Simple, quick and delicious protein and fiber packed little balls of goodness. I have to make sure I have people to share them with or I will eat them all. It’s also the prefect pregnancy snack!
You can use whatever seasonings you feel like or enjoy or are just craving at the moment. These are an awesome alternative to potato chips and croutons. They add great texture to soups and salads. Seasonings and herbs are a great way to pack a lot of punch and even nutritional benefits without the added calories, so season up!
If you can, cook the garbanzo beans at home from scratch. It is so easy and takes no time at all. You are ensuring that you aren’t getting any additional chemicals, additives or sodium in your food too.
To use fresh (dried garbanzo beans) you will need to start by soaking them over night. To do this place them in a large bowl and cover them with fresh water and lay a towel over them to keep any debris and dust out of the water. Once they are throughly soaked, rinse them and place them in a large pot and cover with fresh cold water. I also add a large piece of Kombu for added nutrients, flavor and to help break down some of the gasses in the beans. You could also substitute fennel, cumin or a few slices of ginger for similar benefits. With the cover slightly ajar, bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the chickpeas for 1 – 1 1/2 hours until they are tender. It will really depend on how long you have soaked them for. If you occasionally scrape the foam from the top of the water during the cooking process you will also reduce the amount of gas stored in those beans as well. The gas comes from the chemical reactions that occurs when the protein and starch in the beans are broken down together. Hence why those traditional beans and franks tend to make people a stinky.
Chickpeas are rich in folate (essential for those pregnant mamas out there), fiber, protein, vitamin A, calcium, magnesium and choline (important for the those tiny growing brains).
Chickpea Poppers
Servings: Not nearly enough
Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty: soooo easy
You may need to cook them a little longer then I recommended depending on your oven. Just keep testing them until they reach your preferred level of crunchiness. Also note, they will get a little crunchier after they cool.
Ingredients
2 cups of cooked chickpeas, if you are using canned beans be sure they are from a BPA-free can and rinse them first.
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper or more if you’d like
1 tsp of extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of dried dill or 2 tsp of fresh
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of nutritional yeast
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Place the chickpeas on a towel and lightly roll them to remove any excess moistutre
Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and toss them gently with the cayenne pepper, olive oil, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dill and fresh cracked pepper.
Place them in the middle of the oven and bake them approximately 20 minutes. Shake the pan to loosen them up a bit and then continue to cook them for another 10-15 minutes, until they reach your desired crunchiness, which in our house is pretty crunchy.
You can try to let them cool before you eat them but that may not happen…