Mother Love

RECIPE :: ROASTED CHICKPEAS

January 29, 2014

I love eating chickpeas, whether that’s just plain and cold on top of a salad, or whirred into hummus, or in a soup or stir fry, or in chocolate chip cookies (this is better than it sounds, trust me!). But my new and absolute favorite way to eat them is roasted.

I had seen a few recipes for this years ago and had given it a try, but they didn’t turn out very well, which I now realize was because I didn’t actually roast them long enough. Instead of turning crispy, they were just soggy and mediocre.

A few weeks ago, I decided to give roasted chickpeas another go and this time the results were far above what I was expecting. Now I just can’t stop making them!

Curried + Roasted Chickpeas

1 – 15 oz. can garbanzo beans/chickpeas
1/2 T. olive oil
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Drain and rinse the chickpeas; lay out to dry (they need to be pretty dry before roasting).

Combine chickpeas, oil, and spices until evenly coated. Spread onto a baking sheet in an even layer and bake at 400 degrees until browned and crisp, about thirty minutes (shake pan occasionally for even browning). Remove the pan from oven for ten minutes, lower temperature to 350 degrees, and return pan to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes (roasting time will vary based on how dry the beans are to start with) until crispy. Store in an airtight container.

Notes:
Any combination of spices can be used, and the amounts listed here are a bit conservative. I tend to just pour in until it feels right.

I usually leave the pan in the oven after the final roasting (after turning off the oven), if the chickpeas need just a tad more crisp.

I really like to put these on top of a salad…it’s like a crouton! We’ve also sprinkled them on soups and just eaten them by the handful. Enjoy!

PS. I’m running an online closet sale via Instagram starting today! If you want to join in, follow this account.

What about you: do you eat chickpeas, and how do you like them?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

COMING HOME

January 27, 2014

I love to travel and see new places, but there is really nothing quite like coming home.

We had a great time during our two-week trip to Texas, and it was nice to have a warm, sunshiney break from the cold northern winter (although we did find it a little ironic that two days before we head for home Texas gets hit with a snow storm that typically happens once a decade). We spent our first weekend in San Antonio, and minus a few flight issues and lost luggage on our way there, we had a fun time exploring the city. We spent a lot of time on the Riverwalk, which is a really neat place with beautiful architecture, restaurants, and shops. My favorite part was being able to dine al fresco, because I really do think food tastes better when you eat it outside. We found some neat eateries, and had some good Tex-Mex cuisine while we were there. It felt great to walk around in short sleeves and flip-flops again!

We spent the rest of the two weeks in the country side of central Texas, so we got to see the “real” Texas life as well. I’ve never seen sunsets as brilliant and beautiful as the ones we saw there…it was absolutely breathtaking. I also really appreciated the higher-than-average speed limits…seventy miles on country roads gets you where you’re going pretty fast!

We arrived back in New York on Saturday, and were promptly reminded that it is indeed still very much winter here. That isn’t all a bad thing, in my book, since I’m actually not quite ready to pack away the scarves and sweaters and winter boots. Today is cold and very windy, so I don’t think I will be stepping foot outside any more than absolutely necessary! All I want to do is be in my warm home, clean something (i’ve pretty much been on a vacation for the last two weeks and just want to clean something, anything!), whip something up in my kitchen, and drink something warm and cozy all day.

It’s good to be home.

What about you: do you find yourself loving to travel, but loving to come home as well?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!