Roasted spiced chickpeas

Don't you find it amazing how much food we consume every day?  I'm reminded of that every time I see a depleted fridge and reload with bags and bags of groceries, only to do it again within a week.
  
So, we need fuel and we need snacks.  And healthy snacks are always welcome, right?  When it's hot out, it's nice to have something other than store-bought chips to munch on with your cold drink. Since I'm too lazy to make kale chips (delicious, for sure...but the thought of washing, chopping, drying, spreading, and roasting to make a batch that I'll likely devour in 3 minutes discourages me), I've been interested in roasting chickpeas.  It sounds far less labor-intensive!

Roasted chickpeas, spiced with curry powder, paprika, cayenne, salt & black pepper

There is a little draining, drying, and rubbing involved in prepping these chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), but it's hardly arduous.  Unfortunately, it does require cranking on the oven.  I don't know what the deal is but my old oven used to put out maybe a third of the heat its replacement currently does.  It gets hot in the kitchen and that's not all that welcomed during these summer days.  But even so, I find it really hard to avoid my oven for long.

So these chickpeas go in the oven to roast for about half an hour until they're dry and crisp.  Then, I immediately tossed them in a spice mixture of salt, sweet curry powder, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne.  The fun thing about making these is you can try any combination of spices you like.  Or it's a fun way to try out a new spice or two.

These were as easy to whip up as I envisioned.  I think it makes a filling and healthy snack that's a good alternative to nuts or pretzels.  They're best eaten, or freshest-tasting, the day they're made. The exterior is at its crispiest while the inside has a bit of that signature butteriness to them.  That said, any leftovers can be stowed away in an airtight container.  They won't be as crispy but we still enjoyed them the next day.  In addition to popping them straight into your mouth, consider tossing some into a salad or plopping some on top of soup.


I've seen a handful of roasted chickpea recipes and the idea has interested me so I'm happy I finally tried it out.  You get a flavorful and healthy (in this case, also spicy) snack without a lot of work.  I was inspired to open up a can of chickpeas and crank on the oven for this after looking through Gale Gand's Lunch!  It's thanks to her brunch book that I have my standby pancake recipe so I was very interested in this new lunch book.

For this recipe, the prep work involves draining and rinsing out a can of chickpeas.  Then, lay them out on some paper towels.  With another paper towel, rub them dry as well as to remove some of their thin, papery skin.

It doesn't take long and you really don't have to remove the skin from every single chickpea.  But if you're like me, once you start, you can't help but want to get every single one!

I used a tablespoon of olive oil to roast the chickpeas.  They need about 30 minutes or so in a 400 degree oven.  Straight out of the oven, toss them in your spice mixture and let cool.  Enjoy it plain as a snack or side, or in a salad or a bowl of soup.  I don't know about you but I still enjoy a bowl of soup no matter how hot it is!


Recipe:

Roasted Spiced Chickpeas 
Adapted from Gale Gand's Lunch!

- Approximately 4 servings -

One 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon sweet curry powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Drain and rinse chickpeas in a colander.  Remove as much water as possible then spread the chickpeas out onto the paper towel-lined baking sheet.  With another piece of paper towel on top, roll the chickpeas around to remove some of their loose, thin skins.  Remove all paper towels. Toss chickpeas evenly with olive oil and roast for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.

While chickpeas are roasting, combine the salt, curry powder, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper.  Once chickpeas are done, remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the spice mixture over top.  Toss around to thoroughly coat the chickpeas with the spices.  Let cool before serving.

The roasted chickpeas taste best the day they're made but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.