Cooking from the cupboards

Sunday, June 9, 2013
Some days I know in advance what I'm planning to serve for dinner, and I make sure I've got everything I need from the grocery store.  But not every day works out like that, and I have to rely on the ingredients I have on hand to make something that's fast, healthy and delicious.

It would be hard to beat this recipe on all counts.  It takes no time to prepare, is full of healthy ingredients, and tastes wonderful.  And as a bonus, it uses ingredients that I usually have in my fridge and cupboards.  I made it last week for the first time, and you can be sure there will be many more times for this amazing recipe!


Spicy Carrot and Chickpea Pita Pocket
(adapted from River Cottage Veg)

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 rounded tsp cumin seeds
4 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1 large clove of garlic, minced
Finely grated zest of 1 orange, plus a good squeeze of juice
1 tsp smoked paprika
14 ounce tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
pita bread or fresh, soft flatbread
4 heaping Tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt

Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the cumin seeds and let them fry for a minute or two.  Add the carrots and fry for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring often, until tender and starting to brown, but still with some bite.

Add the garlic, orange zest, smoked paprika and chickpeas and cook until the chickpeas are hot.  Remove from the heat and add a good squeeze of orange juice.  Taste and add more orange juice if needed.

Spoon some of the chickpea mixture into the pocket of a warmed pita, top with sour cream or yogurt, and serve.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

This looks delicious! Great pita stuffing.

Jemi Fraser said...

I don't have cumin seeds - better get some! This sounds like something we'd all enjoy :)

Valerie Gamine said...

It's always fun to come up with meals by using what's on hand - I feel like I'm on an episode of Chopped!

This sassy veggie pocket looks scrumptious!

Angie's Recipes said...

I have all the ingredients for this awesome veggie pita filling! Chickpea and carrots are the staples in my kitchen.
Have a wonderful week, Beth!
Angie

Gloria Baker said...

Beth this look really delicious!

CQUEK said...

Yum! What amazing little bites of deliciousness!

Andrea_TheKitchenLioness said...

Beth, what an amazing little healthy recipe - it is always good to have these recipes on hand. We love carrots and chickpeas and smoked paprika and I am sure that these are wonderful with a little dollop of sour cream or yogurt!
Have a nice Monday!

Joanne said...

I really need that River Cottage Veg cookbook! I always have all these ingredients on hand also so I'll have to keep this in mind for those crazy nights where I feel like I have no ingredients to cook with!

Julie said...

Beautiful! Love the bright color on those carrots! It's fun to see what we can make with what's on hand. Have a great week!

Unknown said...

I love quick dinners like this! It looks great and sounds so flavorful!

Anonymous said...

Sounds tasty! We never get tired of chickpeas in our house.

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Looks like a perfect dinner for me when Bill is on-call. The flavor must be wonderful!

Katerina said...

It is so important to not have to go to the grocery to buy things to make a recipe! Looks like one healthy meal Beth!

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

Sometimes cupboards have the best ingredients and we have no idea :P
Delicious job!

Cheers
CCU

Barbara said...

Love this post title, Beth. When I was a busy mother, I'd often put together dishes like this.
Great idea!

Monet said...

Healthy, easy and delicious. I'm about to get much busier with this baby so I need more recipes like this! Thank you for sharing, sweet friend!

grace said...

i absolutely love the meatiness of chickpeas--they're something i always have on hand! this is good eats, beth. :)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Nice, healthy, and pretty light - perfect for warm weather! Superb combo of flavors - thanks.

Patty Price said...

I like everything about these wholesome veggie pita pockets- we really should eat more vegetarian meals;-)

Juliana said...

I never thought in combining carrots and chickpeas...sounds delicious with a touch of spice...great colors Beth.
Hope you are having a wonderful week :D

Amy said...

This is definitely a quick, easy and healthful meal. How creative that you get to make something look so good right out of your cupboard! :) Nice combination of ingredients too.

Caroline Taylor said...

I love this knid of cooking and this looks great.

amy (fearless homemaker) said...

Ooh, this sounds fantastic! I love "cooking from the cupboard" - in our house, we call them pantry meals. =) Love that they encourage you to be creative and use what you already have on hand!

Kalyan Panja said...

looks delicious & mouthwatering!

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