Roast Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

You have begged and begged me for the recipes from my Lunchbox Inspiration post, so here is one of my favourites:

Roast Chickpeas:

These are great just like they are – I snack on them throughout the day, and put a small handful in the kids lunchboxes when we have them on hand.  They are also lovely sprinkled over salads.

My 1 year old loves these as a snack, and I love giving them to her as a snack as it can keep her busy for a short while in her highchair, practising fine motor-skills picking up chickpeas one by one!

To make then an even more thrifty choice, prepare your own dried chickpeas by soaking them overnight, then discarding the water and cooking them for 20 mins or until tender, covered in fresh water.  To make it a quick, easy snack to prepare just drain and rinse a tin of chickpeas.

Roast Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans):

Ingredients:

• 2 tins of chickpeas, rinsed thoroughly (or about 3 cups of cooked chickpeas)
• 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons of herbs or spices of your choice (see below for ideas)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200C
2. Rinse the chickpeas and pat dry
3. In a bowl mix the oil and seasonings together
4. Add the chickpeas and toss til coated thoroughly
5. Arrange on a baking sheet (I find a rimmed one works best) and bake for 35-45 mins until crisp.  Shake the tray every now and again while cooking.
6. Store in an airtight container once cool

Seasoning suggestions:

• 3 tsp garam masala
• 3 tsp Italian herbs
• 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• make these as a sweet treat by replacing half the olive oil with honey, and using 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg and a pinch of salt

Just experiment, and get the kids to help choose seasonings with you.  You could create different spice mixes and name them – we are forever naming new recipes in our house, and the kids are getting quite creative now.

Please share any other seasoning combinations you come up with!

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Is Soaking and Cooking Dried Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) Worth It? Garlic and Herb Grain-Free Crackers Mac and Not Cheese – gluten and dairy free Sunflower Seed Butter