barefoot contessa: tuscan mashed chickpeas

Good morning!  As promised in yesterday's post, here is one of the delicious appetizers I made for our long weekend in the mountains.  My mother-in-law has been raving about the newest Barefoot Contessa cookbook, Foolproof, and I flipped through her copy while we were in the mountains.  One of the recipes that immediately caught my eye was this delicious spread.  I had to make a few changes/adaptations since I didn't have all of my kitchen gear (against Ina's firm directions), but it still turned out great and was a definite crowd pleaser.  Give it a try next time you need a quick, warm appetizer.  

Tuscan Mashed Chickpeas

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof

Ingredients:

• 2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas
• 1/2 C. chicken stock (I used chicken broth)
• 3 Tbs. olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 2 ripe, medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (I used the pre-minced kind from the grocery store)
• 1/4 C. parmesan cheese (I actually forgot to add this in the original taste test and it was still delicious.  So, if you are dairy free- feel free to exclude.)
• 3 Tbs. minced parsley
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Grilled Country Bread

Directions:

1. Pour chickpeas into a collander and rinse them under cold water.  Drain well.  Place chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor.  Add the chicken stock and pulse until the chickpeas are coarsely chopped but not pureed. (I used a blender very briefly and it turned out great.)
2. In a medium saute pan, heat 3 Tbs. of olive oil over medium high heat.  Add tomatoes and saute about 3 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft.  Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.  Add the chickpeas, stirring to combine with the tomatoes and garlic.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until warm throughout.  
3. Transfer chickpea mixture to a bowl and add chopped parsley, parmesan, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve warm or at room temperature with grilled country bread.

Grilled Country Bread: heat a gas or charcoal grill and toast bread for 2 minutes each side, until it's lightly brown.  (I did this on a griddle pan and just pressed down on the bread with a spatula to create a flatter, more grilled look.)

Enjoy!

xo,