Blistered Tomatoes and Chickpeas
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
- 12 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained (set on a towel or paper towel to absorb excess moisture)
- handful of kale or mature spinach, kale torn into two to three-inch pieces
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon (heaping) cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and finely diced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 lemon: zest of half a lemon, for the other half, peel into small strips, then juice the lemon
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided (or to taste)
- a grind or two of cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 8 ounces cold, thick Greek yogurt or about 10 ounces cottage cheese, whipped
- balsamic glaze to taste, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Place tomatoes in an oven-proof skillet or small roasting pan (they should be snug). Add the kale or spinach and chickpeas. Toss to combine.
Add the oil, cumin, brown sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano, juice of the lemon, the lemon strips, salt to taste, and a good grind or two of pepper. Toss together.
Roast for 20 minutes, until tomatoes begin to blister and release their juices, then broil until the tomatoes begin to char on top.
In the meantime, mix the yogurt (or blended cottage cheese) with the grated lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste. Refrigerate until ready.
When the tomatoes have finished, spread the cold yogurt or cottage cheese out on a large plate or shallow bowl. Spoon the hot tomatoes and juices on top, and finish with the optional red pepper flakes. Serve at once with some flatbreads or good crusty bread.
Note: if desired, sprinkle with a little balsamic glaze.
Note on Whipping Cottage Cheese: Use a blender or food processor. May need to add a little liquid if the cottage cheese is very thick. A little milk works well.