. Stir in the basil. Add salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste.

Variations: Add some zucchini. Don't roast the peppers first (not as good). Don't add any peppers and add more tomatoes. Use 2 cans of chickpeas. Etc. A very adaptable "recipe."

Why am I thinking about this 2 days later? I ate some for lunch today. Oh yeah, it makes a lot.