Have you seen a lot of chickpea recipes out there lately? We use to throw out the broth or brine after either soaking our dried chickpeas or straining our canned. Not anymore! Now chickpeas are being purchased in bulk for the liquid waste, I mean brine! We used to throw that stuff away because it was not easily digested by many, and the canned liquid can taste tinny. But now we are using that liquid gold as an egg replacer to make meringue, mayo, crepes, pavlova, and all sorts of formerly nonvegan foods.
As a result, chickpeas are the leftover ingredient, piling up in little containers in fridges everywhere! One can only eat so much hummus.
Aside from hummus, the quickest and easiest thing I can think of to utilize these little fiber-packed gems is to turn them into a snack. Roasting them brings out a little sweetness, gives them a roasty toasty crunch, and turns them into a mindlessly munchable tasty treat. If you use a different spice blend every time you make them, you are also fighting chickpea boredom. Win-win.
So easy! Here’s how…
After removing the liquid from your tender chickpeas, whether canned or cooked from dried, dry chickpeas as thoroughly as you can.
If you like, you can pick off the little skins. After being cooked, these slide right off.
Place chickpeas into a bowl and drizzle cooking oil over them. You will need about 1-2 tablespoons per about 2-3 cups cooked chickpeas. Sprinkle on salt and any seasoning you like! Do this to taste. Somehow, I frequently end up with “mystery” spice blends in my cupboard. These can be used up on roasted chickpeas, with tasty results.
Today’s mystery spice blend smells intoxicating. I am picking up hints of paprika, mexican oregano, maybe cumin, onion and garlic? In any event, it is going in!
Spread chickpeas out on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and roast for about 40 minutes.
(I am using my silpat here.)
Watch them closely! They will be undercooked-undercooked-undercooked-burned! in a flash. You can stir them after they have been roasting for a while, and taste them. You are going for that intensely flavored crunch on the outside.
When they are done, remove them from the oven and set them out for snacking.
Roasted Chickpeas with Mystery Spice
So versatile, quick and easy! Use any flavor you like.
Ingredients:
- cooked or canned chickpeas
- olive oil (abut 1 T for 2 cups chickpeas)
- salt
- any spice blend you like (approximately, 3-4 teaspoons for 2 cups chickpeas, depending on strength of spices)
Method
Preheat the oven to 450º
After removing the liquid from your tender chickpeas, whether canned or cooked from dried, dry chickpeas as thoroughly as you can. If you like, you can pick off the little skins. After being cooked, these slide right off.
Place chickpeas into a bowl and drizzle cooking oil over them. You will need about 1-2 tablespoons per about 2-3 cups cooked chickpeas. Sprinkle on salt and any seasoning you like! Do this to taste. Somehow, I frequently end up with “mystery” spice blends in my cupboard. These can be used up on roasted chickpeas, with tasty results.
Spread chickpeas out on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and roast for about 40 minutes. Watch them closely! They will be undercooked-undercooked-undercooked-burned! in a flash. You can stir them after they have been roasting for a while, and taste. You are going for that intensely flavored crunch on the outside.
When they are done, remove them from the oven and set them out for snacking.
Chef’s notes: I think the mystery blend I am using here has paprika, mexican oregano, maybe a tab of cumin? Not sure, but those are aromas I am getting. Flavors that pair especially well with chickpeas include: cardamom, cayenne, coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, lemon, olive oil, onions (esp. red or yellow), paprika, pepper, and rosemary. Other flavors work very well too, these are just some of the best.
Enjoy!
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