Chickpea Stew and Pita Bread

Today has been a whirlwind of activity. I started the day by making up some arugula-basil pesto (got a bunch of each from the CSA). Then I cooked up up some chickpeas. Then I hit the gym and tried Zumba...I liked it, my knee did not. Owee. And my back didn't like it either.

Then home where I hung laundry to dry, made lunch:

Why do I hang laundry? (a friend asked me once). It's frugal, but that's not the only reason! It's better for the environment (sunlight and wind are FREE, and don't require fossil fuels), and it's better for the clothing. They last longer - you don't lose fabric that becomes lint. AND they smell great. I had a relatively new shirt that smelled moldy. Probably because it ended up in the laundry basket under a wet towel from my ocean-swimming-triathlon-training days. One day washed and hung outside...good as new!

I also hemmed new jeans. I always feel a bit guilty cutting 3 inches off the bottoms of jeans. But I'm short. I buy pants to fit over my, ahem, hips, then end up shortening them and taking in the waist.

I also made chickpea stew, based on a recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Her recipe, while simple, included a step of using a mortal and pestle on garlic, herbs, oil, and salt. And I don't have a mortar and pestle. So, I made it even more simple. I also made my first attempt at homemade pita, from a bread machine cookbook that I loaned a friend. I jotted it down while at her house (she uses the cookbook FAR more than I ever would). They look yummy!

I'd like to say that's our dinner, but we're hitting the pumpkin patch and going out with friends. This will be lunches and dinners during the week.

Moroccan Chickpea Stew
2 T canola oil
1 onion, chopped: 0.40
1 small zucchini: 0 (free!)
3 small mild peppers (from CSA) or one bell pepper, chopped: 0.80
6 cloves garlic, pressed: 0.30
1 Tbsp hot peppers: 0.10 (from last year, in the freezer)
2 tsp paprika: 0.10
1.5 tsp cumin: 0.08
1/4 tsp thyme: 0.05
1/2 tsp turmeric: 0.05
1 tsp dried parsley: 0.05
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
2 cans garbanzo beans: (I actually used 1 can and made more from dried): 1.58
2/3 of a 28-oz can diced tomatoes: 1.13
Total: $4.77 for 6 servings, or $0.79 each

Saute onion, zucchini, thyme, and peppers in oil until soft, about 10 min. Add garlic, chickpeas, and remaining spices and saute a few more minutes.

Add tomatoes and simmer, covered, for about 30 mins, enough for the tomatoes to break down and flavors to blend.


Pita bread
2 c. bread flour: 0.41
1 c. whole wheat flour: 0.23
1 T. olive oil: 0.11
1 tsp sugar: 0.01
1.5 tsp salt: 0.01
1 tsp yeast: 0.08
Total: $0.85 for 10 pitas, 9 cents each

Put ingredients in bread machine and run on pizza dough setting.

When down, punch down on floured surface. Break into 10 pieces and rolls into balls. Cover with oiled plastic wrap, let rest 10 min.

Preheat oven to 450F, and put two baking sheets in oven to warm.

Flatten and roll pitas to 1/4 inch thickness. Set aside and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let rest 10-20 min.

Remove heated sheets from oven. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Put 2-4 pitas on a sheet, depending on size. Bake 5-7 mins. (Mine took 6-7 mins). Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 2-5 min. Cover with damp kitchen towel to keep moist.

Continue with remaining pitas. They should puff up nicely.