Chickpea Flat Bread from Tuscany

I have read about this interesting flat bread, called "cecina" in at least three Italian cook books. It is made of chickpea flour and olive oil and should be baked in a large shallow pan. The original recipe comes from northern Tuscany.

Cecina batter is greasy and liquid and very easy to make. However, it is important to remember to set it aside for at least an hour before putting it in an oven.

All kinds of bread, especially Italian, are very popular in my home. So the other day I bought a chickpea flour, which so far I used only in Indian recipes, and made my first cecina.

It came out very nice and crispy. It had a yellow color and a slightly "eggy" taste, although not a single egg was used to make it. No one could guess what this bread was made of but everyone enjoyed it.

Cecina could be served as an appetizer and makes a wonderful party snack to accompany a glass of wine. You can sprinkle it with rosemary or pepper flakes, but my favorite is the traditional version of it with sea salt and ground black pepper.

Chickpea Flat Bread

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cup chickpea flour,
2 cups water,
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
1/2 tsp salt plus extra for sprinkling,
freshly ground black pepper.

Preparation:
1. Put the water and one tbsp olive oil in a bowl. Add chickpea flour and salt and mix everything until it makes a smooth batter. Let it rest for at least an hour or even overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F.
3. Pour the remaining 3 tbsp of olive oil on a 12-inch metal pizza or shallow, non-stick baking pan. Stir the batter and pour it on the pan. It should not be more than a quarter inch high.

4. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until the bread is set and golden brown on top.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and when it is still hot sprinkle it with salt and pepper.

Serve it warm.

Spicy Chickpeas--Easy After Holidays Dish

It is hard to talk about food and share recipes when there is still plenty of holiday leftovers in the refrigerator and in the past days we almost never felt hungry between meals. But I am afraid my kids are done with all the Polish specialties and even every one's favorite borshch does not excite them too much any more. When given choice of some leftover dishes, my younger son asked "Maybe something different--a butter chicken?" So it seems I will have to cook something special for them today anyways.

Sometimes when I have no idea what to cook for kids I prepare some nutritious grains. Not often but once in while I make a chickpeas dish, which is high in protein and tasty. It is slightly spicy and everyone likes it. I think Asian recipes for grains are best. A great variety of spices nicely contrasts with the rather mild chickpeas and makes it taste interesting.

I like this dish because it is served with yogurt chutney, which goes very well with the tomato sauce in which chickpeas are cooked. I do not serve it with rice but rather with some Asian breads, which we dip at the end in the yogurt sauce. Because the day is rainy and lazy here is this easy, perfect for such time, recipe.

Spicy Chickpeas
(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
Two 15 oz cans of chickpeas,
6-8 medium tomatoes, chopped, or two 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes,
1 medium onion, chopped,
2-inch piece of ginger root, grated,
3 garlic cloves, minced,
3 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves,
2 tbsp vegetable oil,
1/2 tsp ground turmeric,
2 tsp garam masala,
salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients for the Yogurt Chutney:
1 cup of European style or Greek yogurt,
3 spring onions chopped,
2 tbsp fresh chopped mint,
1 tsp roasted cumin seeds,
salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:
1. Heat oil on a frying pan. Fry for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and fry for another two minutes. Add turmeric and garam masala. Fry for a few seconds to make a smooth paste.
2. Add tomatoes to the pan with spices. Season with salt and pepper. Mix and add drained chickpeas. Simmer on low heat for about 15 minuets, or until tomatoes turn into thick sauce.
3. To make yogurt chutney mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.

4. Just before serving add chopped cilantro, mix with chickpeas, and serve with yogurt chutney on top.