My sister asked me the other night if I had a good recipe for roasted chickpeas. Though I had been seeing them all over the internet (here, here and here), I had yet to try them at home. In thinking up a recipe for my work lunches this week, I decided to try a rather simple salad and top it with crispy tasty chickpeas. In further reading Whole-Grain Mornings, I decided to try my luck with wheat berries - a nutty, chewy wheat kernel that is hearty and satisfying.
SPICE ROASTED CHICKPEAS WITH WHEATBERRY AND KALE SLAW // serves 4
Chickpeas adapted from A Couple Cooks
Preheat oven to 375.
Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and strained
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
3 pinches smoked paprika
dash of kosher salt
1 cup wheatberries, rinsed
2 cups finely chopped kale
1/2 cup carrots, grated
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp dijon
1 tsp olive oil
1 avocado, peeled and diced
What to do:
Start by cooking the wheatberries. Combine the wheatberries with 3 1/2 cups of water in a pot. Bring to a roaring boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Drain and set aside.
Place the rinsed chickpeas on a piece of paper towel and dab dry. Transfer them to a medium size bowl and add the oil, spices and salt. Stir to combine. Spread the chickpeas onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Combine the chopped kale, carrots, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Using your hands, massage through. Set aside.
When the wheatberries are ready, add them to kale slaw. In a small glass jar, make the dressing by combining the lemon juice, dijon and olive oil. Dress the salad.
When ready to serve, divide the grains into 4 bowls. Top with a heaping spoon of chickpeas and some diced avocado.