Chickpeas and Kale with Mushrooms and Chilli on Toast

I really  needed to get back to some healthy cooking. Over the last week we've had fish and chips, roast beef and a whole variety of really nice food that is no good for the diet at all.



I had the kale in the fridge because last weekend we had Cath and Lyndon round for a meal on the Sunday and I had gone in to Alvis's farm shop on the A38 to get a couple of aubergines and came out with 2 aubergines, a truly massive head of curly kale, 2 scotch eggs, some chillis stuffed with feta, a piece of ginger, a loaf of bread and a large jar of pickled onions. Honestly all I needed was aubergines.

Well as it turned out I'd made far too much food, I didn't even use the aubergines which I had gone in for in the first place. I think we've managed 3 meals with kale this week.

Chana dal with kale and mushrooms
Slow roast beef with mustard seed and nigella seed crust, with Leek and Kale Colcannon and onion gravy. OMG you have to try leek and kale colcannon it is amazing. Although I have had leek and kale colcannon for lunch the last two days.

Anyhow I digress, suffice it to say that kale lasts really well in the salad crisper in the fridge and I still had about half of it left. I got home late and needed something quick so I came up with this.

We served it on homemade toast as I couldn't be bothered with making rice or anything, turns out this was a really good idea. When Helen saw it she said that it looked too healthy. However it tasted good enough for me to write up


1 medium onion
1/2 a head of Curly Kale
1 400g tin of chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic
1 fresh chilli
5 chestnut mushrooms
Handful of chopped fresh coriander
Sprinkle of nigella seeds
Sprinkle of brown mustard seeds
Ground black pepper
2 Cloves
3 bay leaves
1/2 Knorr veggie stock cube
Splash of sherry
Rapeseed oil

Chop the garlic finely
Chop the chilli finely
Strip the leaves from the kale leaving the tough central stalk of each leaf.
Halve the onion and slice

Heat a couple of table spoons of oil and add the cloves, the bay leaves, nigella seeds, mustard seeds and black pepper. When you can smell the oils being released from the spices add the chilli, garlic and fry until the garlic is golden,and then add the onion and fry until tender. Add the mushrooms and stir and if need be add a little more oil and add the veggie stock cube.

When the mushrooms are starting to cook add the kale and stir until all the kale is coated with oil, add the sherry and cook until the kale is nearly ready. Add the chickpeas and stir thoroughly until the kale is completely cooked. It should be crunchy but not tough and whatever you do don't overcook it as that will ruin it

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