Most people don't realize that something as small as a chickpea can contribute so much to the taste qualities of dishes and play an important role for our healthy eating habits at the same time. Chickpeas contain fiber, manganese, protein and iron, which help the body lose weight and charge us with energy.
Besides their health benefits, these small seeds taste remarkable and are suitable with just about any dish. Here's just 5 ways you can use this food in your usual cooking.
1. Chickpea Tartlets
All it takes is just 1 handful of mashed chickpeas added to the tartlet mixture to pleasantly surprise everyone. It makes for an excellent flour substitute, which we try to avoid at all costs anyway.
2. Chickpea Smoothie
If you love drinking smoothies, you're probably used to making them from fresh fruits. For a surprising twist, add a handful of chickpeas to your usual dose of the healthy beverage. This is the best and most effective alternative to energizing drugs and powders.
3. Bread Slice with Avocado and Chickpeas
Feel like eating something real and tasty that's healthy? Take a whole wheat bread slice and smear it with mashed avocado and chickpeas. Sprinkle with salt, a little black pepper and enjoy an amazing sandwich.
4. Chickpea Popcorn
The only thing that beats eating popcorn when watching a movie is eating chickpea popcorn. Get a can of chickpeas. Take them out and dry them. Arrange the chickpeas on baking paper and put them to bake in the oven for about 30 min. These soft little treasures will transform into golden crunchy bites, similar to popcorn, but much healthier. As an alternative, you can fry them in an oil bath and sprinkle with spices to taste, although they're going to be a lot greasier in that case.
5. Chickpeas Added to Baked Food
About a handful of chickpeas is enough to noticeably change the taste of a traditional pita or cake. Be ready to experiment.
