Ladies and Gentlemen..

May I Present The Magical

Chickpea

 

 

 

 

I know we have spoken about healthy snacking, but did you ever think about chickpeas as an option??  One of my favorite snacks are home made Roasted Chickpeas.  I'm sure they are not the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about snacking, but my husband loves them! The jury is still out on the kids....but I don't give up!!!

 

Let me give you a little background as to why this little bean should be at the top of your "Clean Eating" snack list.  Chickpeas, also known as Garbanzo Beans were originally cultivated in the Middle East and the Mediterranean, but you can find them included in Greek, Indian, and Italian foods as well.  Come on now, Hummus is all the rage and how many of you know that its made from Chickpeas??   I actually stand in the supermarket aisle staring at the endless varieties of Hummus while salivating like Wimpy waiting for a burger.....it reminds me of when I was a little kid standing in the local 7 Eleven candy aisle with a quarter in my hand and too many choices!!!  Remember those days??

 

Ok, back to current day Alison... so a chickpea is actually a legume and they are loaded with both protein and fiber....music to my ears, not mention my heart!!!  They also contain potassium, vitamin B-6 and vitamin C which collectively help promote heart health.   Did you also know that chickpeas can also help prevent cancer??  Chickpeas contain both selenium and folate.  Selenium is involved in liver enzyme function, which can detoxify some cancer causing compounds in our bodies and folate plays a role in the repair and synthesis of DNA which studies have shown can help prevent the formation of cancer cells caused by mutations in DNA.  Holy chickpea Batman!!!  And how about that fiber??  We all know that consuming a snack rich in fiber helps us to feel "full" longer, which also helps us to stop checking our watches for our next "feeding time." Works for me!!!  

 

Just to get you started on your Chickpea voyage, I'm going to give you my recipe for Roasted Chickpeas:

 

Here's what you'll need:

 

• 2 (15 ounces) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray
• 2 Teaspoons paprika (I sometimes use smoked salt or garlic powder, but the fun is you can play with the spices you use depending upon your taste so have fun!!!)
• Salt to your taste

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray your baking sheet with the vegetable oil spray.  Next, after you have rinsed and drained your chickpeas, allow them to dry thoroughly on paper towels.  Once dried, toss your chickpeas with your olive oil, salt, and spices in a bowl.  Arrange the chickpeas on your baking sheet in single layer.  Place the baking sheet in the center of your oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour.  Make sure you shift the beans around at about the 30 minute mark.  Once the time is up, allow them to cool for at least 1 hour (they will get that yummy crunchy texture when they cool).  Now, enjoy!!!  I promise you that you will get lots of attention eating them as a snack.....I always offer them so people can try them and they are always pleasantly surprised!!!  I hope you are too!!