Chickpeas

I was a weird kid.  Shocking, right?  One of my favorite things to eat was 3 bean salad.  You've seen it on salad bars and pot luck tables for years.  Usually a combination of kidney beans, green beans or wax beans and the star in my opinion, garbanzo beans (or as more commonly known as chickpeas).  They are seasoned with a great combination of salty and tangy I have always liked them.  

Peep, peep little chickpeas!

Now that I am older I still enjoy 3 bean salad but I know I can cut out the middle man and just have the chickpeas on their own.  There are lots of yummy things you can do with chickpeas...hummus, falafel, add to a soup, curry or roast them.  Depending on time you can use canned chickpeas or make your own.  I am about 50/50 on what I use. When I make my own I usually make a large batch of hummus and roast the rest.

My hummus is simple...drained chickpeas, salt, lemon and garlic (I use fresh and roasted) and let it go in a food processor until it is the consistency you want.  You might have to use some of the reserved liquid to thin it out.  Homemade chickpeas seem a little grittier to me so I have to blend them longer.  Also, the fresh garlic has quite a bite so start with half a clove and add a little bit more at a time...the garlic flavor also seems to intensify as it sits.  This is great with fresh veggies, as a sauce for chicken or even a salad dressing.

To roast them, as pictured, I drain and dry them with a paper towel, put them on a baking pan in one layer and then drizzle a little bit of coconut or olive oil on them (about 1/2 tablespoon) and sprinkle some garlic salt on them.  Shake them till they are well coated and pop them in a 400 degree and depending on how roasted you want them, I usually check and shake them after 10 minutes and then let leave them in for another 10 minutes.

When they are done they remind me of unpopped popcorn kernels or cornuts.  Little nuggets of yum!  I like them plain, straight out of the oven but they are also good as a side dish.