Chickpeas in Romesco Sauce

I ate a LOT of great food this weekend, but after so many meals in restaurants I was definitely ready for a healthy home-cooked meal. This is actually the second time I’ve made this recipe; for some reason I never got around to blogging it the first time.

My parents left at a ridiculously early hour this morning to make the long drive back up the valley, but we still managed to fill yesterday with fun San Francisco things. The weather was absolutely PERFECT for going to the top of Twin Peaks.

After taking about 2 million pictures of the city, we went to Golden Gate Park to visit the Japanese Tea Garden. It’s small, but meticulously maintained and absolutely beautiful.

By the time we finished sight-seeing I was ready for a good meal and this was perfect. It’s pretty simple to throw together in the food processor, and it’s perfect (and filling!) over quinoa or rice. I increased the amount of chickpeas it called for because there was so much sauce.

Recipe:
(adapted from Veganomicon)

1/3 cup blanched almonds
1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp white wine (or vegetable broth)
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 roasted red peppers (from a jar or homemade)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
a large pinch dried rosemary
a large pinch dried thyme
4 cups cooked garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

Pulse the tomatoes with the red peppers in a food processor until pureed.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, or until the onion is soft.

Add the white wine (or broth) and scrape the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, rosemary, and thyme and stir well. Simmer for about 5 minutes, then add salt to taste (1/2 – 1 tsp). Stir in the chickpeas and ground almonds, and cook over low, covered, for about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serve over couscous or rice.