Balsamic Glazed Chick peas

As a kid, I always referred to the garbanzo as the little butts. But I wasn’t allowed to say “butt,” so it was the little behinds. My brother thought they resembled little chickens.  But I’m pretty sure he was just confused by the fact that the garbanzos are also known as CHICK peas.  And therefore, they were ingrained as chickINs in his mind.

In any case, I do believe they are my favorite bean.  Or pea.  Why the heck does it have two names?  That’s just confusing.

The sweet chickpeas complement the sharper flavor of the greens beautifully – such a hearty winter side dish.  Or a September side-dish.  Because, it is, after all, only September.  But I bet I’ll make this dish again in winter.  Or tomorrow.  It takes about 10 minutes to make start to finish which is definitely a plus.

Balsamic-Glazed Chickpeas over wilted greens (2 main dishes, 4 side dishes adapted from here)
10 ounces kale greens
1/2 large onion, diced
4-6 tablespoons vegetable broth, divided
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon agave nectar or sugar
1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Remove  stems from the greens and discard. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
In a wide rimmed pot, saute the onion in a tablespoon or two of vegetable broth for about 4 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper, another tablespoon of broth and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the kale greens, 2 tablespoons of broth, and cook, stirring, until greens are wilted but still bright green, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the salt, if using. Remove greens and onions from pan with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish, leaving any liquid in pan.

Add the balsamic, soy sauce, and agave or sugar to the pan (if there is no liquid, add 2 tablespoons of broth). Add the chickpeas and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. Spoon the chickpeas and remaining sauce over  greens.