NomNom: Moroccan Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

A habit I've been trying to get better at is snacking healthier. I used to snack on chips if I had to be at work all day and other not so good for you things I could get my hands on but have made a proactive decision this year to swap out those chips for something healthier like...baked chips. Kidding. Kind of.

Fortunately I love legumes and chickpeas/garbanzo beans is no exception and when I came across a recipe that roasted the beans, which turns them into something crunchy, I was intrigued. Story of my life.

Lately, documentaries and roasted chickpeas have been a thing in my life. I've been watching lots of documentaries on Netflix (it all started with watching Jiro Deams of Sushi to prep for my trip to Japan 5 months ago) and since I like to munch on something as I watch movies, or these days, documentaries, these crunchy, healthy, protein packed snacks have been fitting for the occasion...along with a glass of wine because you know, wine is always a good idea.

Have you guys seen the documentary Somm? It's about the road to becoming a master sommelier--who knew it would be that intense to become one?! My God. I have a new found respect for them if I see one listed at a restaurant. The documentary is fascinating in that it takes you into the world of professional trained sommeliers. The most recent documentary I've been loving these days has been The Mind of a Chef which spotlights on a specific chef and his culinary adventure on how he approaches food and dishes along with glimpses of his friendships with other well respected Chefs. I recently hung out with a good friend of mine last weekend who watches the show as well and we were discussing about one of the episodes from the first season where Chef David Chang makes gnocchi out of packaged ramen. WHAT. Mind blown. Such a fantastic documentary series if you are interested in food and cooking.

But back to my beloved chickpeas. Don't say I didn't warn you when I tell you that these are a-d-d-i-c-t-i-n-g. When I first made them, I used one can and finished it all by myself. In a day. Hello gluttony. The second time around, I made 3 cans worth. You live and learn folks, you live and you learn.

A couple of things to note about this recipe. Make sure the beans are super dry before putting them in the oven (helps with the crunchy texture) and have fun experimenting with different spices. These can be just as good with using simple ingredients such as olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder or if you want to go the sweet route, try this recipe for honey cinnamon roasted chickpeas.

Cheers to roasted chickpeas and good documentaries. Have a good weekend. Xo.


Ingredients
1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons Ras El Hanout spice (spice recipe from my harira soup)


Procedure
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Rinse and strain beans under cold water thoroughly to remove starch. Spread them out on baking sheet and pat dry with paper towel. Remove any of the skin from the beans that may peel (not necessary but I like to remove them). Let it air dry for 10 minutes.

3. Once they are dry, place baking sheet of chickpeas into oven for 15 minutes and roast them. Remove from oven and drizzle olive oil and spice mixture, making sure all the chickpeas are evenly coated.

4. Place back into oven and roast for 25 more minutes until crispy. Remove baking sheet and transfer to serving bowl. Store at room temperature.

NomNom: Marinated Watermelon and Tomato Salad

Summer so far has been nothing short of amazing. Testing new recipes with fresh seasonal vegetables from the CSA, a quick and fun trip to LA, taking my running on the treadmill to outdoors, weekend trips to the local farmers market to consume my weights worth of melons/watermelons, all while hanging out with loved ones have brought along great memories for summer '14 thus far.

I'm not kidding when I say this but I could easily finish a 5 lb baby watermelon in a day. By myself. I mean, it's borderline obnoxious how much I've been eating this sweet, juicy fruit the past month and believe it or not, those deceiving looking yellow things pictured are watermelons! I discovered that yellow-fleshed watermelons existed last week (found at the farmers market) and have been consuming them like a boss. I can't get enough of fresh summer produce and today's recipe takes watermelon to the next level. After discovering this salad, I just can't be bothered with eating watermelons by itself anymore, let alone normal looking red fleshed watermelons. #Sorryimnotsorry.

#Kidding.

Summer eating should be about fresh, sweet, juicy, and citrusy things--foods that make you say, "ahhh this tastes like summer" and rest assured, this salad will do that.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend so far. Xo.


Ingredients (Adapted from Real Simple Magazine July 2014: Yields 8)
10 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 lb chopped tomatoes
1/2 sliced red onion
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Procedure
1. Combine watermelon and fresh lime juice in a large bowl. Let sit, stirring occasionally, at room temperature for 15 minutes. (The watermelon will absorb the lime juice as it sits.)

2. Add chopped tomatoes, red onions, basil leaves, olive oil, sat and pepper and toss to combine.

NomNom: Mango Coconut Chia Pudding

I finally jumped on the nutrition train. Well, sorta. I'm not at that point in my life to cut out all sorts of not so healthy for me types of food yet. It's not in the stars for me as of now but I am making a more conscious effort to be more cognizant of what goes into my body. Baby steps.

If you haven't heard by now, chia seeds have been and still are a major thing in the health food world. I'm usually skeptical in the beginning when there's so much hoopla surrounding the next big "superfood" so I've resisted experimenting with chia seeds for a long time. I suppose that's the rebellious part in me. I dunno.

So a quick breakdown on these seeds. They are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, and calcium (up to three times more than a serving of milk!!) and well you get the picture. People use it to sprinkle it in their smoothies, oatmeals, and whatever else the heart desires. I found that boring so after researching a bit more, I found that it's also used to make pudding. These seeds by itself are bland so they need help with taste enhancement which is where the fun experimenting part comes in. I assemble mine in a mason jar to give it a good, solid shake and let it sit overnight in the fridge so it can be part of my morning routine or a a snack I can reach for in the fridge. Did I mention how filling it is?

I can't get over how the seeds absorb the liquid and expand in size like crazy. The texture reminds me of rice pudding and let me tell you, the combination of the ingredients I'm sharing with you today are WINNING. Chia seeds are legit, friends.

I now understand what the rage is all about. I'm a believer.


Ingredients (Adapted from www.SkinnyTaste.com): Yields: 2 servings
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
3/4 cup fresh ripe champagne mango, diced
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut
4-6 drops Agave Nectar (or sugar/honey to taste)

Procedure
1. Combine all ingredients in a container. Close and shake well. (I found mason jars work well).
2. Let it sit for 20 minutes and shake well again. Refrigerate over night or for at least 8 hours.