Moroccan Chickpeas with Apples

From Julia Korenman, adapted from the Washington Post by her and further by me.

This was a quick delicious dish - not too many ingredients!  Since no one was ready for dinner when it was done cooking, I kept it warming on the stove for another 30 minutes or so.  In that time, the chick peas became softer, to a perfect texture.  I'll be aiming for that same time frame in the future.  The red pepper took up the flavorings so well, that next time I'll increase it from 1 red pepper to two.

Ingredients:
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced (used 1/2 of a large Vidalia)
1-2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium Granny Smith apple, diced (I didn't peel it)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves (ran out; so used Ras El-harout, a blend of all the spices included here)
pinch of cayenne pepper
8-12 oz tomato sauce (worked well with Rao's tomato basil sauce)
1 Tbsp water
2 16-oz cans chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp light brown sugar

Directions:
1) Heat just enough oil to coat the bottom of a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
2) Add the apple and 1/4 tsp salt.  Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften.
3) Add the cinnamon, cumin, allspice, clovers, cayenne, tomato sauce and water.  Mix well and cook for one minute.
4) Add the chickpeas and brown sugar; mix well.  When the liquid comes to a boil, cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Taste and add additional 1/4 tsp salt if needed.  If there's such liquid, increase the heat to high and cook for 2-3 minutes until the liquid has reduced.  Serve hot or at room temperature.  This is where an extra 30 minutes at a VERY low temperature (even on 'OFF' on an electric stove) can improve the texture in my opinion.

Serve hot or at room temperature;

plain or with quinoa, couscous or brown rice.