Over tired.
We’ve all heard that expression before. As adults, ‘over tired’ is when we hit a wall and then sleep for 12 hours straight.
People used to tell me about babies getting ‘over tired.’ Ha. Cute, I thought, ‘over tired.’ So… just put the kid to sleep, what’s the big deal?
No.
Over tired, as I learned this week, is what happens when a small child fails to put themselves fully to sleep during what is usually their ‘sleep time.’ It goes a little something like this:
“Mmmm… gettin’ sleepy… so sleepy… yeah… … … oh, I’m not asleep yet… you didn’t get me to sleep during the small window of time I generally accept as Time to Sleep so now F*CK YOU I WILL NEVER SLEEP AGAAAAAAAINNNNN!!! SMALL HUMAN RAAAAAAGE!”
Oh, yes. It’s very real. Being so tired that- instead of sleeping- one does the exact opposite, and expends the most energy ever, just to stay awake (as loudly and angrily as possible).
This has very little to do with today’s recipe save for the fact that that’s exactly what is happening out of frame in these pictures. Bless Colin for being a great dad and parenting the hell out of our little girl while I have much needed Mama Free Time.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that if someone is holding little bub while I take pictures, they get fed very well after I’m done. I’ve worked out a delightful win-win situation with my husband/mother/MIL/sister- if they watch baby, I do ‘self-care’ (for me- cooking). They get a happier Finn (always a good thing), baby bonding time and good food. This usually works out for everyone because, usually when I do this, Evie’s being one of those perfect cooing babies and not a squalling monster. Usually.
So, finally- the recipe.
It took me three rounds of making this before it was ready to be photographed, and not just because I was refining the recipe. Nope, it took three rounds because every time I would make it, it would curiously disappear from my kitchen shortly after being completed.
It was being eaten for breakfasts, wrapped in pitas with some scrambled eggs. Squirrelled away for work day lunches. Served warm, drizzled with olive oil and eaten out in the garden, spice covered fingers ripping apart the charred lemon edges and sopping up the juices with fresh naan.
I just couldn’t keep it around, which I suppose is the biggest compliment of all. An (easy!) (cheap!) (vegetarian!) dish that disappears as fast as I can make it. In a household of carnivores, no less.
Preserved lemons can be made easily and cheaply or purchased pre-made in specialty grocery stores. I love adding rounds of charred lemon slices to this as well, for the depth of flavour it adds. This recipe really shines when served warm, so that the flavours really pop, but I have enjoyed it chilled or room temperature as well if I’m eating it on the go.
| Marinated Chickpea Salad with Charred & Preserved Lemons | Print |
- Salad:
- 4 cups chickpeas (cooked from dried or canned)
- 1½ preserved lemons (6 quarters), rind coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp coriander
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
- .
- Preserved Lemons:
- 3-4 lemons, scrubbed clean and cut into quarters
- Coarse salt
- Additional lemon juice, to top up
- 1 bay leaf
- .
- Pita or naan bread, to serve
- Thinly sliced lemon, charred
- To make preserved lemons from scratch, sterilize a glass jar in boiling water. Squeeze the juice of each lemon slice into the jar and then add the slice to the jar. Do this until the jar is stuffed full of lemon slices. Add coarse salt and shake it to work it through to the bottom of the jar, adding more and shaking, until the empty spaces in the jar are filled with salt. Top up with extra lemon juice if needed, so that the juice reaches the top of the jar. Close the jar and set the lemons sit in the fridge, rotating the jar every couple days for an even preserve. The lemons should be ready to consume in roughly 2 weeks time and will keep in the fridge up to 6 months.
- In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon and pepper. Drizzle over chickpeas and toss to coat. Add chopped preserved lemon rind and mix well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
- To char lemon slices, heat a pan on high heat. Gently brush the lemon slices with a touch of oil and then place them in the pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes, until smoking and then flipping once to cook the other side (roughly 1 minute).
- Warm marinated chickpeas in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat. Add parsley and toss well.
- Serve warm with soft pita bread and charred lemon slices.
I don’t know about small sleeping humans yet, but we’ve had a sick puppy for two weeks (all better now) who needed constant care and attention. Serious respect for parents out there right now. So I get the tiredness factor.
This salad is hitting all my astringent-loving taste buds, and I need to make it ASAP! I can just imagine this alongside a dish of creamy scrambled eggs for a weekend breakfast or tucked into my lunchbox with some greens and quinoa. Delicious all the way. Happy parenting!
Oh no! I’m so glad to hear your pup is all better now, Amy. My pup was also sick recently- gave us a big scare (a spider bite, we think?). They really are like our furry babies, aren’t they?