Del-icious!: Spanish inspired potato, asparagus & chickpea salad with red wine & tomato

I ordered crispy chickpeas recently at a restaurant and was surprised to see Neil quite excited about something I thought he would scoff at as fancified restaurant fare. When they arrived his face dropped. He tried a few, declared they were weird and then admitted he thought I'd ordered crispy chicken. Despite his disappointment, I quite enjoyed the little peas, all wrapped up in their crisp coating, but they could have used a little something something to liven them up. This salad was born from a 'nothing to eat' sort of morning, emptying jars and cans half full and being inspired by the possible combinations. Chick peas feature here too and even crisped slightly by a quick toss in the pan, but here they are combined with a red wine and tomato sauce coating roasted potatoes, broccoli and asparagus, a sort of patatas bravas extra.

Recipe :Spanish potato and asparagus salad

4 medium potatoes, cut into cubes

6 asparagus stalks, snapped free of woody ends

a handful of broccolini

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed thoroughly

1/4 cup red wine

3 plum tomatoes from a can, squished

a handful kale, shredded

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

a pinch or two of sugar

Preheat the oven to 400oF and lay the potatoes, broccoli and asparagus in a baking dish. Drizzle over the oil, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and roast for about 40 - 50 minutes until the potatoes are soft inside and beginning to crisp and turn golden brown. Remove and place in a large bowl.

Pour the red wine and tomatoes into a frying pan set over medium to high heat and add the kale. Stir well for a few moments and then turn the heat down to low - medium. Let the mixture simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kale has wilted and the wine has mellowed.