Chickpeas with Spinach

This is an easy supper for a busy night. A word of caution though: normally I cook solo, but I am home visiting my mother for Mother's Day weekend, and we were gabbing as I cooked - and I made a few mistakes! I guess I need practice on cooking and socializing at the same time.

Here's how the recipe should go: heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 and 1/2 cups chopped onion, 1 teaspoon minced ginger and 2 minced garlic cloves; saute 4 minutes (my cooking time ran to closer to 5 or 6... caught up in conversation!). Add 1/4 cup water and 2 tablespoons tomato paste, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly (my stirring, alas... not so constant). Finally, stir in 2 cups chopped spinach, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/8 tsp. salt and 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained; reduce heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Of course, I a) forgot to reduce the heat, b) forgot to add the salt, so stirred it in at the end, and c) didn't manage to add a lid to the skillet until about 2 minutes left to go. Oops!

Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

On two plates, serve 1 cup of the chickpea mixture over 1/2 cup of cooked basmati rice (and of course, my rice was bubbling over on the stove this whole time, too...), for 2 servings of 410 calories each.

If you like, top with grated lemon rind or serve with lemon wedges.

Cost:
onion $0.48
ginger $0.52
tomato paste $0.79
spinach $2.69
chickpeas $1.69
basmati rice $0.86