Roasted chickpeas

I'm not a fan of beans in general - can't really stand the chalky texture - but for some reason chickpeas make the cut. I absolutely love them. In hummus. And on their own, roasted to a state of golden crunchiness in the oven.

Plus - chickpeas contain more iron than any other "bean" or legume, which means it's a great meatless way to get a boost of iron.

This is a super simple recipe that results in something even kids will enjoy popping into their mouths!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse a whole can (29 ounces, just a little bigger than the "standard size") of chickpeas under running water to get them clean. Dump them onto a cookie sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil - around 3 tablespoons. I then toss them until they're just coated. Follow up with a generous sprinkling of garlic powder (around 2 tablespoons) and chili powder (I usually use about 2 tablespoons, use less if you like). I also tend to sprinkle just a little celery salt on them. At this point, I toss the whole mix until they're all evenly coated. I then taste them to make sure it's about right.

Now, roast them in the oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes. After that time I generally toss them around on the cookie sheet, and put them back in for anywhere between 15-30 more minutes. If you leave them in longer, they'll get more crunchy, dried out and golden. Which is perfect for a finger food. Try one before taking them out of the oven. If you like the texture and flavor, they're done!