You have a choice to be a nibbler or not. I am definitely a nibbler.
I haven’t always been like this but ever since the kids were in high chairs the nibbling seemed to take on a life of its own.
A goldfish cracker here, a stray froot loop there. It starts to add up and calorie debt gets expensive in the form of having to buy new pants.
So in an effort to have things around here to nibble on that are not soooooooooo fattening, I present to you Spicy Roasted Chickpeas. However, here’s the problem, they taste FANTASTICAL with beer. Like ridiculously FANTASTICAL. Better than nuts I think. I swear it’s a no win situation.
Oh well, put these out with the beer and watch them disappear. Sigh. But don’t forget the lime wedges, those are key.
Let’s make these up shall we…
Here’s what you will need: Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans), there is only one can showing but you need two (sue me), olive oil, chili powder, ground red pepper (cayenne), salt, pepper and fresh limes.
Rinse two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas in a colander. Drain them well, shaking the colander to remove as much water as possible. It’s okay to take out a bit of aggression on the peas, they won’t mind.
In a medium sized bowl, combine rinsed chickpeas, 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well to coat the chickpeas. Spread the chickpeas out on a foil lined baking sheet, one large enough to hold chickpeas in a single layer.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until chickpeas begin to brown, shaking pan twice during baking.
Remove chickpeas from the oven. In a small bowl, combine 1 Tablespoon chili powder and 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper. Place the mixture in a small sieve to sprinkle over the cooked chickpeas. Bake another 5 minutes or until a dark, golden-red.
Here is the dark golden-red.
Do not forget to serve these with lime wedges. It’s very important.
I’ll take a few hundred please.
Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
Adapted from Best Holiday Appetizers
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
Lime wedges
Rinse chickpeas in a colander. Drain them well, shaking the colander to remove as much water as possible. It’s okay to take out a bit of aggression on the peas, they won’t mind.
In a medium sized bowl, combine rinsed chickpeas, olive oil, salt and black pepper. Mix well to coat the chickpeas. Spread the chickpeas out on a foil lined baking sheet, one large enough to hold chickpeas in a single layer.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes or until chickpeas begin to brown, shaking pan twice during baking.
Remove chickpeas from the oven. In a small bowl, combine chili powder and ground red pepper. Place the mixture in a small sieve to sprinkle over the cooked chickpeas. Bake another 5 minutes or until a dark, golden-red.
Do not forget to serve these with lime wedges.
