Garbanzo Poppers

Ok. This is by far one of my favorite recipes. It's ridiculously easy and simply delicious - as well as utterly mutable for whatever occasion you like. I've baked batches of these for party snacks, movie treats, side dishes, even decorative toppings for main dishes and salads.

Why Garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) rock the kazbah:
These little guys are one of the best things you can eat. They're a good source of cholesterol reducing fiber and also help to prevent blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly.  They're virtually fat-free, high in protein, and are an excellent source of iron and manganese. And best of all - they are super yummy!

Garbanzo Poppers
( ~ 3 servings)

1 can garbanzo beans
1 tbsp olive oil
a sprinkling of salt

Optional additions: rosemary, garlic powder, cinnamon, sage, mint, curry, or anything else you can think of

Set your oven to 400 F.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and coat it lightly with olive oil.

Open the can of garbanzo beans and rinse them well in a colander. Shake all the excess water free, then dump the rinsed beans into a large mixing bowl and add the olive oil. Stir the olive oil and beans well, then pour through the colander again to clear out the excess olive oil. Return to the bowl and salt. Add any other ingredients you want to here. [I've used all of the above listed components and they're all yummy - just don't mix them all together! I tend to add maybe 1-2 tbsp garlic powder or 2 tbsp minced garlic because I'm a garlic fiend.] The key is - with whatever ingredients you choose to add - make sure the additional flavoring is well combined so that every bean has a little bit on it. Stir until the beans are all well coated.

Now, using a spoon with holes, transfer the beans to the baking sheet - careful to not transfer too much (if any) of the leftover olive oil. Any extra oil that pools on the tray will keep the beans moist, rather than crispy.

Now pop the tray in the oven, on the top rack, for 20 minutes. [Note: Different ovens take different amounts of time. If this is your first time, just keep an eye on them after 15 minutes have passed and see how they go.] Depending on how much oil you've gotten onto the parchment paper, you may want to put them in for another 5-8 minutes to attain the right browning. Sometimes I take the whole tray out and prod one or two of them with a toothpick to check if they've gone to crispiness yet.

Once they're nice and brown and yummy crispy, take 'em out, and enjoy. :)