I’ll be honest… I’m always a bit nervous when someone asks me to bring an appetiser to a party. After all, I’m American, and we have a bad reputation for opening a bottle of salsa and a bag of Tostitos and calling it good. But hey, at least we’ll be on time! Which is maybe why we’re asked to bring the appetiser in the first place…
Why have I never gotten very creative with my apps? It likely stems back to the fact that my mother was adamant that we not “ruin our dinner” with pre-meal snacks and therefore the word “appetiser” did not exist in my vocabulary until I went to college. And then, chips and salsa seemed to fit right in…
However, we’re all grown up now, so it’s time to get creative, while still keeping the simplicity of our chips-and-salsa days. These spicy chickpeas can be done in 10 minutes flat, and you don’t even have to be Jamie Oliver to do it. I use canned chickpeas to save time. Make sure to dry them really well on a kitchen towel- this also removes the outer skin, which you don’t want rolling around in your spices.
While the chickpeas finish drying on a kitchen towel, heat your pan & collect your spices. That takes about 5 minutes. The other 5 minutes is spent cooking your chickpeas in the spices… and that’s it! The beautiful thing is, these chickpeas are fabulous not only for appetisers, but also in a million other ways: on salads, over pasta or rice, in a soup to add protein or to add interest to a curry. (Ok, ok, that was only 5 other ways… but you get the picture.)
The main thing is that you get the idea these chickpeas are so easy to make… that you actually make them! Whether you use them for appetisers, for lunch, dinner, snacks, or whatever, they are too simple & delicious not to whip up a batch right now. This recipe easily doubles as well.
Enjoy! If you make these, take a picture and tag me on Instagram @thexpatdietitian. You will seriously make my day!
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained & rinsed
- 1 T. grapeseed or olive oil
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Dry the chickpeas in a kitchen towel, rubbing off any loose skins.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add all the spices and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Add the chickpeas and shake the pan until they are coated with the spice mixture. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan frequently, until hot. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.
- Makes 5-6 appetizer servings.