Pants-Optional Bowl of Happy AKA Sweet Sriracha Chickpeas with Raisin-Flecked Brown Rice

You know those days where you feel like “just let me get home, whip off my pants, and eat a muffin in my undies and t-shirt?” Don’t lie to yourselves.  

Well, yesterday totally felt like that, minus the particular craving for muffins. Work was long and I just wanted to whip up some comfort food and cozy up into my couch with Netflix.

Can I just say that this totally hit the warm-bowl-no-pants-happiness spot?

 This recipe is adapted from remembering when my friend made whatever the “official” recipe from Vij’s cookbook is.

I think it was something harissa chickpeas and couscous? It was delicious, but you know what, I think this improv pantry baby might just be better.

 

Sweet Sriracha Chickpeas with Raisin-Flecked Brown Rice 

Ingredients

For Sweet Sriracha Chickpeas:

•  3 cups of cooked chickpeas (about two cans-worth if you don’t make your own)
• 26 oz chopped tomatoes (Pomi is my favorite brand)
• 2 large or 3 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4 in thick “half moons”
• 2-4 TBS of Sriracha, depending on how brave your tastebuds are
• 2 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• olive oil for sautéing
• vegetable broth, as needed (I used 2 cups worth)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

For Raisin-Flecked Rice

• 1 cup brown rice
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup (less or more to taste) raisins
• 1 TBS sriracha

Directions

For Sweet Sriracha Chickpeas:

1. Heat large, deep pan on medium-high heat, add olive oil, and sauté garlic and onions until soft, and golden-brown translucent stirring frequently (five minutes or so), add about 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and turn heat to medium.
2. Add tomatoes, dates, and sriracha to pan, and stir occasionally until sauce thickens and some of the tomato liquid evaporates (it will still be watery, that’s not a bad thing) 
3. Add zucchini, chickpeas, and salt and pepper to pan and stir all ingredients. Put lid over pan, and let cook for five minutes. Stir, turn heat to medium low, and replace lid. In ten to fifteen minutes, zucchini should be cooked through. It is ready to be eaten right away, but the longer you let it simmer, the more delicious it becomes!

For Raisin-Flecked Brown Rice

• Cook rice according to box or rice cooker instructions, swapping water for vegetable broth. Add raisins and sriracha as you start cooking the rice, so that the raisins plump up and the sriracha infuses into the rice.
• Place your delicious rice in bottom of bowl, take off pants, and top your rice with sweet sriracha chickpeas. Find favorite seat and cozy on in. 🙂

Recommended Garnishes:

• While I say recommended, the following garnishes REALLLLLY add something special to this dish – toasted pine nuts, greek yogurt (or co-yo for vegan), and freshly shredded mint leaves. 

What’s your comfort food?