Recipe: Roasted Chickpeas

Taken from www.SteamyKitchen.com via Pinterest, I made this snack recipe today after all of today's errands were postponed since it's raining cats and dogs and thunder and lightening were EVERYWHERE.  I'm not complaining at all.  You know me; I love a rainy day!

And what a I love about this recipe is that the final product tasted a lot like boiled peanuts ... which I've sorely missed in our lives the past 5 years.  So, yay for this little treat! 

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 (5oz.) can garbanzo beans
1 1/2 T olive oil
salt and spice blend of your choice

1.  Preheat oven to 400.
2. Drain can of garbanzo beans in strainer and rinse with water for a few seconds to clean off the beans.  Shake and tap to rid excess water.  Lay paper towel on a baking sheet and spread the beans over.  Use another paper towel to gently press and absorb the water on the beans.  Rolls the beans around with the paper towel to also remove the thin skin from any of the beans.  Discard the skins and the paper towels.
3. Drizzle the olive oil over the beans and use your hands or a spatula to toss around and coat.  Roast for 30-40 minutes until beans are a deep golden brown and crunchy.  Make sure the beans do not burn.
4. Season with salt and spice blend. (I used sea salt and Mrs. Dash, but the recipe mentions the ideas of creole or cajun seasoning, too.)

Warning:  They are gooooood, so that also makes them addictive. :)  But they must be good for you, right?  Protein, right?  Anyway, here's a little piece of chickpea trivia for ya - chickpeas are in the same family as peanuts - the legume family.  Peanuts are closer in make-up to peas than tree nuts, more like chickpeas and lima beans than cashews, walnuts, almonds and such.  So thankful Noah is not reactive to the rest of the legume family, because he is totally digging this new snack. He has taken to them so well that there might not be any left for Josh by the time he gets home from work!  These are certainly going in Noah's lunches this year. :)