Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas

So, who doesn’t love snacks?  Savory to sweet, crunchy to creamy—we humans love finding new, fun, delicious ways to occupy our appetites while catching up on our favorite shows, watching a Hollywood blockbuster, or paging through the latest bestseller.  The bad thing about that, though, is that we tend to chose nutrition-free, empty-calorie, fatty foods.  This week’s recipe is a perfectly poppable snack that is actually good for you.  Each half-cup serving of these roasted chickpeas packs about 7 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and practically no fat.  But don’t get me wrong.  They’re as addictively crisp and delicious as all that other junk.  Plus, they’re easily customizable to your favorite flavors and couldn’t be simpler to make.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 cans chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and dried
• 2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste, OR: taco seasoning, ranch seasoning, Parmesan cheese, nutritional yeast, chili powder, garlic powder, curry powder, or any of your favorite spices.

Start by preheating the oven to 400°.  Drain the chickpeas and pour them out onto a clean kitchen towel and pat them dry.  Pick out any skins that come off in the drying process and transfer the pea-beans to a small bowl.  Add the olive oil and toss to fully coat.

Spread them out in one layer in a sheet pan.  Put the pan in the oven and roast the pea-beans for 30 minutes, shaking the pan every 10 minutes to “stir” them.

Remove your roasted chickpeas from the oven and sprinkle on your seasonings.  We add the seasoning after baking because they can burn and turn bitter in the hot oven.  If you find the seasoning isn’t sticking well, toss them in a few more drops of olive oil and then sprinkle on the seasoning.

They are best eaten warm from the oven, when they are at their crispiest.  After cooling, the texture changes a bit, but the flavor is just as yummy.