Chickpea Potato Spinach Hash

I am always looking for new ways to feature my favorite legume "the chickpea"! It truly is the most versatile bean in the legume family. From hummus to falafel to socca this bean keeps me coming back for more. I'm a bit picky about the taste and texture of chickpeas - I know I should be cooking them from scratch but there was a good sale on organic Eden chickpeas and I stocked up! They are a stellar company and their cans are BPA free so I feel pretty good about using them. I still don't find them soft enough so I like dishes where they can kind of stew around a bit and soak up a little extra flavor whilst they soften up! This dish does just that.

And yes I do slip off all the chickpea skins! If you have a nice kitchen window that looks outside onto a tree that has cute little birdie visitors it's not so bad at all (I am very fortunate to have such a view)!  I'm not worried about losing a little fiber either - I eat a ton of vegetables and oat bran! So peel or don't - it's up to you! Tastes better sans the peel though!

I have made this particular dish with and without rice! Both ways are delicious though lately I am a big fan of the taste of rice in casserole style dishes! I have also put all ingredients into pan at once which is the method I used in photo above. If you prefer a little chunkier style hash use steps below. If you don't mind more mashed hash do it all at one time.

Step #1 - Get a bag of great organic potatoes. I recommend these. They were available at my local safeway store.

Step #2 - Scrub and peel about  8 of these as organic potatoes are generally not that large. Dice and put in deep fry pan. Add at least 2 cups of spring water to start. Put on the heat and let water start boiling. Turn to simmer.

Step #3 - Add about 1 cup of chickpeas with skins slipped off!

Step #4 - Add your favorite spices. I always like a little chili powder, garlic powder, curry, pepper, salt and a few teaspoons of my favorite organic veggie bouillon powder. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on your water level to avoid potato starch taking over the bottom of your pan!

Step #5 -  Add 300 gm of frozen chopped spinach. This year I am crazy about the taste of  EarthBound cut organic spinach! Seriously they should win an award for best ever frozen spinach! So much flavor! Let everything simmer for another 10 minutes or so.

Then add 1 cup of cooked rice if you like (I used Basmanti today).  Let it simmer until potatoes are done to your liking. Add water as needed throughout this process to keep mixture from sticking to your pan.

#6 - Check often and stir and adjust seasonings as required. I added another couple teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon , No Chicken Base and some paul bragg liquid amino acid.