Crunchy munchies? Gluten free, vegan fried chickpeas

  I was a vegetarian for 17 years, and once I was diagnosed with gluten intolerance,and gave up gluten, my body started craving weird stuff...like steak!  Well, after fighting that craving for a few months, I figured my body must be lacking something that my undiagnosed condition was keeping it from absorbing.  I fought with the idea, and decided to start listening, and give my body what it asked for (more on that subject on a later post).  One thing that I always crave, and have never been afraid to give my body is a crunchy snack.
  One of my favorite snacks in the world is potato chips.  Needless to say, you cannot eat chips and be any kind of healthy.  So, after eating my fill of kale chips and sweet potato chips, I tried to fry one of my favorite beans...Garbanzo beans otherwise known as chickpeas.  Man was I happy with the result!  I hope you'll give these a try, and let me know if you have any other crunchy snacks ideas!

I start the day before, by soaking organic, dried chickpeas/Garbanzo beans overnight

1. You need to cook the next day (I used homemade vegetable stock)  for 3-4 hours.  Drain and let them cool.
2. Once cool, let dry on several paper towels until no moisture is evident.
3. Add salt, pepper, dried thyme, and oregano
   
   
   
   

Let dry on a stack of 2-3 towels, or use a clean dish towel.








4. Deep fry in a combination of Safflower and EVOO, or when I have it, I use Grape seed oil.

5.  It's important to use an oil that allows for high heat, as you need to fry these on medium high (between 7 and 8 on my stove).  They will brown and crisp up in 3-5 minutes.

While warm, toss with a splash of lemon juice, garlic powder, and  paprika.

They are so awesome and such a satisfying crunchy treat!  On this day, I enjoyed them on a bed of arugula, radishes, and micro mustard greens!

I have also made them in the same manner substituting cilantro, chili powder and lime juice.  I want to make one with thyme, lemon zest, and paprika as I saw on the gluten free homemaker.com

Let me know if you give it a try!  What other flavor combos would be nice?