chickpea power

i have never been a fan of chickpeas... until recently. i haven't introduced either of the twins to meat yet and so when looking for extra ways to get protein into their diets i have been on the hunt for new ways to present them bean, lentils & of course, chickpeas. chickpeas are an excellent dose of both fibre & protein.

here is one of our family's favourite finds... i think i'm addicted!

Parmesan Roasted Chickpeas

2 (15 ounce) cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice from 1/2 a lemon (~ 1 1/2 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan

After you have rinsed and drained your chickpeas, spread them out on a paper towel to dry. Allow to dry about 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parmesan until everything is well mixed. Add the chickpeas and gently stir to coat. You will probably have a few loose skins, just pick them off and discard.

Spread the chickpeas on a baking sheet. Make sure they aren’t too crowded; you don’t want any to overlap. Roast in the preheated oven until the chickpeas and dry and crisp, about 50-60 minutes. A few times during the roasting, open the oven and mix the ‘peas up a bit. The key is to roast them long enough so they get crispy, but not so long that they burn. Watch them closely once you hit the 50 minute mark so you can find your magic minute and have a nice, crispy, but not burnt result!

You can also try mixing it up by changing the dressing to something a little more sweet than savoury like Maple Syrup & Spice Chickpeas ( use 1/8 cup pure maple syrup, 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger instead and only cook for 20-30 minutes).