Seasoned Toasted Chickpeas

This afternoon, I had two things to face: I was hungry for a snack, and it was absolutely freeeezing in my house! I needed something that would warm me up as well as fill my tummy. So I went for something I could cook in the oven. Seasoned Toasted Chickpeas it is!!

There are countless ways to accomplish this yummy and healthy snack. This is what I did:

Preheated oven to 375

Drained and rinsed 1 can of chickpeas
Coated a baking pan with extra virgin olive oil
Pressed 2 cloves of garlic through a garlic press, straight onto the olive oil
Added a bunch of ground cumin, some chili powder, a few dashes of oregano and paprika, and some fresh ground black and red pepper
Mixed the oil, garlic, and seasonings thoroughly
Added the chickpeas, and stirred it all together so they were evenly coated

Baked for about 10 minutes, stirred, and then baked them for about 10 more minutes. They still needed a bit more crisp, so I stuck them under the broiler for a minute or two. I added a few pinches of salt when it was all done.

I didn't bother posting this in true recipe form, because you can really substitute anything for whatever you like. I've seen a recipe on VegWeb.com where they used only Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper, and a different baking temperature. I've also seen other recipes where the toasting was done on a stovetop skillet. You really can't go wrong with this!

Bonus: After I was done cooking and turned off the oven, I went ahead and left it open so it could help heat my house a bit more. Obviously this would be an awful idea if you have small children running around. Use your common sense on that one.