O Chickpea I Heart You

veganmofo

I don’t know why but lately it feels like the day zooms by and suddenly it’s bedtime and I’ve barely touched my “to-do” list. What’s up with that?I keep thinking, OK tomorrow I’ll have time to do “X.” And then tomorrow whizzes by and it’s the next day.

A lot of people have been asking me lately, “how do you get your protein?” (Anyone else ever get that question??? ;) )

One way I get my protein is by eating beans. If I had to name my most favorite bean I would have to say the chickpea. Also knows as the “garbanzo bean, I use chickpeas to make homemade hummus,

White and green chickpeas

White and green chickpeas. Credit: Wikipedia

falafel, and Indian dishes such as Chana Saag (chickpeas and spinach). I love tossing them into salads. After reading Isa‘s recipe for Fronch Toast, I recently used chickpea flour to make my Coconut Peanut Butter and Banana French Toast recipe, which was amazing. With a few herbs and spices added they are even great eaten straight out of the can! I especially love to roast chickpeas, which is what I did tonight.

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Here are a few fun facts about chickpeas:

  • Chickpeas, which originated in the Middle East, are one of the oldest cultivated veggies – they have been carbon dated back to 6790BC
  • There are two main types of chickpeas: Desi (darker, smaller seeds, rough coat) and Kubuli (lighter colored, larger seeds, smooth coat)
  • Recent studies show that chickpeas can help lower cholesterol
  • Chick peas are high in fiber, protein, zinc, and folate

ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Ingredients

  • 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1-2 Tbs olive oil (NOT extra virgin)
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed
  • chili powder
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. On the stove, heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds stirring constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
  4. Add the chickpeas, chili powder, salt, and pepper to and mix thoroughly.
  5. Put the skillet in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
  6. Enjoy straight out of the oven or add to salads or pasta.

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