January 22, 2015
I’m midway through my usual January routine of eating fresh and clean, upping my exercise and not drinking (well, until my Cara Cara Margarita came along). These worthy endeavors make for a little crankier and a little hungrier Val these days.
Snack time leaves me hankering for something warm, satisfying and little spicy. Usually, I reach into the fridge and grab yesterday’s cold pizza and blitz it with sriracha, but all that’s in there these days is cold pineapple, cottage cheese and a half-eaten pork chop.
I’ve been tinkering with all sorts of ways to turn a basic can of beans into crispy deliciousness. These roasted chickpeas are the winner. This rendition coincided with that margarita concoction — jackpot! Match made in bar food heaven.
These chickpeas make for a great snack, with or without that margarita. Crispy, warm, spicy, healthy and the crunchy cilantro leaves means there’s even a little garden goodness in there. These guys are versatile — munch on them in the carpool line, throw on a salad, mix in with roasted cauliflower or carrots and yes, serve them up at cocktail hour.
We’ve got the home stretch covered — February, we’re so close.
Makes 1 1/2 cups
1 can chickpeas
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (double to ¼ teaspoon if you like it hot!)
¼ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon packed fresh, whole cilantro leaves (Mom, you can use parsley!)
Preheat oven 400 degrees
Pour the chickpeas out of the can and rinse thoroughly. Dry completely in a dishtowel, discarding any loose skins. Spread them on a sheet pan and mix-in the remaining ingredients.
Bake for 30 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through baking time. Serve warm. Leftovers keep in an airtight container for three days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave – sounds crazy, but it works to make them crunchy and warm again.
