Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

I found my new guilty pleasure today. Have you checked out the website called Pinterest? It is an online pinboard to "pin" and share anything and everything that makes you happy. For example, if you see a recipe you like, you can pin and feature it on your pinboard. If you see a fashion photo or interior space that inspires you, pin it as well. The possibilities are endless. I see it as an online collage where I can feature my interests and inspirations. I signed up to become a member but there is a waiting list. I anticipate it will be a short while before I can start creating my own pinboards. Until then, I am thoroughly enjoying checking out boards created by current members.

I was perusing one of the boards today and I came across this recipe for Crispy Roasted Chickpeas. What a fabulous idea! I can't believe I haven't been introduced to preparing garbanzo beans in this manner. I am always on the hunt for healthy snack ideas and since I am a huge fan of crunchy snacks, this provided immediate appeal. After finding this recipe, I googled additional information and ended up finding a few sites that provided roasting tips. The recipe below contains one simple way to season the chickpeas but I also included several other seasoning ideas at the end of this entry.

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (I used Natural Directions organic beans)

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil

kosher salt

cajun spice blend or spice blend of your choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain can of garbanzo beans in strainer and rinse with water to clean beans. Shake and tap strainer to remove excess water. Lay paper towel on baking sheet and spread beans over towel. Use a second paper towel to gently press and absorb water from top of beans. Roll beans around with paper towel and remove thin skin from beans. Discard skins and paper towels.

Drizzle olive oil over beans and use hands or spatula to toss around and coat.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Roast for 30-40 minutes until beans are deep golden brown and crunchy (chickpeas can sometimes pop like popcorn so don't be surprised). Make sure that beans do not burn. Season with salt and spice blend to taste.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Oh my goodness! Crispy chickpeas, where have you been all my life? I love, love, love them prepared this way! The final product possesses a crispness that worked beautifully and the spice flavors were right up my alley. I chose to use garlic flakes, chili powder, chipotle and sweet paprika that I ground in my mortar and pestle. I am now motivated to try several of the additional spice blends, located on the list below; especially the tarragon, fennel, roasted garlic, honey and lemon juice blend. If you try any of the other spice blends, let me know what you think. One last side note, you might as well plan to double the recipe because these chickpeas seem to disappear at a fairly rapid rate. Enjoy!

15 ways to flavor roasted chickpeas:

-garlic, pepper, rosemary

-soy sauce, sesame oil, chili powder

-tomato juice, curry powder

-brown sugar, rosemary, cayenne pepper

-cinnamon, cumin, chipotle powder, smokey sea salt, smoked paprika

-coriander, cumin, chili powder, sweet paprika, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cayenne pepper

-lime juice, chili powder, pepper, cilantro

-sage, roasted garlic

-agave, basil, white pepper, cinnamon

-peanut flour, salt

-maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon

-honey, cinnamon

-apricot jam, wasabi paste, horseradish

-tamari, rosemary, lemon juice, agave

-tarragon, fennel, roasted garlic, honey, lemon juice

Recipe Sources:

steamykitchen.com

thekitchn.com