Spanish Chickpeas and Rice

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can quartered artichoke hearts
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1.5 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 bunch fresh parsley
• 1 fresh lemon

Directions

1. Finely mince the garlic, then combine it with the olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Warm it over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic softens and smells wonderful. Sprinkle in the smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir the spices through the oil and cook them for 1 more minute.
2. Chop the onion into a dice and stir it into the skillet. Cook until the onion turns soft and translucent, about 5 min. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
3. Drain the chickpeas and artichoke hearts, then add both to the skillet. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices, the vegetable broth, and a half teaspoon of salt. Coarsely chop the parsley and stir most of it into the pan, setting aside a small handful for finishing. Mix everything until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
4. Cover the skillet and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Check that it continues to simmer as it cooks, nudging the heat up a bit if needed.
5. When the 20 minutes are up, turn off the heat and leave the covered skillet alone for 5 minutes. Take off the lid, fluff the rice with a fork, and scatter the reserved parsley over the top. Slice the lemon into wedges and squeeze fresh juice over each bowl.