J-P and I love Mark Bittman’s recipe for fried chickpeas with Spanish chorizo, spinach, and sherry. When Karl–who was in town for the AIDS Life Cycle–came over on Friday night, we decided to make that dish. Problem is, we forgot Karl is vegetarian, and he forgot to remind us. No problem! Fast forward 10 minutes, and I am frying chickpeas in two skillets, one with chorizo, one with heaps of smoked paprika. The spinach got a separate pan, so that it could stay veg, and each version was broiled in its own pie plate. Nothing to it.
I did have one advantage–I had already cooked this recipe with my sister in Texas, where Spanish chorizo was unavailable. Mexican chorizo, much as I love it, just wouldn’t do. Anchos and cumin are nothing like smoked paprika, uncured sausage is nothing like cured. We subbed andouille for the Spanish chorizo, and we added lots of smoked paprika to the pan. A close match for the original.
Tex-Mix 
In the fried-chickpeas circuit, if you can ever find them “fresh” and in the shell, the can be steamed/fried in olive oil (or butter) and lemon juice and eaten like very messy edamame. We have a photo and a vague recipe here: http://audreyandjon.com/blog/20100425/fresh-chickpeas-another-delicious-sign-spring , we would have taken the photo of the full bowl, but damned if they aren’t too yummy to just let sit there while fumbling with a camera.
That Bittman chickpea recipe is a good one.
Good to see you here! I posted a while back on the transformations I’ve wrought on your shalloty lentils recipe. Thanks so much for that recipe…