Throwback Comfort

No matter your level of cooking skills, everyone has at least one go-to recipe that they can not only make, but make well. It's super easy, nearly fail-proof, and always manages to leave you with a fully satisfied stomach. For me, that recipe was one of the first I ever made in my "adult life" (also known as the time period beginning when I got my first big girl job, two years ago next month to be exact). Back then, Alicia and I were new friends and my interest in cooking was just beginning to bloom. One day for lunch she brought the most delicious smelling dish. I had just discovered my love for Indian food and after spending most of the subsequent afternoon thinking about how her homemade dish looked so much better than the packaged Indian cuisine I'd been making in the home, I knew I had to ask for the recipe. She was very willing to share and not only did she turn me onto one of my favorite go-to dishes, but she introduced me to a whole cookbook of vegetarian dishes to kick start my cooking experience!

If by chance you're still looking for a good go-to recipe, or if you just want to shake things up a bit, I highly recommend Linda's Kitchen. It's an entirely vegetarian cookbook from the kitchen of the late Linda McCartney, and since the book was written almost 15 years ago, it's super cheap on Amazon. Mine is in great condition and was less than $5 with shipping....well worth it for the plethora of recipes for all occasions and tastes that it contains. And without it, I never would've found this gem:

Curried Chick Peas with Onions

Ingredients

Recipe found on page 75 of Linda's Kitchen

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 Tbsp curry powder (or to taste...I like a little more)
• 2 cans (16oz) chick peas
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• freshly cooked rice for serving (optional....sometimes I use rice and sometimes I just eat it as is or add veggies)

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok and cook the onion and garlic very gently, covered, until meltingly soft and golden, about 25 minutes
2. Stir in the sesame seeds and curry powder. Season with salt and cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Drain and rinse the chick peas, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid. Add the chick peas to the pan with the reserved liquid and cook, stirring frequently, until the chick peas are hot and almost all the liquid has evaporated
4. Stir in the lemon juice, soy sauce, and parsley. Serve hot over rice (or like I did this time...mixed with some cooked peas)