ROASTED CHICKPEAS: 3 WAYS

Spring is a tease isn't it? Last night, with warm in the air, I imagined waking to a bright spring day bursting with opportunity. I dreamed of daffodils and tulips and sunshine and taking my girls out of hibernation and into the sweet fresh air.

It snowed to today.

Iced really.

At one point the snow/ice was coming down parallel. To the ground.

Snow in April is a good way to tick a girl [or three girls] off. Flakes past February will very quickly send me to grouch-ville and my girls to stir-crazy city, both places I really don't enjoy visiting [loath in fact].

To be fair, up until mid-march I was in good spirits about the lingering cold weather. Last growing season forever imprinted on me the importance of spring being cool and summer staying at bay until May. No apples, pears, peaches and most other tree fruit reminded me that we have seasons for a reason and adjustments in climate really do matter.

But that was last year and this is today and today it snowed. In April. The end of April. Bah.

So I did what I usually do to break the stir-crazy and detox the grouch. I put the girls in the bath to splash it out and then my 2 1/2-year old and I did yoga and cheers-ed over tea while the baby napped. Bring on the zen.

One of my daughter's and my favorite winter, pre-spring greens, pre-summer bounty treat is roasted chickpeas [or garbanzo beans]. We make them spicy, sweet and salty, and savory. My daughter eats them by the handful and I love them plain or on salads or in stir-fries.

They make a great travel snack and are an awesome stand-in for all of those unhealthy snacks when the salt craving hits or sugar bug bites. Full of protein, they satisfy a hungry, demanding, growing kid - at least until lunch.

Take this basic recipe and make it your own. Adapt it to the flavors you like and enjoy or mimic your favorite salty/sweet snack. If you love barbecue, make your favorite sauce, lightly toss the beans, and roast. Salt and pepper chips? Toss and roast. Salt and vinegar? You get the picture.

Below are a few of our favorites.

Here's to the final days of winter-y weather. Enjoy!

[THE RECIPES]

Basic Recipe

1/4 c. coconut or extra virgin olive oil [I love the taste of coconut oil but EVOO is a fine substitute]
4 c. cooked chickpeas [cooking instructions]
Celtic sea salt, to taste

Mildly Spicy


Add to basic recipe:
1 - 2 T. paprika
1 T. cumin
pinch or two chipotle powder

Sweet and Salty


Add to basic recipe:
2 - 3 T. honey or maple syrup, or to taste

Italian

Add to basic recipe:
2 - 3 T. Italian seasoning

Toss cooked beans, salt, and seasoning on choice in a large glass bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place the baking rack in the middle of the oven. Pour oil onto a rimmed baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the oven and heat until oil is very hot but not smoking. [Note: smoking means the oil has gotten too hot and quality has been compromised. At this point the oil actually has negative effects on your body and should not be consumed.]

When oil is hot, gently pour prepared beans onto baking sheet being extremely careful not to splatter the hot oil. Bake the chickpeas until they begin to crisp. This could be anywhere from 10 - 20 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer the beans to a bowl lined with an old cloth or paper towel [you can use the same one you used for mixing] and let cool. Serve warm or place in a tight-fitting jar and store in the refrigerator for a week. For longer storage, keep in the freezer.

We love pairing it with any one of these drinks:

Chamomile Latte
Ginger Chai
Spiced Pumpkin Latte
Tea Berry Shake
Apricot Roobois Flurry
Spring Detox Tea
Creme De Menthe
Cappucinno