Snack Time: Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

Snack? Salad topping? Soup or hummus garnish? They all work. This is the best method I've found to roast them without a lot of oil and still be very crispy. This batch of two cups calls for just 1 teaspoon of olive oil. The spices are up to you but I recommend that you go easy on the salt. Taste after seasoning. If you're too conservative, you can always add more after second pass in the oven. Just make sure you season them while they're still hot. Because the size of the chickpeas will vary, there may be a few that brown 'more aggressively' (the polite way to say, you might get a couple that look burned) than the rest - just pick them out. I found about 5 in this batch. Keep an eye on them during the last 5 minutes, after they've been seasoned.

How you choose to season isn't limited to any particular spices. Just be careful of things that might easily burn, like herbs. The next batch I make are going to be seasoned with chipotle powder. Or maybe barbecue. Salt and vinegar?

RECIPE: SPICED ROASTED CHICKPEAS
Makes 1 3/4-ish cups
The options for spicing are wide open so get creative! It's very important that the chickpeas are thoroughly dry before being roasted. Otherwise, they're just going to steam during the first round of cooking.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained of any liquid (rinsed, if canned) and then drained for at least a couple more hours (or overnight, covered and in the refrigerator) in a colander, set over a bowl.
• 1 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 (to start) teaspoon kosher salt.
• 1/2 teaspoon commercial curry powder
• 1 or more pinches of cayenne (start with one unless you are confident about your relationship with hot and spicy)

Preparation

• Pre-heat the oven to 425F, rack in the middle, have a bowl ready for the hot chickpeas when you're ready to season them.
• Spread the thoroughly drained and dry chickpeas on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes. Shake the pan and turn it 180 degrees and cook it for an additional 5-10 minutes. The chickpeas should be darker in color with some darker brown spots.
• Take the baking sheet out of the oven and remove the chickpeas to the bowl.
• Add the olive oil and toss. Add the salt, curry powder, cayenne powder and toss thoroughly.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust. When you are satisfied, spread the seasoned chickpeas on the baking sheet and return it to the oven for 5 minutes.
• Serve warm. Store refrigerated in an air-tight container.