Chickpeas, please

I've yet to meet a chickpea that I don't like, and this is one of my favorite ways to make them. Super easy, tasty, quick, and they are so good it seems like they should be really bad for you, but they're not!! No guilt with these little beans. :) 

You can buy these canned, but since I'm cheap (and freaked out by the goo in canned beans) I buy them dry and soak them. Dry chickpeas look exactly like little rocks, and they're also called garbanzo beans. Soak them overnight, then cook on low for a couple of hours and drain. 

After you've drained them, pat off the excess water with a towel - the drier they are the crispier they'll get in the oven. 

Stick the chickpeas in a bowl (I use about 1 1/2 - 2 cups) and drizzle a few teaspoons of olive oil over them. Then season with whatever you're in the mood for - I used lemon pepper and sea salt today, but I also really like curry mixtures, Tony Chachere's, or sometimes Mrs.Dash. 

Mix it around good to coat, then spread everything out on a baking sheet.  

I use my 10-year-old Pampered Chef baking stone. I have nightmares about the day this thing gets broken - it is truly one of the treasures of my life....loved, blackened, and seasoned to perfection. I especially love using the stone for these because I preheat the stone in the oven, which makes the chickpeas nice and crispy. 

 

Bake for about 25 minutes at 425*. Only make what you'll eat in the next few hours because they don't keep well, but I doubt you'll have a problem finishing them. ;) 

On another (but equally tasty) note, I bought myself a Valentine's Day gift. It arrived this week and I am now clothed in the glory of the Avett Brothers. ;) 

I also bought some laminated Nicey Jane cotton and recovered our bar stools. They were a health hazard with who knows what caked on them, but after a reupholstery job and a good scrubbing are good as new. Pictures forthcoming.