Full House.
For seventeen years, our household consisted of four people: Dad, Mom, Katie, and Michelle. Initially, it felt strange when my sister and I went off to college after so many years living in the same family unit. Now, however, it feels strange when we’re all back together under one roof! Strange, but wonderful. It’s especially nice to sit down to a family dinner again, just like old times. We took advantage the other night. My sister made the dinner, and I was in charge of salad and sides (grilled veggies).
Above, a salad tossed with Crazy-Good Ranch Dressing.
That dressing is so good! I’m running out of things to put it on, having already tried pasta, salad, bulgur, steamed veggies, and roast veggies. The other day I made a really delicious bowl of random leftovers: roast cauliflower and baby bellas, fresh corn, and the ranch, all mixed up.
I’d planned to roast the chickpeas, but I just couldn’t fathom the idea of turning on the oven when it was 105 degrees outside. So I grilled them. Always a rebel.
The chickpeas went into our salads too. They made for a nice, crunchy alternative to croutons.
Chickpea Poppers
Found here: Recipes with Beans
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/8 tsp salt, or to taste
- oil or oil spray
- seasonings of choice (I used paprika and curry powder, but ginger or cinnamon would also be nice. Or you could even go sweet: try coconut oil, cinnamon, and perhaps even some sugar or stevia.)
Rinse and drain your chickpeas, then dry with a towel. Mix with a little oil or spray, then toss with your seasonings (optional: you can also add a little flour if desired). To grill, you can use a panini press, a griddle, or a grill pan right over your grill.
Alternatively, you can roast these in a 400-degree oven, for 30-40 minutes, tossing every ten minutes. Optional: make ’em twice as addictive by tossing them in Healthy Ranch Dressing.
Questions of the Day:
Do you still live with all your siblings?
It’s weird for me to think about the fact that it’s been six years since our family lived all together like when we were growing up.
I haven’t tried roasted chickpeas, but they do sound really delicious!
I’ve made cinnamon sugar chick peas before. Delicious.
I made some just the other day… All your chickpea recipes inspired me to do other things with chickpeas! http://ourlittlesin.blogspot.com/2011/06/30-days-of-creativity-day-11-chickpea.html They were really good but I really want to try something sweet – cinnamon and brown sugar perhaps.
You really do have the most gorgeous hair. Do you use any special products? Or just the result of such a fabulously healthy diet?
Awww thank you so much! I use Dessert Essence shampoo: https://lett-trim.today/2011/03/23/do-you-want-shiny-and-healthy-hair/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Sadly, it’s been many years since I last lived under the same roof as my siblings. I miss it!
I love roasted chickpeas–I heartily recommend making Mama Pea’s pumpkin spice version and putting them on a salad with roasted squash!
Roasted chickpeas are very popular in my country (Turkey), and they’re called “leblebi”. They make a GREAT snack! Glad you made them. And here’s my version: http://kitchenimpromptu.com/chickpea-madness-leblebi-and-chickpea-burgers/
Oooh, can’t wait for the caramel corn chickpea recipe!
Is your whole family vegan? How do you get them to try healthy foods? My whole family turns their noses up at anything they deem “weird” and absolutely positively REFUSE to like it, even if its good! They just think its “not normal” and see it as a symptom of disordered eating… it frustrates me because I really love healthy foods and how eating them makes me feel, and I also have a high desire to become vegetarian (as I love animals and hate the taste of meat) but they are all deadset against me.
No, they’re not even vegetarians… in real life, I know only like 2 other vegans! I know completely what you mean about people being biased against healthy foods even before tasting them. And I haven’t really figured out a remedy for this! The only thing I can do is have someone try a recipe and only tell them it’s healthy AFTER they say they like it. (Same thing with secret ingredients. For example, I don’t tell anyone what’s in the cookie pie until after they try it.)
Of course, by now my friends and family KNOW anything I give them will be healthy. But I’ve taught them that healthy food can taste good, so they’re no longer surprised or suspicious!
Orange creamsicle!!!
My wife recently discovered roasted chickpeas. I was very skeptical. The version she found just had salt and nutritional yeast.
When I tasted them they were amazing and reminded me very much of something else. I couldn’t place it until about the 3rd or 4th time we had them.
They tasted exactly like the batter/breading on fried chicken. It was weird! Now I want to try to make a good batter out of them somehow, maybe chickpea flour? I dunno.
I WANT ROASTED CHICKPEAS — NOOOOWWWW!!! YUM!
How about choc covered chickpea’s!!!!
Ooh I like your thinking!
Oh, we actually have such thing in Turkey! Seriously, you gotta try this!