Chickpeas with Spinach

Ingredients

• 1 jar / 500g of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• 1 large bag / 300 grams fresh spinach, washed
• 2 thick slices of day old bread with crusts removed and cut into cubes
• 15 blanched unsalted almonds
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 3 garlic cloves chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Ground cayenne pepper to taste
• Salt / Black pepper to taste
• Smoked Spanish paprika

Method

1. Coat a large saucepan with extra virgin olive oil (approx. 2 T) and heat to medium high
2. Before the oil gets too hot, add the spinach
3. Sauté the spinach until just wilted and remove to strain in a colander
4. Re-coat the pan with olive oil and add in the bread cubes and raw almonds. Fry until the bread and almonds are browned and crispy on each side
5. Add the chopped garlic, cumin, cayenne and black pepper and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and turning brown
6. Transfer the ingredients to a blender/food processor and add the sherry vinegar
7. Blend the ingredients together until you have a thick paste
8. Return the paste to the saucepan and add your garbanzo beans and tomato sauce
9. Stir gently until the chickpeas are fully coated by the sauce and add a bit of water to thin things out
10. Add the spinach and stir gently until it is evenly incorporated and hot, Season with salt and pepper
11. Once plated, drizzle a swirl of extra virgin olive oil on top of each dish, then sprinkle a small amount of smoked Spanish paprika on top