Fresh Chickpeas Food

CRUNCHY ROASTED CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Drain and dry chickpeas very well. Dry them up using some paper towels and leave them in a colander until they have dried as much as possible (OR you can spread them on a large baking sheet lined with paper towel for a while.)
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and position a rack right in the middle.
• Spread the chickpeas well on a bare baking sheet (do not line the baking sheet with parchment or foil.) Drizzle a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil and season with kosher salt. Toss chickpeas and make sure they are well-coated with the olive oil. Spread them out well on the sheet.
• Roast in heated oven anywhere from 20 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan every 10 minutes or so for even cooking. Don't rush it, make sure the chickpeas turn a deeper golden brown and the exterior is nice and crispy, that's when they're ready.
• Season roasted chickpeas. Once you take the chickpeas out of the oven, immediately season with spices of your choice. This time, I used za'atar, sumac, and harissa blend (up to 2 tsp each) for warm Middle Eastern and Moroccan notes. Play with the amounts to your liking, and change up the spices according to what you have. (see more flavor ideas up in the post)

CHICKPEA SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over low heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden, 1 minute. Add pepper flakes, parsley, chickpeas, salt, pepper to taste and 6 cups of water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove half the chickpeas and mash. Return the mashed chickpeas to the saucepan and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with bread.

BRAISED COD WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• If canned chickpeas are used, rinse and drain them. Combine the cooked or canned chickpeas in a saucepan with the garlic, peppers or flakes, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 1/4 cup of water. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove and discard the whole peppers, if you used them. Add the cumin to the chickpeas and spread half the mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch-square baking dish. Place the fish on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and finish with the remaining chickpeas. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the top. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the fish is just flaky but not falling apart; check after 20 minutes.
• Serve the fish hot or warm, garnished with cilantro or parsley and lemon wedges.