Healthy Chick-Nuts (Homemade Chickpea baked snacks)

Healthy Chick-Nuts. They taste like a cross between a peanut and a corn-nut. They're loaded with protein, fiber and love. 

Day 9 of the 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge. Yup. One-tenth of the way through.  At weigh-in this morning I was down 6 lbs and 3 inches.  I'm pretty excited about that. Mind you, I have a long way to go, but I am greatly encouraged by good results.  I'm not as excited about the pounds as I am the inches! We're on our way darlings!  How are things in your world? How are you doing with the working out and drinking enough water? 

Today I am sharing a new healthy recipe for an easy snack that keeps me satisfied.  I snack on veggies all day (whenever I'm hungry) and use these little nuts as a great addition of crunch.  I've loved these little nibbles for years. I've seen some very high fat varieties that use a lot of oil. Though these high fat recipes work for the cripsy snack, they also work for adding a ton of calories to an otherwise very healthy nibblet. I like this recipe here the best. It uses a lot less oil. They do take a little longer to cook in the oven because of that, but I don't mind it.

You will need 1 lb dry garbanzo beans aka chickpeas...aka GONZO beans at my house. I buy gonzo beans in bulk 25 lb bags because we use them a lot. If you don't want to cook them as directed in the recipe, you can use pre-cooked canned chickpeas (2 15 oz cans) just be sure to rinse them well and get all the goo off of 'em. 

• Soak dry beans overnight in 8 cups hot water. Drain. Put in a heavy pot and add 8 cups more unsalted water.  Simmer over low heat 1 1/2 hours.
•  Drain well. 
• Pat the beans dry with a clean paper-towel or flour-cloth. 

For baking you will need: 

• 1T olive oil (I love garlic infused olive oil)
• salt, pepper or Chef Tess All Purpose Seasoning
• 1 large sheet pan with edge

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  I've seen some people bake them at 400 degrees, but I've never been fond of the burny flavor that I get at that temperature.

 Drizzle garbanzo beans with with olive oil and spread out over a full sized baking sheet. 

Bake 45 minutes, stir halfway through baking.  After 45 minutes, turn off the oven and allow to sit in oven with the door closed  for 2-3 hours until very dry and crunchy.  Season to taste with a highly flavorful spice blend of your choice.

Yield 5 cups. 10 servings.  Serving size 1/2 cup.
Nutritional information:   Calories 289. Fat 2 g. Carb 45. Fiber 15 g. (30 net carbs), 15 g protein.

There you go my darlings! Make some healthy chick-nuts!  I eat them with a big glass of ice water and some veggies. Enjoy!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess