crispy pimenton chickpea.

Oh the chickpea!  As someone who tries to eat less meat on a daily basis, I should be offsetting that by trying to eat more legumes.  Beans are good!  They are cheap, they are nutritious, and they have the fiber and protein I need (I sound like a terrible commercial I know but it's all true) - but even with all the being said, they aren't a part of my daily eating's.  Sure I throw can's of beans in chili's and soups.  I've made side dishes of braised vegetables and beans, but they also seem to be regaled as something to just be added to the pot after the fact.  It's such a sad tale, but its true. 

Chickpeas, Garbanzo's whatever you feel like calling them is a bean I love but tend to avoid cooking with - the reason being there may have been an incident where I made hummus from dried beans.  I soaked my beans overnight as the directions indicated and the next day added them to the Cuisinart not realizing I was missing a teeny tiny step involved - the step where one cooks the beans.  And of course, I am making hummus in preparation for my birthday party that I was hosting myself that night.  At that point, I called my mom in tears not understanding why the hummus she makes is smooth as silk with no chunks, and here i was sitting with a chunky mixture of raw chickpeas and olive oil.  Under her mommy guidance I realized there was no way to salvage this one as much as Tyler tried, and into the composter it went. 

The below recipe is my first fore ray back into cooking with chickpeas.  It involves canned chickpeas (no cooking there!) and my favorite spice smoked paprika(!). They can be consumed just as is or they make a lovely topping on rice or added into a salad with tuna.  I've even envisioning them tucked into a frittata. 

Crispy Pimenton Chickpeas
Recipe From Big Girls Small Kitchens
Makes 4 Cups

Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (4 cups), rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika (pimenton)
½ teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Use a dish towel or a salad spinner to make sure the chickpeas are as dry as possible. Lay them flat on a non-stick baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, then shake to redistribute, and cook for 10 minutes more. Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Add the roasted chickpeas and toss until well coated. Return the chickpeas to the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5 more minutes, until very fragrant. Serve warm or at room temperature.