Garbanzo beans, more commonly known as chickpeas, are a great source of fiber, protein and are a great addition to any meal. You know what they are. They are those abandoned beans you have hanging out in your cabinet, next to the cans of tuna and chip collection. You use them occasionally on your salads and for simple side dishes, but you really don’t know how to incorporate them into your daily meals, so they are mostly an afterthought. However, chickpeas are awesome and they are such a versatile food, if you know what to do with them. So dig out those cans, blow off the dust and turn on your oven, because you are about to learn how to roast your chickpeas.
Roasted Chickpeas
What you’ll need:
Oven
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper
Colander
Olive Oil
Seasoning of choice (pepper, salt, honey, cinnamon, garlic, nutmeg, cayenne, cumin, chili powder, etc.)
What to do:
1. Rinse and Dry
Open your can of chickpeas and pour them into a colander. Rinse off your chickpeas and place desired amount on a paper towel to dry off. Take another paper towel and pat the top of them, there is a skin on top of the chickpeas this will help peel them off.
2. Pick Your Flavors
Throw your chickpeas into a mixing bowl add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil and add your desired seasoning. If you are feeling something sweet go for a cinnamon, honey, nutmeg blend. If you are feeling spicy go for cayenne, cumin and chili powder. And for somewhere in between try garlic, salt and Parmesan cheese. This is when you can experiment with the type of flavors you want, so be creative (or Google). Lay your parchment paper on your baking sheet and spread out the chickpeas on top. They are ready for roasting!
3. Heat and Eat
Heat your oven to 375 degrees and pop your chickpea tray into the oven. Heat for about 20 minutes or more depending on your oven and heat them until they aren’t soft anymore. Make sure to keep checking on them and taste test as you go. Soon enough you’ll have a delicious bowl of chickpeas.
Now that you have learned to roast your chickpeas here are two recipes you can use them in.
Cinnamon Roasted Chickpea Salad with Avocado and Tuna
What you’ll need:
Roasted Chickpeas
Choice of lettuce
Avocado
Tuna
Salad Dressing
What to do:
This is a simple and easy lunch or dinner idea to use your chickpeas in. Add all ingredients together in a bowl and opt for a healthier alternative to salad dressing like lemon squeeze or oil olive and vinegar.
Garlic Roasted Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potato
What you’ll need:
Sweet Potato
Roasted Chickpeas
Spinach
Mariana Sauce
Side dish: Broccoli
What to do:
1. For this recipe you can heat your sweet potato in the oven for about 40 minutes on 350 degrees, depending on your oven.
2. While the sweet potato is cooking, sauté 1 cup of spinach with olive oil in a pan on a stove.
3. When that is ready mix it with your cup of roasted garlic chickpeas and add in marinara sauce to taste.
4. When the sweet potato is ready, take it outof the oven and cut down the long side of it in the middle.
5. Take out a little bit on the inside to create room for your chickpeas and spinach.
6. Stuff the inside of your sweet potato with your chickpeas and spinach, add another tablespoon of marinara sauce on top and place it on a plate with steamed broccoli as a side dish.
Chickpeas are delicious and deserve more love. So heat up your oven, and get ready to spice up your life, and more importantly your chickpeas.
