I aspire to make large meals and snacks every Sunday that will help last at least part of the work week, ideally for lunch, dinner and mid-day snacks.
Unfortunately, two problems usually arise with this strategy. First is that I get tired during my Sunday cooking process and will not end up tackling my entire ambitious cooking plan. Second is that even when I do make a number of items – or a few large dishes – I'll get bored eating them during the week, and sometimes they will go to waste (or the freezer).
I think I have found at least a partial solution to problem number two, which is in the form of a Madhur Jaffrey World Vegetarian recipe for Middle Eastern Stew of Chickpeas, Potatoes, and Carrots. I don't remember why I decided to try this recipe several weeks ago – it may have been its simplicity, the excess of chickpeas cans in my cupboard, or something else entirely.
In any case, what I found was an easily adaptable recipe that was packed with flavor – such that when I was eating the leftovers for weekday lunches and dinners, I was actually sad when we ran out of the stew after a few servings!
I altered the recipe by substituting two cans of chickpeas for the cooked, dried chickpeas; a clove or two more of garlic; and an entire can of fire-roasted, diced tomatoes. I also didn't have dried thyme on hand, so I used dried oregano instead, which was perfect for the middle eastern flavors in the dish.
I otherwise followed the directions as is – browned the onions and garlic, and then simmered all the other ingredients until the flavors had melded and the vegetables had cooked.
This is definitely a dish that can be made ahead of time for a small crowd, and doesn't require much active cooking, so great for Sunday cooking. I'll definitely be making this tangy stew in the future, and likely pairing it with Mujaddara, another low-touch hearty dish.
Leave a Reply