For those of you that aren’t college basketball fans, you might not realize that right now is the most wonderful time of year for those of us that are. It is March, which means that, starting this week, you’re going to see lots of people freaking the hell out about basketball. This is the time of year when college basketball fans will tune into just about any game, regardless of who is playing, because chances are, something remarkable is going to happen. And our house is no exception. The NCAA Selection Show was last night and my beloved Indiana Hoosiers are going dancin’. Woohoo! And that means, for the next few weeks, it will be all basketball, all the time, and that’s how we like it here in Indiana. After all, there is a movie all about how obsessed us Hoosiers are with our beloved sport.
And yes, we’ve already figured out how we’re going to watch all of the games while we’re on vacation next week. A vacation from work and life does not equal a vacation from basketball. After all, you can’t take a break from your religion.
Back-to-back-to-back basketball games means a lot of time plopped on the couch and not a lot of time in the kitchen. It’s human nature to want to snack during a marathon sports session, so my goal with this recipe was to create a pop-able snack that we could munch on all throughout the next few weeks.
Roasted chickpeas are nothing new in the food world, but they are a new thing in my world and I’m totally digging them right now. Sure you probably don’t need another roasted chickpea recipe, but if I was enjoying these this much, I figure I should at least put it out there in case anyone else was interested.
These roasted chickpeas satisfy a craving for both sweet and salty, plus they are totally addictively crunchy. A lot of folks roast chickpeas to where they crunchy on the outside, but soft on the inside. I’m not one of those people. I roast mine until they are crispy and crunchy enough to satisfy even the biggest chip craving.
My favorite part about these chickpeas is how nourishing they are. So many of the game day favorites are nutritionally void, but these guys have all the protein, folate, magnesium and fiber of unroasted chickpeas.
I’m gonna go snack on these guys while I fill out my bracket. I hope your team made it and does great in the tournament. That is, unless you are playing my Hoosiers. Then. Uh. Yeah. Go away.
Gooooooo Hoosiers!
Sweet and Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
These roasted chickpeas satisfy a craving for both sweet and salty, plus they are totally addictively crunchy.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- In a large, zip top bag, combine olive oil and chickpeas. Seal top and shake until all chickpeas are coated. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add spice mixture to zip top bag, reseal and shake until all chickpeas are coated.
- Spread chickpeas in one layer on a large baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, or until crunchy and browned.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1/4 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 103Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 136mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
