Sometimes you just don’t feel like standing in the kitchen for a long time and cooking an elaborate dinner. I write “sometimes”, but actually mean “almost always” ;P After a long day in the kitchen I often just do not feel like spending even more time at the stove to prepare a whole dinner. In those moments, simple melts are a great solution. Chickpeas and tomatoes end up on a piece of bread, with some cheese on top – that’s all you need. Perfect for a lazy person like me ;P
I think it’s always a good idea to top something/everything with cheese and toast it until the cheese has melted and you can see that it’s bubbly and nicely browned in some spots. So good. It might not be the healthiest way to prepare lunch or dinner but it is definitely one of the tastiest ways to finish/finesse a dish.
Well… gratinated meals might not be the healthiest meals in the world (especially if you add a lot of cheese on top) but they are tasty. That’s why you should have at least something “good” underneath the cheese ;P Chickpeas are a great source of protein and carbs. Together with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spinach you have a nice and more or less “healthy” mixture for the melts that can go under the cheese. If you are not using too much cheese (and some nice wholemeal bread as a base) you will get a nice, more or less, healthy meal. Much better than a carb-loaded pizza, for example ;P
By the way, the topping for the bread can be easily modified. Instead of chickpeas, you can use cooked beans, for example. If kale is in season you can replace the spinach with it. You can use chopped broccoli or cauliflower and even Brussels sprouts(!) for a melt like this one here. If everything is well cooked or sautéed in advance you will get something really delicious at the end ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
some oil for frying & brushing the bread
5-6 slices of bread (sourdough or similar)
1 small red onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
1 can (14. oz./400g) chickpeas, rinsed & drained
2 tsp. harissa paste
1 can (14. oz./400g) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
some chili flakes (optional)
salt, pepper
1.8 oz. (50g) baby spinach or kale
4 oz. (120g) Emmentaler (or similar), grated
sour cream for serving
etwas Öl zum Braten und Bestreichen des Brotes
5-6 Scheiben Brot (Sauerteig o.ä.)
1 kleine rote Zwiebel, gehackt
2-3 Knoblauchzehen
1 Dose (400g) Kichererbsen, gespült & abgetropft
2 TL Harissa Paste
1 Dose (400g) gestückelte Tomaten
1 TL Oregano
einige Chiliflocken (optional)
Salz, Pfeffer
50g Babyspinat oder Grünkohl
120g Emmentaler (o.ä.), gerieben
Schmand zum Servieren
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Peel the onion and chop coarsely. Peel the garlic and cut one of them in half – rub the bread with the garlic (both sides) and brush with some oil (also both sides), then chop the garlic coarsely as well. Place in the upper part of the oven and toast the bread until lightly browned – flip the bread so both sides get some heat. When done take it out of the oven.
3. Heat up a large pot with some oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and glossy – about 2 minutes. Add the rinsed and drained chickpeas and roast/fry while stirring for 2-3 minutes. When the chickpeas got some color here and there add the harissa paste, mix well and let cook for a minute or so. Add the crushed tomatoes and season with dried oregano, chili flakes (optional), and some salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and let everything cook for about 12-15 minutes. The mixture is ready when most of the liquid has been cooked off. Add the spinach leaves and let wilt down in the thick sauce for a minute or so. Season with some more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove from the stove.
4. Increase the heat of the oven as much as possible or use the grill option of your oven. Spread the chickpea mixture on the pre-toasted bread, sprinkle with the cheese, and toast in the upper third of your oven until the cheese has melted and looks golden brown here and there – that can take from 1 to 5 minutes depending on your oven. Keep an eye on the bread because it can also burn quickly. Take out of the oven and serve with some sour cream.
2. Die Zwiebel schälen und grob hacken. Den Knoblauch schälen und halbieren – das Brot mit dem Knoblauch einreiben (beide Seiten) und mit etwas Öl bestreichen (ebenfalls beide Seiten). Den Knoblauch dann grob hacken. Das Brot in den oberen Teil des Ofens schieben und toasten, bis es leicht gebräunt ist – das Brot zwischendurch umdrehen, damit beide Seiten etwas Hitze abbekommen. Wenn das Brot gut aussieht, aus dem Ofen nehmen.
3. Etwas Öl in einem großen Topf erhitzen. Die Zwiebel und den Knoblauch hinzufügen und glasig anschwitzen lassen – für etwa 2 Minuten. Die abgetropften Kichererbsen dazugeben und unter Rühren etwa 2-3 Minuten mit anbraten. Wenn die Kichererbsen hier und da etwas Farbe bekommen haben, die Harissa Paste dazugeben, alles gut vermengen und etwa eine Minute mit anrösten lassen. Die gestückelten Tomaten dazugeben und mit dem Oregano, Chiliflocken (optional), ordentlich Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Die Hitze reduzieren und alles etwa 12-15 Minuten köcheln lassen. Die Mischung ist fertig, wenn der größte Teil der Flüssigkeit verkocht ist. Den Blattspinat hinzugeben und etwa eine Minute lang in der angedickten Soße mitkochen und zusammenfallen lassen. Gegebenenfalls noch mit etwas zusätzlichem Salz und Pfeffer abschmecken. Vom Herd nehmen.
4. Die Hitzezufuhr des Ofens so weit wie möglich erhöhen oder falls der Ofen eine Grillfunktion hat, selbige nutzen. Die Kichererbsenmischung auf dem vorgerösteten Brot verteilen, mit dem Käse bestreuen und dann im oberen Drittel des Ofens rösten, bis der Käse geschmolzen ist und hier und da goldbraun aussieht. Das kann je nach Ofen zwischen 1 und 5 Minuten dauern. Das Brot im Auge behalten – je nach Power des Ofens kann es kann auch schnell anbrennen. Die Brote aus dem Ofen nehmen und mit etwas Schmand servieren.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Cheesy Chickpea, Tomato & Spinach Melts
- Prep Time: 00:15
- Cook Time: 00:25
- Total Time: 00:45
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Easy cheesy melts – chickpea, tomato, and spinach on toasted bread, covered with cheese. My absolute favorite easy weeknight meal. So delicious!
Ingredients
some oil for frying & brushing the bread
5–6 slices of bread (sourdough or similar)
1 small red onion, chopped
2–3 garlic cloves
1 can (14. oz./400g) chickpeas, rinsed & drained
2 tsp. harissa paste
1 can (14. oz./400g) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. dried oregano
some chili flakes (optional)
salt, pepper
1.8 oz. (50g) baby spinach or kale
4 oz. (120g) Emmentaler (or similar), grated
sour cream for serving
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment and place the bread slices on top. Set aside.
2. Peel the onion and chop coarsely. Peel the garlic and cut one of them in half – rub the bread with the garlic (both sides) and brush with some oil (also both sides), then chop the garlic coarsely as well. Place in the upper part of the oven and toast the bread until lightly browned – flip the bread so both sides get some heat. When done take it out of the oven.
3. Heat up a large pot with some oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and glossy – about 2 minutes. Add the rinsed and drained chickpeas and roast/fry while stirring for 2-3 minutes. When the chickpeas got some color here and there add the harissa paste, mix well and let cook for a minute or so. Add the crushed tomatoes and season with dried oregano, chili flakes (optional), and some salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and let everything cook for about 12-15 minutes. The mixture is ready when most of the liquid has been cooked off. Add the spinach leaves and let wilt down in the thick sauce for a minute or so. Season with some more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove from the stove.
4. Increase the heat of the oven as much as possible or use the grill option of your oven. Spread the chickpea mixture on the pre-toasted bread, sprinkle with the cheese, and toast in the upper third of your oven until the cheese has melted and looks golden brown here and there – that can take from 1 to 5 minutes depending on your oven. Keep an eye on the bread because it can also burn quickly. Take out of the oven and serve with some sour cream.
Notes
Enjoy baking!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
