Tomato Chickpea Curry with Swiss Chard + Spiced Pepitas

What a perfect dish for a cold, overcast day in Oklahoma. The warming spices of the curry and the smoky, spiced pepitas are super satisfying. Plus, this is similar to another recipe I've posted here before that can be made in 30 minutes which is perfect for a quick lunch that looks a lot fancier than it actually is. There's something about that yogurt zig zag that I love. The contrasting colors and the pretty garnish really make a simple dish feel pretty decadent. This is vegan, if you use a coconut yogurt or a cashew cream instead. It's also gluten free and has great plant-based protein from the chickpeas, the pepitas and the addition of the yogurt. It is great with nan or toasted whole grain tortillas - both can be found gluten free at most health food stores.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup or 1 can of cooked chickpeas
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes or 1 cup tomatoes, oven roasted and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1|2 - 2 cups vegetable stock
1|2 of a yellow onion, chopped in large pieces
2 carrots quartered and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups chopped swiss chard
1|2 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
fresh cilantro
greek yogurt
juice of 1|2 lemon
1|2 t curry powder
1|4 t cumin, cayenne, smoked paprika
sea salt + black pepper
2 T olive oil
nutritional yeast, optional but recommended

DIRECTIONS
Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan or deep skillet to medium high. Sauté the onions and carrots until they start to brown. Season them with a sprinkle of sea salt. Add the garlic for about five minutes until it becomes fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and the curry powder. Deglaze the pan with the veg stock. Add about 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast if you have it. Stir in the roasted tomatoes and the chickpeas. Let this simmer and thicken for about 10 minutes. While this is reducing, heat a small skillet over medium low and add a small amount of olive oil. Add the pepitas and a pinch of salt, cumin, cayenne and smoked paprika. Stay with this pan so that they don't burn. When they start to pop after about 5 minutes, remove them from the heat. Season the chickpeas with black pepper and add the swiss chard. Cover the pan and turn off the heat. Chop or tear the cilantro leaves. Mix the lemon juice and the greek yogurt together in a small bowl. If you have a plastic squeeze bottle, add a splash of water to the yogurt. This makes a perfect zig zag and they're super cheap plus great for storing homemade sauces and salad dressings. You can also create the same effect with a spoon. Top your curry with the spiced pepitas, cilantro lemon yogurt.

ENJOY!!