I have no scientific proof to back this up, but HOW did January feel like an entire year??
Then I blinked this week, and it was February.
Still, if we’re being honest, February isn’t much different than January. The cold, long days continue. The promise of spring with warmer weather and a return to great produce looms, but damn, it’s still firmly winter, folks.
There is only one thing I can count on in times like these: Beans.
Specifically, I’m talking about the canned chickpea. Perhaps you know her as her alter ego, garbanzo. It’s a good thing she answers to both.
Chickpeas are an instant source of protein that requires a little work but big payoff. And like all of us, she’s delicious just as she is—as long as you know how to treat her.
A word about beans
First off, we need to briefly talk about beans.
Beans peaked years ago. Once banished to the back to the pantry, it’s now hard to avoid the prevalence of beans in food media. Back in August, beans were proclaimed as “an almost religious experience,” according to The New York Times. Or as the Washington Post called them in 2020, beans are “the MVP of the pantry.”
In other words, beans provide instant flavor, texture, and depth to so many dishes like soups, casseroles, dips, and bowls.
There are effectively two types of beans people: dried bean people and canned bean people.
It’s now time for me to come clean. I am not a dried bean girl. Sure, I’ve made and eaten plenty of great, mind-blowing dried beans (my all-time favorite is
’s brothy version with not-optional fried bread).The problem comes from the mixed opinions on how to optimally cook a dried bean. Always soak the beans overnight before cooking them, they say. NEVER SOAK THE BEANS OVERNIGHT BEFORE COOKING THEM, they say. Who am I to know the truth other than to say dried beans are undeniably a little … fussy. Don’t get me wrong. Fussy has its place (something like a decadent pot of short ribs deserves all the attention and care in the world) but for beans?! PLEASE convince me that dried beans are worth my time!
For me, canned beans are perfect for at least 90% of my use cases. There is no prep work, no need to plan 12 to 24 hours ahead of time. Canned beans are magically just there—in a little can just waiting to be used!
The sorcery of chickpeas
There are ample choices when buying canned beans. I love a butter bean if for no other reason than to make
’s cozy and insane beans alla vodka that somehow feels like it comes together in seconds? Honestly, pure magic.But the canned chickpea is particularly special and overlooked IMO. Chickpeas are available at practically every grocery store. And not to diminish her achievements and sparkle, but they’re also so, so cheap!
Chickpeas seamlessly morph into whatever texture you want. They can be firm straight out of the can to be sautéed or stirred into soupy things. But they’re also so, so good when roasted to an absolute crisp. In the world of canned beans, the chickpea is truly a versatile queen.
If you’re smart, you can plan for both scenarios that make leftovers a breeze. Stir half a can into a soup for creaminess and pop the rest into the fridge. Then roast up the other half when you’re craving something crispy.
This week, I needed a quick lunch that used up a bunch of odds and ends in my fridge. I drained a can of chickpeas, thoroughly dried them (not to like scare you, BUT THIS IS CRUCIAL to getting chickpeas to their crispiest form!), and spread them on a quarter baking sheet (yes, unfortunately the Great Jones Little Sheet really is the perfectly-sized tool for stuff like this) with olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. I baked them for about 20 to 25 minutes at 425 degrees, tossing them once or twice to make sure that they were evenly cooked.
I then drained off the excess olive oil and used it to whisk up a fast and easy salad dressing with rice vinegar, lemon juice, one clove of grated garlic, a big spoonful of dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and pepper. I poured the dressing into one of these little squeeze bottles that I love and made enough dressing for the next day, too. If you’re going to spend the extra 30 seconds it takes to make a homemade salad dressing (and you should) do yourself a favor by making more than you need to make your future, hungry self happy.
I added half of the chickpeas to some butter lettuce with tomatoes, dill, feta, onions, cornichons, and of course, avocado with the dressing drizzled on top.
That’s it. It was the perfect work-from-home lunch.
I used the other half of the chickpeas the exact same way the next day. Fair warning: Chickpeas get a little chewy after they’ve been roasted. So, I popped them in the oven at 425 degrees again for a few minutes to get them back to their peak crunchy selves.
How else to eat chickpeas
I love snacking on chickpeas using the same roasting method as above. If I eat them by themselves, maybe I’ll add some herbs. Some rosemary would be nice. If rosemary is too pungent for you (fair!), perhaps try a milder herb like thyme.
I also love to roast chickpeas with olive oil and turmeric. I spoon them into Greek yogurt mixed with lemon juice, lemon zest, grated garlic, red pepper flakes, and chile crisp. Cilantro is not only pretty here but also a really, really good way to cut through that rich and garlicky yogurt. Not to be dramatic, but this specific combination of crunchiness and a creamy, cold yogurt never fails to send my taste buds sailing into new directions.
I also like to make chickpea salad à la tuna or chicken salad. I mash up a can of chickpeas with a little mayo, a big spoonful of dijon mustard, lots of chives and dill (duh), tons of crispy celery, some onion, and pickle relish. My favorite way to eat it is just as is spread on some crackers and crunchy vegetables like radishes. I also like it on top of salad greens. Or if you’re really feeling it, turn chickpea salad into a full-blown sandwich.
Other ways to use chickpeas include but are not limited to:
A tomato and cream brothy situation with eggs and prosciutto.
- ’s infamous stew that took over the internet in 2019 (which truly feels like 20 years ago?!).
- ’s recent love letter to chickpeas includes pasta and nachos variations!
January was … a lot. And it feels like it was that way for everyone.
With an insane news cycle, a busy job working in that insane news cycle, and a return to life’s general craziness with very little down time, I desperately needed a comfort watch this month.
There is but one domestic goddess who always comforts me in dark times like this: Our one and only Barefoot Contessa. I pick a random episode and feel stress instantly melt away while I veg on the couch with my dog, Janie.
One thing that’s become clear from watching a lot of “Barefoot Contessa” recently: We as a society don’t talk nearly enough about how ahead-of-her-time Ina was. Take Ask Ina, a segment where Ina answers reader email and video questions from her laptop circa 2005ish. Today’s oversaturated AMAs used by pretty much every influencer could never.
Sumos. So many Sumos. Winter produce does not give us much but just WOW.
However, the Sumo addiction is a problem because alas, I am not a billionaire.
’s TikTok speaks to me.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
I started buying East Fork Pottery around 2019 and now happily use it every single day.
However, as previously mentioned, I am not made of money. My collection has slowly grown over time, mostly with the brand’s panna cotta glaze—a fantastic cream color that’s unique but isn’t too overpowering, making the food put on plates and bowls stand out and shine. (No, this is absolutely not an ad. Sorry.)
I also really like East Fork’s seasonal colors!
For Christmas, I got me a new set of bowls that I’ve been loving for breakfast (technically East Fork calls them ice cream bowls, which in hindsight is both fitting and lovely) in the prettiest dark green color. They make my boring breakfast of yogurt, granola, blueberries, maple syrup, and flaky salt look downright delightful.
Now, I’ve got my eye on these cool tortoiseshell cocktail glasses that will require little to no convincing for me to buy. RIP to my wallet.
That’s it! See ya next week!
Dried beans are too finicky for me—long live canned beans!! Def trying your Greek yogurt chickpea and chickpea salad this week for lunch!! I need a break from chicken salad!!