This battered chickpea recipe happened completely by accident.
Accidents don’t usually happen in my kitchen, unless we’re talking about the bad kind. Like when my processor exploded while making this pesto…
Or when the blender decided to erupt, exploding Green Monster lava all over the kitchen. Or those (many) times when I plugged in the electric mixer to discover it’s already turned on, shooting batter all over the place, as I scream for help.
This processor is the second Kitchenaid 14-cup processor that I’ve murdered, slowly and painfully over time. Actually, I broke the first one trying to process dates on the first try. It takes a real skill to break a processor on the first go around!
I’ve become so accustomed to this wonky processor, I don’t even bat an eyelash when it does weird things like ooze liquids. Eric walked into the kitchen the other day, looking with horror at the processor explosion. I tried to explain to him that this was “normal” and now he thinks I’m the crazy one.
Why do I get the feeling that I’m getting a food processor for Valentine’s Day?
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Chickpea Basil Pesto
Yield
3/4 cup
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
If your food processor isn’t broken, it’s all downhill from here. Use this flavourful, lightened-up pesto on sandwiches, fried chickpeas, wraps, tofu, crackers, and more
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup packed fresh basil, stems removed (30 grams)
- 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
Directions
- With the food processor running, drop in the peeled garlic cloves through the top opening until minced.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add in the oil, lemon juice, and basil. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add in the chickpeas and optional nutritional yeast. Process again until smooth. Add salt to taste and process. You can add a bit more oil or water to achieve your desired consistency. Scoop into a jar or air-tight container. Will keep in the fridge for 1 week or so.
After making the pesto, I had some leftover chickpeas to use up, so I decided to lightly fry them in the skillet, adding seasonings as I went.
This was my first time making fried chickpeas…and oh my lanta they are good!!
I never thought I’d see the day when Eric would pound back chickpeas. It was funny at first until he ate all of them on me…
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
"Battered" Fried Chickpeas
Yield
1.5 cups
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Bored of plain chickpeas? The nutritional yeast and seasonings give the chickpeas a thin coating and a ton of flavour, perfect for popping into your mouth. Keep in mind that the chickpeas don’t get crispy, but they do firm up a bit. I used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic in this recipe because the powder gives it more of a coating, like flour would. Add them to a salad, mix them up with chickpea pesto in a wrap, or just eat them plain. Note: You can also scale down the recipe depending on how many chickpeas you have to use up.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 (15-oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2-2.5 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Herbamare (or use kosher salt)
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
Directions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, drain and rinse the chickpeas. When the skillet has pre-heated (chickpeas should sizzle on it), carefully add the drained chickpeas to the skillet. Be very careful as they will sizzle and crackle in the oil and it may splash you.
- Fry the chickpeas, stirring every 20 seconds or so, over medium heat. After a few minutes, stir in the rest of the ingredients to taste. The chickpeas will have a thin coating on them. Fry for about 5-6 more minutes, stirring frequently and making sure they don’t burn. If they are starting to burn, reduce heat. They should be golden and lightly charred in some parts.
Tip:
Enjoyed with the chickpea basil pesto, they did not last long!
Tuesday’s Post
Thank you for your kind words about the news (and patience for the blog crashing most of Tuesday morning). We now have over 3,000 of you signed up for the newsletter! I’ve started working on the first questionnaire and hope to have the first newsletter out in the next couple weeks. I just need to figure out how this beast works…
Bloggie Awards
The 2012 Bloggies are going down right now until Feb 19th, with bloggers nominated in all kinds of categories. Oh She Glows is nominated in the “Health or Wellness” blog category (along with many of my fav bloggers, like Caitlin and Leo). If you’d like to check out the nominees and vote for your favs in each category, click here. There are a ton of fun categories (and blogs) to check out.
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Today, I’d love to make myself feel better by reading about your kitchen appliance disasters. Tell me all about it…I know I’m not alone!
Also, do you have a food processor that you’re in love with? I’d love to hear about the brand/model you recommend (I get asked this a lot too, so I know many readers would love to read your input.)
OH, Angela, don’t feel bad. I killed a food processor myself – not the first time, but within a month, so maybe 3rd time? 4th time? I guess when they say don’t overfill they mean DON’T overfill. I just kept pressing the buttons and told my then boyfriend that something happened. He came in, saw the thing filled to the top, and said “You killed it.” Bye bye food processor.
I also killed a kitchenaid mixer. In my defense I think it was a defected model. I turned it on, worked fine, added some ingredients went to turn it on again…. dead. We promptly returned it and got a better one… she’s still kicking ::knock on wood:: for years now.
Love the addition of chickpeas to pesto…looks great!
I killed my first blender trying to blend beets and their leaves. The motor literally began to smoke and the fire alarm went off in our apartment and I had the smell of beets and smoke stuck in our tiny place for the entire day :(
Thank you, I was just looking for a dairy-free pesto sauce to try out! I love the idea of cooking chickpeas this way too, never tried that!
I subscribed for your newsletter and cannot wait for the first one! I’m heading over to vote right now too :)
Working with an industrial mixer once, my assistant plugged it in and POOF! a big black smoke ball and sparks spat at him. That same summer our septic system backed up into the kitchen… gross. So gross. The worst part was running upstairs and having to yell at someone through the bathroom door “Stop what you’re doing!”
I’ve had my Cuisinart food processor for 14 years with absolutely no issues. I love KitchenAid for stand mixers and their excellent customer service, but with food processors, I’m a Cuisinart girl all the way!
Wow what a fantastic recipe. Can’t wait to try on top of a salad.
Ouch!! I’ve heard that happening so many times, I’m actually surprised it hasn’t happened to me before.
I live with my aunt who has every NICE kitchen appliance there is. She never uses them but I do..and I break them…and then have to replace them….it’s been an expensive 10 months :D
ahhh! Kitchen appliance meltdowns are no fun! but thanks for reminding me of a funny incident! Not long after my fiance and I started our relationship, we were making brownies or cake together. I had one of those really cheap handheld mixers and while I was beating the batter, it started to smell kinda funky! (but I was really used to that smell b/c it always did that) And Greg goes, “uhhhh is this gonna explode? I think it’s breaking down” and I tell him, “nahhh no worries. It always does that and I’m used to it!” And right after I said that, it started smoking and made a “pfffff” noise and stopped working. I don’t know why but that was such a memorable and funny moment! :P But I might be the only one laughing right now hehe.
Angela–you’re a genius, I’m going to try frying the chi-chi beans…I bet they are wonderfully crispy compared to baking. Congratulations on the book deal–well desevered, looking forward to your published book!
I’LL make you feel better. I have a food processor that I broke the grater attachment to and I’m missising the little thing that slides in the side to keep stuff from falling out so I have to carefully position my fingers over the hole and hope for th best. I’ve had carrots, batter, bread you name it flying all over when I forget and turn it on. Sadly for me this is normal. My fiancé does give me odd looks when I use it too
I love chickpeas – these look fab!
The chickpea pesto recipe sounds yum! I haven’t had pesto in forever! “Green Monster lava” = hysterical! I’ve had two mid-price range ($150 – $200) Cuisinart food processors, and both have served me very well – no complaints! I have had too many kitchen disasters to identify, not necessarily involving appliances. My accidents tend to involve the spilling of large quantities of tiny grains and seeds, i.e. quinoa, chias, etc.
Oh, and congrats on the nomination…going to check out now!
Made these for lunch. Eating them right now in fact! Supper yummy!!!
I ment super not supper. Stupid iPhone auto correct:)
glad to hear that ashley!
Oh my lanta! Ha! :)
I fried a Cuisinart food processor/blender combo recently. I didn’t have the bottom on tight enough so the bottom was stripped. I bought a Kitchen Aid food processor to replace it. I love it! It came highly recommended and it was less than $100!
I never would have thought to try chickpeas like this, it looks so good! And congratulations on the blog award nomination! Now I’m off to go vote :)
Angela, I too have a Cuisinart and I love it–however I have noticed that food processors are not as good as blenders with liquids.
I was just wondering if you have ever tried dehydrating chick peas before cooking. I love this idea of frying them, but I was hoping you would say that they got crispy. I want some on top of my salad right now.
This is more of a housekeeping disaster than a kitchen disaster. My husband and I were living in a 1 bedroom apartment in Thailand. He had this battery with cables or wires attached to it that he charged in our bedroom. I don’t know much about that, but I plugged an iron into the outlet beside it. I started ironing, and soon I saw smoke and then fire. I started jumping around like Rumpelstiltskin screaming “FIRE! FIRE!,” shortly followed by “I didn’t do it -it’s not my fault!” Well, it turned out that the cord of the iron had caused the two battery cables to touch each other, and that’s what started the fire, so it was my fault. Oopsies! Luckily no one was hurt and we had a tile floor, so our home wasn’t damaged.
Hi am loving your blog and recipes! My recommendation for a food processor is a Thermomix! You can only buy them through consultants of which I am one but as I live in Australia I’m a bit far away to come and show you why they have the name of the smallest smartest kitchen in the world. You would love them especially with the style of food you do there is nothing else on the market that compares. Check out their web site and have a demonstration you won’t regret it. I make everything in mine – almond milk, rice milk, mill grains and seeds into flour, nut butters, green smoothies, sorbet in 2 min, salads in seconds, dips and sauces and so much more.
thanks, will do!
Hi again, here’s a link to check it out www.thermomix.com.au it’s our Australian site am sure you can find one for the US but I think the Australian site shows a bit more about what the Thermomix does