Anyone else out there have a snack that puts you over the edge in a food high…like once you start you can’t stop?  Oh yeah, for me it’s salt and vinegar potato chips.  I can’t remember my “first” (hmmm, but they say you always do), but I do remember that feeling of OH SHIT THESE ARE GREAT…and my mouth feeling all raw and curled up inside after ingesting too much salty and vinegar-y goodness.  So worth it, although I probably chugged a ton of water later.

I still have a weakness for potato chips, but given my shift in nutrition habits over the past year and a half or so, I try to keep it in moderation.  But boy it’s hard sometimes!  I find it’s best to simply not have a bag of chips on the kitchen counter lying around.  It’s too tempting to pop a few, and before you know it the bag is empty in a couple of days.  And those days are far in the rear view mirror here.  If I do indulge in chips it’s a small bag on rare occasions, maybe an afternoon snack to go along with my apple, or enjoying some (not the whole bag!) as part of a box catered lunch for a work event.

Now I’ve stumbled upon a fantastic substitute for these potato chips…using roasted chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans).  WOW!  And this recipe is SO easy.

Serves 3 (or maybe just 1 or 2, hee hee)

• 1 15 oz (425g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 1/2 C (625 ml) white vinegar
• 1 tsp (5 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) fine grain sea salt or coarse sea salt plus more if needed

Place the chickpeas and vinegar in a medium saucepan.  Add a dash of sea salt.  Bring the vinegar to a boil and cook for about 30 seconds, and then remove the pan from the heat.  Some of the chickpea skins will fall off but not to worry.  Cover the pan and let the chickpeas soak in the vinegar for 25 to 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 C).  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drain the chickpeas in a colander, discarding the vinegar.  Shake off any excess vinegar – no need to dry the chickpeas.

Transfer the chickpeas to the baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil.  Massage the oil gently into the chickpeas with your fingers until fully coated.  Sprinkle with the salt.

Roast the chickpeas for 20 minutes, and then give the pan a gentle shake to roll the chickpeas around on the pan.  Roast for 10 to 15 minutes more, until golden and lightly charred.

Cool the chickpeas on the pan for 5 minutes.  They will firm up as they cool.

Notes:  Turn on your range fan and open a window when boiling the chickpeas in the vinegar, as the vinegar smell is very strong  (Really, trust me on this).  Now, if for some reason you have leftovers after making this snack, cool them completely and then store them in a container in the freezer for 5-7 days.  To reheat, simply toss the frozen chickpeas on a baking sheet and roast them at 400 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes, or until heated through.  This restores the chickpeas to their former crunchy goodness.  YES!

This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, sugar-free and grain-free.

From the Oh She Glows cookbook, by Angela Liddon.

Buon appetito!