A Recipe for Chickpea Stew

Chickpea Stew

1 cup medium-coarse bulgur wheat
2 and a half cups water
2 onions, diced
1 pepper, seeded and chopped
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium-sized zucchini or other summer squash, diced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups cooked chickpeas
Salt to taste
Hot pepper sauce

1. Bring the water to a boil, add the bulgur wheat, cover and simmer until done (about twenty minutes).
2. While the wheat is cooking, heat an inch of water in a soup pot, and when it boils, add the onion, pepper, and sweet potatoes. Poach the vegetables in water until they are somewhat tender, adding more water as needed. Then add the squash and continue cooking until all the vegetables are tender. (NOTE: I never saute vegetables in olive oil but instead cook them in water before adding the oil. That's because olive oil retains more of its healthful properties if it's not heated above the boiling point of water. It's important, however, not to end up with a soupy mess, so don't add more water than you need to cook the veggies.)
3. Add the olive oil, spices and chickpeas. Cover and cook gently for about five minutes. Serve the chickpea mixture over cooked wheat. Hot pepper sauce makes a nice accompaniment.

Makes four generous servings.