CHICKPEAS WITH FENNEL

During Lent the food is simple because many people fast. Legumes and greens, which are abundant at this time, have their honors. Chickpeas, lentils, broad beans, black beans are not missing from the Lenten menu. When my mum used to say, 'Tomorrow I'll get chickpeas' my mind went back to my early childhood and I was automatically reminded of the song that our kindergarten teacher, Maria, taught us.

'' Fairy tale myth,
Broad bean and chickpea,
Fell out at the fountain.
Lentil came by,
And put them in jail.
But Fava shouted,
Lentil, let them out, it doesn't matter! ''

My favorite song! It wants to give us a message and it seems that chickpeas have nourished generations and generations throughout the ages. My grandfather used to tell me that during the Occupation, when there was no coffee, they used to serve coffee made from roasted chickpeas in cafes.
Chickpeas are legumes are high in fiber and contain starch, calcium, iron and carbohydrates. Fiber combats constipation, lowers cholesterol and prevents cardiovascular disease. It is an excellent food for people with diabetes because their carbohydrates are slow to be absorbed (complex carbohydrates) by the body due to their insoluble fiber content.
Today we are going to make a different recipe with chickpeas. It is beloved at such times when nature gives us many fragrant greens like fennel which combine incredibly well with legumes.

Ingredients:
500g of chickpeas
1 bunch of fennel
1 large dried onion
1 big tomato
150ml olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
Lemon zest
Bay leaves
Salt & pepper

Method:
Put the chickpeas from the previous day in a bowl with of plenty of water. The next day, boil the chickpeas for about an hour until they are cooked. Strain and set aside.
Clean the fennel, wash it, let it dry and finely chop it.
In a saucepan, put the olive oil and chopped onion, deep fry and add the fennel. Stir constantly.
Add the grated tomatoes, salt and bay leaf. Leave food to simmer for 10 minutes at moderate temperature.
Add the chickpeas and some warm water and bake for about 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the lemon juice and let it boil for a while.
Lower the heat, add the lemon zest, fresh pepper and let it simmer for 10 minutes before serving.
You could add to this dish any other fragrant greens of your choice.

Good luck!!!