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Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Spicy roasted chickpeas.
During my 7 week (so far) recovery from my accident, eating has been, at times, tricky.  For the first 4 weeks, I couldn't feed myself, so I was spoon-fed by either my mom or my boyfriend.  It was as much fun as it sounds.  I stuck mostly to small portions, just to get it over with.  I ate toast and soup mostly, with protein shakes for breakfast. At least with a straw, I had some control.

When I got some use of my arms back, I was thrilled to be able to feed myself, no matter how awkward it was.  I stuck to small portions, since I was barely moving.  Eventually, though, bad habits returned. (I blame my mother, who has a sweet tooth worse than mine, but that's another story.)

Now that I am more mobile and planning to get back to work soon, I wanted a healthy snack, so with not much in the cupboards, I decided to try roasting a can of chickpeas. I'm glad I did, because they were amazing!

After taking almost 10 minutes to open the damn can, what with my weak wrist and arm, I rinsed the chickpeas then spread them out on a tea towel to dry them off as much as possible.

Once you start removing the skins, it's hard to stop!
I had read somewhere that they roast better with the skins removed, so I rubbed the chickpeas in the towel to remove as many as possible. Nothing says "I have nowhere to go" like skinning individual chickpeas, but I kept at it; it was weirdly addictive...

Roasting on foil made clean-up easy.
I put the dried chickpeas on a foil-lined baking sheet, and poured on some grapeseed oil.  I find it's better than olive oil at making things crispy.  Then I sprinkled on some cayenne pepper, chipotle chilli powder, smoked paprika, and Maldon salt, all to taste.  I used my hands to make sure everything was evenly coated, then into a 400° oven for 30 minutes, shaking the tray half way through to ensure even cooking. Just before serving, sprinkle on a little more salt if needed.


I am trying desperately to stop eating them, but they are addictive- spicy, crunchy, and good for you.

Update:  They do lose their crunch after a while; I'm going to try reheating them to see if that perks them up...

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

1 can chickpeas
Spices of your choice- I used cayenne pepper, chipotle chilli powder, and smoked paprika
Maldon salt
Grapeseed (or other) oil.

Rinse and dry chickpeas, and remove the skins if you have nothing to do for a few minutes.  Tumble onto a foil-lined baking sheet, pour on some oil, add whatever spices you like, then toss to coat.

Roast in a preheated 400° oven for 30 minutes, shaking the tray halfway through to ensure even crispiness.

Serve immediately for the most crunch.


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