Here is a more-or-less healthy recipe for persons who may have over-indulged in chocolate bunnies, stale jelly beans, and Cadbury mini eggs.
Polenta with chickpeas and wilted chicory
medium-coarse polenta
2 small cloves of garlic or 1 large
2-3 shallots or 1 small onion
1 large jalapeño or other spicy chile pepper, seeds removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed under cold running water
1 large head of chicory (sometimes called curly endive), washed and torn into pieces
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated good-quality parmesan or pecorino romano
Prepare the polenta according to the instructions on the package. (I like this one in the striped bag with the little king on it; it cooks in about 15 minutes).
Mince the garlic, the shallots and the chile pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a medium- to large-size sauté pan until it's hot but not smoking. Add the garlic and the shallots and cook, stirring, until they soften and just begin to brown. Add the chile pepper and cook for another 30 seconds, or until it begins to soften. Add the chickpeas to the pan and cook until they are heated through and beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the chicory to the pan in batches, stirring, until it's all wilted. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Spoon the mixture over the polenta and top with the grated cheese.
Serves 2 to 3. Leftover greens and chickpeas are good in a toasted pita.
Note: If the chickpea-and-chicory mixure is finished cooking before the polenta, just keep it warm in a covered pan until needed; it doesn't need to be super-hot when you serve it.
