Chickpea and Artichoke Spread

 I had fun at the 99¢ Store.  You never know what you'll find.  Instead of a pantry stock-up, I ended up getting cheap luxury items.  Come on, a jar of Kalamata olives for 99¢?  How could I pass that up.  Same with the marinated artichoke quarters.  You know, the essentials.

Ok, so the feta in this cost almost as much as all the other ingredients combined, including dippers.  You can't win them all.  I wanted a non-hummus, chickpea-based spread that I could whiz up in the food processor.  If you skip pan-frying the garlic and go for raw, this is super fast and barely creates any dishes.

I did get one of the last cans of chickpeas in the brand I wanted.  Between Thanksgiving and a slight pre-lockdown rush, a few items were running short.  I had decided on the texture of canned instead of dry, and noon on the day you plan to make this is way too late to change your mind.

My goal with this texture-wise was as a spread, but not quite as firm as a pâté.  Kind of chopped-liver level of firmness, but way different taste.  I'm giving directions for the option of making it more like a dip.

• 1 15oz can chickpeas
• 1/4 C olive oil
• *2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6oz jar marinated artichokes
• 1/2 C feta cheese
• red pepper flakes (optional)

1.  Heat oil in a small skillet or saucepan.  I used my single-egg skillet.  Add garlic and cook only until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

2.  Drain chickpeas, reserving the liquid for thinning the dip.  Run beans through the food processor until almost smooth.  Drain artichokes.  Add to beans with garlic oil and feta.  Pulse to desired consistency.  Taste, and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, and/or red pepper flakes.  There will be herbs and spices in the artichokes, so don't season before combining.

3.  If you want a thinner dip, gradually add reserved chickpea water until the right consistency is reached.  Chill until ready to serve.  Garnish with additional feta, if desired.

Makes about 2 cups

Difficulty rating  π