Italian Breakfast Chickpeas

Savory foods for breakfast are trendy right now.  It makes good sense to start the day with nutritious, filling food instead of sugary carbs.  But, if you are a member of the breakfast cereal generation as we are, savory before noon can be a shock to the system.  This dish is so tasty that you'll soon forget it isn't lunchtime yet, and it's also loaded with folate, fiber, minerals and protein.   In fact, it's a perfect little dish for any time of the day.  Most of the cooking can be done the night before, and adding mint and poblano and cayenne chiles from the garden make the dish pop with flavor.

Italian Breakfast Chickpeas
based on a recipe in Food and Wine, December 2009
serves 2

Ingredients

2       Tbs         olive oil
1                      onion, diced
1                      garlic clove, minced
1/2     tsp         ancho chile powder
                        (this is from a dried poblano pepper)
1/2     tsp         cumin
                        pinch of cayenne pepper
                        (we used dried cayenne from the garden)
15      oz          chickpeas, drained
1        cup        vegetable broth
1        Tbs        lemon juice
1/4     cup         pine nuts
1        cup         thick Greek yogurt
1        Tbs        mint (fresh), chopped

Procedure

1. The night before, saute onions and garlic in olive over medium high until soft.  Add spices and cook one minute.  Add chickpeas and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. 
2. Reduce to simmer and cook, covered, 15 minutes.  Add lemon juice and return to boil uncovered.  Cook until broth is thick, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cool and refrigerate.
3. In the morning, heat a small amount of olive oil over low heat and add pine nuts.  Toast until golden grown, stirring constantly.  Remove from pan.
4. Gently reheat chickpea mixture.   Place yogurt in bowls, top with chickpeas.  Sprinkle pine nuts and mint on top.  Serve while still warm.