Recipes Sautéed Chickpeas with Ham and Kale 5.0 (5,142) Add your rating & review "I grew up in a ranching family in West Texas," says Louis Lambert, "and every summer when it was time to work cattle—branding and shipping—a camp cook would prepare three meals a day over an open fire for all of the cowboys." One of the cook's staple dishes was chickpeas simmered in a large Dutch oven with a smoked ham hock and lots of onion, garlic and chiles. Louis's version includes robust sautéed kale. More Southwestern Recipes By Louis Lambert Updated on October 19, 2015 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © John Kernick Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins Yield: 6 Ingredients 2 tablespoons annatto seeds (achiote) 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, cut into 1-inch dice 2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch dice One 4-ounce piece of smoked, cured ham, sliced 1/2 inch think and cut into 1/2-inch dice Salt and freshly ground pepper 4 garlic cloves, minced One 19-ounce can chickpeas, drained 2 tablespoons pure ancho chile powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 cup water 1/2 pound kale, stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Directions In a small saucepan, cook the achiote seeds in the oil over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Discard the achiote seeds and reserve the oil. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the achiote oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and ham and season with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat until the tomatoes soften, about 3 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a bowl. Wipe out the skillet. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of achiote oil and the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, just until starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the ancho powder and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato and ham mixture and the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to moderate and add the kale. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is just tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the chickpeas to a bowl and serve hot. Make Ahead The chickpeas can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently. Rate it Print