spring suckerpunch
Recipe: roasted chickpeas
We’re in the middle of some crazy heat wave over here. 70s on the flats, 50s in the mountains. Snow can’t survive that kind of weather for long and I’m hoping for the cold to return so that we might enjoy more than a meager month’s worth of proper winter (that was February). But this warm spell is certainly conducive to the whole “Spring is coming” mantra. To be honest, it’s pretty great weather for getting together with friends. My pal, Kat, had her birthday on Monday, so I hosted her for a few days at my house in the mountains. Jeremy and I treated Kat to Community Night at The Kitchen, which really is the absolute best dinner deal in Boulder if you love good food (and who doesn’t?). If you haven’t been before, I implore you to put that one on your list of things to do.
the community table
among our favorite dishes: duck and prosciutto meatballs
heavenly tagliatelle with lardo, egg, black trumpet mushrooms, parmesan, truffle salt
scallops in celeriac purΓ©e, blood orange beurre blanc, fennel
Oh, that was a wonderful evening, but the celebration continued with lunch at Sushi Tora, buying some wines, and hitting up a few of our favorite places around town like Cured, Boxcar Coffee Roasters, Whole Foods on Pearl (not all Whole Foods are equal – our Boulder store on Pearl is beyond amazing, truly).
fy to the i: sushi tora now has ramen on their specials menu – and it rocked our world
Last night, Jeremy and I changed the sheets and towels in the guest room for our next visitor who arrives this evening. It’s definitely less stressful having friends over when the weather isn’t freezing cold, the winds aren’t trying to blow your house down, and the roads aren’t covered in a slick of ice and snow. Spring and summer entertaining in the mountains is easy, fun, and relaxed. It puts me in the mood for appetizers, snacks, and party foods.
chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
ground spices: cumin, coriander, chile, paprika, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cayenne, cloves
Some time last year, I saw roasted chickpeas making the rounds on blogs. Friends raved about them. They were a healthy, crunchy snack that could be sweet or savory. I decided to try Kalyn’s version because the Moroccan spices appealed to my savory cravings. This was back in the day, before I was gifted my precious pressure cooker. I used canned chickpeas back then. Today I cook dried chickpeas in the pressure cooker (and they’re awesome).
pat the chickpeas dry
add some olive oil and your choice of spices
toss to coat
I’ve seen some recipes call for removing the skins of the chickpeas and others that don’t. That’s up to you. If you do peel them off, it doesn’t take much time to do. It’s a quick snack to make and if you prefer sweet, go for something with cinnamon or whatever you like.
pour them onto a baking sheet
spread them in a single layer
bake to a deep golden color
If you overbake the chickpeas, they become kinda hard. I like them “just” crunchy, but not soggy. My first batch was overcrunchy, but I reduced the baking time by 3 minutes and they were perfect. All ovens behave differently, so you should taste test the chickpeas as they near that golden color. These roasted chickpeas are not only terrific to just pop into your mouth, but Kalyn’s recommendation for sprinkling them over salads is another great idea. I think these make a nice substitute for cocktail nuts too.
party food
a versatile snack
Roasted Chickpeas
[print recipe]
from Kalyn’s Kitchen
2 cans or 30 oz. cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tsp Moroccan spice mix
1/2 tsp salt
moroccan spice mix
2 tsps ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cayenne
pinch ground cloves
Moroccan spice mix: Mix together.
Roasted chickpeas: Preheat the oven to 350Β°F. Rinse the chickpeas (garbanzo beans) with cold water and drain. Let sit for ten minutes then pat dry with a kitchen towel. In a medium bowl, toss the chickpeas with olive oil, spice, and salt until evenly coated. Spread the chickpeas out on a rimmed baking sheet, making sure they are in a single layer. Bake for 40-50 minutes (mine took about 45 minutes) until deep golden. Kalyn says they should rattle when you shake the pan. Remove from heat and let cool. Makes about 2 cups (they shrink).
March 15th, 2012 at 2:26 pm
I love a good roasted chickpea!
March 15th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
Superb chickpea recipe. Love it!!
March 15th, 2012 at 11:46 pm
I love chickpeas, so of course this sounds awesome!
March 16th, 2012 at 5:12 am
So glad you pointed out ramen at Tora. I’ve been looking for something to mix into my Zoe Ma Ma routine, and that’ll do perfectly. Yum.
March 16th, 2012 at 7:56 am
yummy! thanks for reminding me about roasted chickpeas. The spice mix looks goooood. time to make some! i love your pictures :)
March 16th, 2012 at 8:52 am
I am going to try roasted chickpeas this weekend! I’ve never had them….
March 16th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Great recipe – highly recommended!!
March 16th, 2012 at 7:03 pm
ain’t nuttin’ better than a chickpea!
I LOVE that you have given the recipe for the Moroccan spice mix. :)
March 17th, 2012 at 9:11 am
So glad you enjoyed the roasted chickpeas!
What a wonderful dinner you had. I do have fond memories of some wonderful dinners in Boulder. Hope I can make it there sometime and have dinner with you guys!
March 20th, 2012 at 4:56 am
I’ve never used allspice before so I don’t have any on hand. Since I don’t envision using it in the future, I’m a bit disinclined to buy it specifically for this recipe. Do you think omitting it would make much of a difference?
March 22nd, 2012 at 4:08 pm
Sherry, if you want you can make the allspice (or something similar) yourself by combining: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves – all are ground spices. It will give you double the amount from what the recipe calls for, but the rest could be used for adding in tea or another recipe.
March 24th, 2012 at 12:36 am
Bing – well, it’s on the menu for now, but it’s a “temporary” item. We need to make sure they know how much we love it.
megan – thanks!
Rocky Mountain Woman – they are crunchy :)
Kalyn – thanks, hon. And yes, whenever you’re in town, do let me know xo
Sherry – I think you can get away without it, but cherie leaves a nice suggestion for you to try.
cherie – thanks!
May 10th, 2012 at 7:19 am
I’ve just made my first batch! Before I read this! Next time, maybe in an hour or so’s time, I will try it your way. Mine didn’t come out badly, just had no idea that olive oil was used & spices!!!! I had mine with plain salt & I’ll definitely peal them next time. Thanks for all the tips. Love the allspice mix too!
;-)