Chickpea and tomato stew

I saw a great recipe in the Somerfield magazine (yes, seriously) this week for a cheap but filling stew that would be just the thing for a cold autumnal evening. I think I might serve it with some lamb chops, but it would be just the thing on its own (which might be how I eat it tonight!)

Ingredients

1 large onion (peeled and chopped)
1 tbsp sunflower oil, or any other oil you have to hand
1/2 tbsp chilli powder (or, in my case, a small amount of English Pomander's Very Lazy Red Chillies)
2 cloves garlic (or, again, the Very Lazy Garlic!)
can of chickpeas
can of sweetcorn
can plum tomatoes
some fresh coriander to garnish


Method
1. Fry onion in oil for 10 mins over a low heat - add chilli and garlic and fry for another minute or so
2. Add chickpeas (with their liquid), sweetcorn and tomatoes. Bring to the boil. Break pup tomatoes with a wooden spoon and allow to simmer for 20 mins, until reduced and flavours have mingled.
3. Sprinkle with fresh coriander, and serve.

I can imagine this would be gorgeous as part of a bigger meal with Moroccan lamb, with pitta bread, or with a fresh mediterranean salad. To give it a more smoky Mediterranean 'edge', stir in a little smoked paprika with the chilli and garlic. If like me, you are a committed omnivore, I'd also consider very finely chopped ham or bacon. Chicken pieces and some red peppers transform the dish into a thick casserole.

Picture from Flickr user Rooey202

Credit crunch cook

My house is small, and doesn't heat easily. I've decided the best way to heat it this winter is to have the stove on, cooking, most of the day, rather than burning gas filling my rubbish heaters. Because the rooms are small, a good stew can heat my whole house for a day, not to mention the hot, steamy joy of actually eating the finished dish. 

The coq au vin I made tonight (see below) has made the house so lovely and warm that I'm going to dig out some old favourite cookbooks, including Lindsay Bareham's A Celebration of Soup, in preparation for my stew and soup heating-eating solution. I am already looking into getting a weekly organic vegetable box delivered (there are links to a couple of box companies who deliver to Glasgow at the bottom of the page), and I hope to be able to top this up with the farmers' market maybe once a month, a deli shop if I happen to be passing and, of course, the butcher and fishmonger. Luckily, my dad's a keen angler and can often surprise me with the odd catch. The wild salmon in my freezer came from his line. Making a conscious decision to stay away from the supermarket as much as possible, ironically in an effort to save money, has changed my eating habits forever for the better. I will occasionally do an online shop at a well known supermarket for bulk items: tins of  coconut milk and plum tomatoes; jars of curry paste; huge bags of rice. But in these times of financial anxiety, cooking big pots of healthy, fresh food will last a couple of days, be cheaper and heat your home (if it's as small as mine). It's a no-brainer for me.

Picture by Gypsy D, Flickr

welcome

Hello gentle readers, and welcome to Gastro Girl Glasgow, my blog for recipes, food diaries and restaurant reviews. 

Please leave some suggestions for improving recipes and any ideas of your own, remember, food is the music of love... 

GGx

Picture by Victor Keech, Flickr