Another football weekend and so the snacking begins. We go through pounds of Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Dip – it’s really the House Dip - and I am expected to have it ready and waiting by Friday night. Today I got to make it on Channel 5’s Talk of the Town with Lelan Statom. By all observations (lots of snackers) they loved it! They also enjoyed the Firecrackers from a previous blog that I brought in. It was so much fun!
Along with the dip, I’m always looking for something new to bring to the (coffee) table, for snacking. It’s not that the guys don’t love popcorn, nuts, and cookies – anything they can pick up without actually looking at it – but sometimes it’s nice to break the mold. Recently I surprised the TV watching crowd with a crispy little treat that was gobbled up so quickly I’ve decided to always double the recipe. The bowl was almost empty and everyone had made happy snacking sounds before anyone asked me what they were eating.
When I said Crispy Chickpeas, I expected a reaction but no one even looked in my direction. My son did ask if there were anymore. I think that was a compliment. I have to admit that these little peas are addictive. Besides snacking here are a few more ideas for Crispy Chickpeas. We loved them tossed in a salad for an unexpected crunch. A handful crushed on top of a creamy pasta dish was marvelous. I wonder if you could dip them in chocolate? Hmmm. You feel free to experiment, but first you have to make them. This is so easy a three year old could do it. Well, maybe not the oven part – but here you go- open a can of chickpeas, drain them, dry them off, roll them in salt and olive oil, then bake. Done. You are a snacking super hero and you’ve hardly had to lift a finger. Now that is a recipe to brag about!
Ingredients
2 cans of chickpeas
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 – 2 tsp sea salt (or flavored liked smoked salt)
Optional: cayenne powder, garlic powder, chili powder – really any way you want to spice it up.
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain chickpeas in a colander and spread on a clean dishtowel to dry for about 10 minutes. Roll them around a bit.
Put chickpeas in a mixing bowl, add oil, and salt and stir to combine.
Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes.
Remove pan and shake to redistribute peas making sure none are stuck,
Return to oven and bake another 40 minutes.
Cool for about 30 minutes and enjoy. They get crunchier as they cool!
