Monday, April 25, 2011

CRUNCHY ROASTED CHICKPEAS

After seeing Maya's delicious chickpea curry last week and the baby octopus dish with chickpeas she tried at Culina...I thought I'd share one of my favorite chickpea recipes and keep this chickpea party going!!


It wasn't until recently that I learned that when roasted in the oven, chickpeas take on a deliciously crunchy texture comparable to nuts. Since chickpeas are naturally low in fat, high in protein and rich in fiber, this makes an excellent good-for-you-healthy-snack!

1 15oz can chickpeas or garbanzo beans (same thing), drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place all dry spices in a bowl and mix to combine. Use a paper towel to remove excess moisture from chickpeas. Add chickpeas and olive oil to bowl with spices and toss until chickpeas are evenly coated.

Spread evenly on baking sheet and place in oven. Roast for a total of 35-40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Chickpeas should look lightly browned and shrunken when ready to take out of oven. Let sit for 10 minutes before crunching away!






R