Savory or Sweet Roasted Chickpeas

First lets answer the most important question here.. What's the difference between a chickpea and a garbanzo bean? Easy answer, nothing! What they are referred to mainly depends on the region you live geographically or your culinary background.

Using beneficial foods, such as chickpeas, in a versatile way is important for variety and nutrients in our diets. Chickpeas are one of my favorite ingredients to play around with. Some ways I like to fix them are: homemade hummus, warmed in a sauté pan with garlic and other seasonings or BBQ sauce, used as a substitute for eggs in "egg salad", and of course why we're here... pan roasted in the oven. There are a couple main reasons why these can be the perfect legume to add to your standard diet.

Protein: There are approximately 15 grams of protein per cup of cooked chickpeas. Though it is not a problem for many people, a good way to ensure you are getting complete proteins with legumes is to use complementary proteins. For chickpeas I will customarily eat them with whole grains or make sure I get whole grains somewhat close to consuming them.

Fiber: The majority of fiber in chickpeas is insoluble and therefore good for our digestive health. Fiber is also said to help lower overall cholesterol and can control blood-sugar. One cup of cooked chickpeas contains about 12 grams of fiber; which is approximately half the recommendation for women, depending on age. A general guideline for fiber recommendation is 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed.

Other minerals/nutrients found in chickpeas you may be curious about are: selenium, iron, manganese, folate, and choline. (to name some)

One of my favorite ways to enjoy these little morsels? Roasted until they are nice and crispy. Both styles I like to make start out in a similar way. 

Though I consider myself to be a planner I typically don't plan enough in advance to soak dry chickpeas. If you would like to try this simply cover the dry chickpeas with plenty of cold water and soak them overnight; expect them to double in size. I don't prefer canned vegetables or fruits but for chickpeas it doesn't get any easier than canned. So here begins the recipe...
First open your can of chickpeas and rinse them thoroughly. I like to spread them out on a paper towel to make sure there isn't a puddle of water in the bowl with them. Next comes the seasonings for whichever style I am craving.



For savory I toss them with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and cracked black pepper then put them on a baking sheet for about 30-40 minutes tossing them roughly every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. They come out crispy and kind of taste like french fries. For other savory options try adding seasonings like cumin, cayenne, or garlic and Parmesan cheese.
For a sweeter option I toss them in coconut oil and cinnamon using the same baking instructions as the savory. Then I add brown sugar and/or coconut sugar the last five minutes and stir on baking sheet so it doesn't burn and become bitter throughout the cooking process.

What becomes your final product is a crispy, homemade snack, that if you're like me you will eat way too many of... No verdict yet on which is our favorite flavor combination, but I will happily continue doing the research.




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