Chick Pea "nuts"...who'da thunk it?

I'm always looking for a snack that's cheap, easy, and that my 3 year old son will like.  Someone mentioned roasting chick peas so I decided to investigate.  There are a lot of recipes for them out in internet-land, you can basically season them to taste, but here's a general idea:


You will need:
1x15oz can chick peas
1 tbsp. cooking oil
seasonings to taste - approx. 1/4tsp each, give or take

Some of the seasonings you can use are: cumin, seasoning salt, pepper, sea salt...the options are endless and totally up to you!  One combination that my son and I really enjoy is: pepper, salt, a little dried mustard, old bay seasoning and ground oregano.  So here's what you do:

Preheat oven to 450°f/230°c (I have a convection oven so I set it to 425°f/220°c)

In a bowl, whisk cooking oil and seasonings together.  Drain and rinse the chick peas, then pat dry with paper towel.  Put the chick peas in the bowl and mix well.  Dump contents of bowl into a cooking sheet with deep sides.  Cook for 45-50 minutes, stirring about half way through.  Enjoy warm or cooled off

 

 

They end with a texture very similar to corn nuts.  And best of all - my little man LOVES them!Another thought I had, but haven't tried out yet, would be to prepare in the oil and cook (minus the seasonings) and then sprinkle with pop-corn flavorings (Salt 'n' Vinegar are the first on my list to try!).  Please leave a comment if you find a seasoning combo that you really like, I'd love to try it out!