We'd eat these garlicky, spiced meatballs and chickpeas on anything
Algerian-Style Meatballs With Chickpeas is the kind of one-pan meal I like to throw together when the evening's just cool enough to have dinner on the porch — and not just because its preparation allows for 10 minutes or so to enjoy a refreshing beverage.
The meatball mix is garlicky and nicely spiced, made lighter-tasting by using ground turkey instead of beef or lamb. Meatballs typically require chilling time so they'll hold their shape, but we're keeping it low-key and casual here. Translation: As you turn them in the pan to brown them on all sides, the dish will not suffer if your spheres morph into lesser shapes.
Chickpeas, concentrated tomato essence and sauteed onion bolster the easy sauce; those ingredients account for the original recipe's “Algerian-style” reference. (The minutes of simmering once the meatballs are returned to the pan will give you enough time to have that glass of something mentioned above!)
Toasted almonds with tons of curly parsley add a little crunch to each bite. I've eaten this dish on its own, stuffed into warm pitas and atop couscous, with equal delight.