On one of the many days I had run out of ideas for dinner my Chick Pea Stew recipe suddenly came to me. I had leftover taco meat in the refrigerator and a can of chick peas staring me in the face so I thought why not combine them! Some of the best recipes come from leftovers and a little imagination. This recipe is one of my family’s favorite meals so now whenever I make tacos for dinner I cook extra meat for a Chick Pea Stew dinner the next day. I think the seasoning tastes wonderful the next day.

Even if you don’t have leftover taco meat in the frig you can pull this dish together in just a few minutes. In the fall and winter you can add potatoes or pasta to make the dish a little bit heartier. In the spring and summer keep it light with just the basics. If you are truly adventurous, try adding seasonal veggies to the stew to give it a new depth of flavors.

Although I usually make this dish during the week when my time to cook is limited due to a hungry crowd, I really enjoy making it on weekends. On the weekends I can roast the onions and tomatoes instead of using canned tomatoes. Roasting veggies adds a wonderful smokiness to the stew that you can smell and taste. However you decide to make this delicious stew it will become your own and everyone will love it.

Healthy, quick and easy works every time!

Chick Pea Stew

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
1 pkg taco seasoning (hot or mild)
1 ½ bag fresh baby leaf spinach
1 12 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 large can chick peas rinsed
1 large onion diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Adobo seasoning
½ tsp red pepper flakes

Optional:
diced green peppers
diced potatoes
small pasta shells
roasted yellow squash
Seasonal Vegetables

Brown turkey and drain. In a large stock pot add meat, tomatoes, onions, chick peas,chicken stock and seasonings. Stir and let simmer 10 minutes. Add spinach and let wilt. Simmer on low for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.