Roasted, Toasted Roarin’ Chickpeas

This week, I’m excited to introduce my very first guest blogger (and bestie): Madison Suarez! Newly engaged (holla!) and a fellow writing enthusiast, Madison shares her recipe for her Roasted, Toasted Roarin’ Chickpeas below! (Be sure to check out her blog, Happily Hangry!)

I grew up deprived. Deprived of certain foods. My mom is a picky eater, and my brother is cut from the same cloth—the most exotic vegetable I ate growing up were fresh green beans or corn on the cob, both seasoned with salt, pepper and butter only. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, don’t get me wrong. I just missed out on a LOT of “exotic” food.

For example, it took me 26 years to discover the glory of Chickpeas.

Sure they’re in most salad bars, served as side dishes, in many vegetarian dishes. And college was a time of self-discovery (hard-boiled eggs, quesadillas, my very own chili!). I still wasn’t exposed to them. It took going to a nutritionist—“Give ‘em a shot. Protein-packed little suckers,” she said—to realize exactly how much I had been missing.

Since this summer I’ve been experimenting with them a few times a week: hummus, sautéed with spinach, burgers, check. I wanted more. It wasn’t until a stay in a Seattle hotel with a bougie vegetarian menu that I stumbled upon ROASTED CHICKPEAS.

After a few tweaks based on my sensitivities to life, I had my new favorite snack.

Roasted, Toasted Roarin’ Chickpeas

You’ll need:

1 can of Chickpeas
Some Olive Oil
Your favorite spices
Baking sheet
Strainer
A ton of paper towels

Then you’ll

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Pop open your can of chickpeas, dump into a strainer and rinse those little guys. I removed the skin (because it was almost kinda fun, to be honest) but you can leave them on if you’re crunched for time.
Once your beans are washed, spread evenly on a layer of paper towels to dry. Use another layer of paper towels to absorb moisture from the top, and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Be patient because dryer pre-cooked beans = crunchier cooked beans!

Time to toss ‘em with Olive Oil and your favorite spices. I used:
- Cayenne Pepper
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Paprika
- Cumin
Mix it all together and pour onto a non-greased baking sheet. Toast for 20 minutes or until they meet your crunch desire.
Keeping your baking sheet of beans in the oven, turn the oven OFF and leave the door cracked open. Let them cool IN THE OVEN for an additional 10 minutes.
EAT! I don’t have a trick for storing. Hurry.