Garbanzo Bean Stew

I've got another easy and tasty recipe for you. This one uses a slow cooker and is courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens. I picked up their special interest publication called "Soups", which you can find until Feb. 22.

Garbanzo Bean Stew:
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 9 to 10 hours (low) or 4 1/2 to 5 hours (high)
Makes: 6 servings

3  15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed & drained
1  pound red-skin potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1  14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
3/4 cup chopped red sweet pepper (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped opnion (1 medium)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2  14-ounce cans vegetable or chicken broth (I used a 32-ounce container of low-sodium chicken broth)

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine garbanzo beans, potatoes, undrained tomatoes, sweet pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Pour broth over. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 9 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 41/2 to 5 hours.

Nutrition facts per serving: 347 cal., 3g fat (0g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 1,265 mg sodium, 68 g carbo., 12 g fiber, 13 g protein.

I used 1 can of no-salt added garbanzo beans (the other 2 cans were regular), no-salt added diced tomatoes, and reduced sodium chicken broth. I'm hoping this reduced the sodium content by at least half. Because of the spices, it wasn't lacking in flavor! I do not like spicy foods at all and this was the perfect amount of spiciness for me. You can always increase or decrease the amount of spice to fit your taste.

This was so easy to make, I just couldn't believe it. I made it on Sunday and Jack, my dad, and I all enjoyed a bowl of it for dinner. And Jack and I have been eating the leftovers for lunch! I'm starting to like this whole cooking thing. It's nice having meals already made for the week.

Here's the finished product:

Inspecting a chickpea:

Mmmm!!

The best cup ever and the only way Jack drinks the milk he needs since we're completely off bottles! They're way easier to clean and drink from than sippy cups:

I think I'm going to make "game day chili" this Sunday, from the same magazine. It looks delicious in the picture! I'll let you know how it goes. I'm so glad I picked up this magazine, which has 180 recipes total.

I might be a bit MIA for the next few weeks. I don't know if I've mentioned it or not, but Jack and I are living with my dad in his townhouse. It's getting a little cramped with all of Jack's stuff. Right now his toys are in the living room, but I'm working on making him a play area in the basement. The problem? I lived in an apartment for a few years and accumulated a lot of stuff. The basement is serving as storage for all my things, So I'm trying to go through all the boxes and see what I can sell and get rid of. I could use the money and the space more than I need the stuff! I'm really excited to get it done. It's going to take awhile though, especially since I only have about 2 hours after Jack goes to bed to work on it, but it'll be worth it for him to have a nice little area all for himself. And my dad can have his living room back- something I think he will appreciate! I'm probably going to take a day off work to get as much done as I can, but I still expect it'll be March before it starts looking more like a playroom and less like an episode of Hoarders! It's actually not that bad- I'll post before and after pics when it's all done.

Happy February!!  :-)