GTT — It is difficult sometimes to have a snack on hand after school that is nutritious and satisfies young children’s tastes. Believe it or not there are some chickpea recipes that fill the bill.

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, may have originally come from Asia and the Middle East. Now they are grown wherever it is hot and humid. They grow on an 18-inch high bush with two pea shaped seeds of various colors in a small pod.

Nutritious Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a legume, like beans, peas, and lentils. They are high in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and gluten free. They are eaten around the world in salads, stews, mashed and fried or made into hummus, ground into flour, ground and shaped into balls and fried as falafel, baked as little pancakes, eaten with pasta, rice, or sausage, whipped liquid into a cream, and much more. Chickpeas are versatile because they don’t taste like much but can be made to taste wonderful.

Crunchy Snack Chickpeas

How do we get young children to try this food and like it? One way is to make it as a snack of roasted chickpeas with parmesan cheese. Children can help with the preparation since they are more likely to eat what they cook.

Chickpeas can be bought dried, but they require a lot of soaking and boiling. A quick, easy and healthy route is using canned chickpeas that keep their nutritional quality.

You’ll need

2 tablespoons olive oil;

2 (15 ounce) cans of chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained, and rinsed;

1/2 teaspoon sea salt;

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper;

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary;

3 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Gently pat the chickpeas dry. The dryer they are the crispier they will be. Place them in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss very gently with a spatula until coated. Then arrange the chickpeas in a single layer on the large cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. This recipe is a fine lesson in setting a timer.

After 15 minutes take the pan out of the oven and shake lightly to stir the chickpeas. Bake for a second 15 minutes. Remove the pan again, sprinkle with rosemary and bake for a third 8-10 minutes until the chickpeas are crunchy. Keep an eye on the baking to avoid overcooking.

Finally, remove the chickpeas from the oven and, while hot, sprinkle with Parmesan. Toss for a final time, cool, and eat. They are best eaten fresh, but can be stored for a short time and refreshed for a few seconds in the microwave. For more cooking fun see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning Through the Seasons.