Garbanzas Compuestas

On the 16th January it was a bitterly cold day on which the sun shone and it was easier to walk on the local paths than it had been for some time as the dampness had been replaced with icy but solid ground. In short the wet and mild weather had given way to a typical, sunny, crisp winter day. It was certainly wonderful to get out in it and as the sun shone through the pine trees in the local wood I realised being out in the fresh air was the perfect therapy for the exciting challenges that I was experiencing.

It was also my dog's 4th birthday so I treated her by making the walk seven miles long and then giving her cooked bacon for her lunch when we returned to my home. In the evening the light vanished early and was replaced by extreme cold and snowfall. To remind me of warmth and sunshine I dug out a recipe book relating to Tapas of the Canary Island that I brought back from a holiday in Fuerteventura the October before last.

I settled on a recipe called Garbanazas Compuestas which is essentially the Canary Islands of a meat casserole. The soundtrack to cooking today was Suede's 1994 masterpiece Dog Man Star which was as dark and cold as the weather outside my window. The album has elements of The Smiths' sound, early R.E.M and most tellingly mid to late 70s David Bowie; an artist at the forefront of my mind after the announcement of his sad death earlier that week.

The Ingredients were as follows:

1 Can of chick peas.
8 ounces of diced bacon.
8 ounces of pre-prepared chorizo.
1 diced red onion.
Half a diced red pepper.
6 halved baby tomatoes.
2 cloves of garlic.
1 teaspoon of paprika
2 sprigs of  fresh thyme.
1 teaspoon  of black pepper.
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.

The method I used to make the meal was as follows:

1. Fry the onion, garlic and pepper for 10 minutes in a wok with some olive oil.
2. Add the bacon and fry for 10 minutes.
3. Gradually add each spice and vinegar stirring them in one at a time.
4. Add the tomatoes
5. Add the chorizo.
6. Add the chick peas.
7. Stew for 20 minutes.

The outcome was a dish with plenty of warmth and spices that was substantial and succeeeded in banishing the winter blues because of this and also because it brought back memories of my trip to cloudless Fuerteventura, a trip that is still one of the best I've been on.

A delicious looking meal that attracted a lot of attention when I first posted this picture on Facebook