Roasted Lime Chick Peas

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

I’m a big fan of grazing when it comes to weight-management. I don’t believe you can be successful in trying to lose a little weight if you’re always staving yourself. A lot of my diet is based on substitutions. If I can find something that satisfies just as well as the real thing but can cut out some calories and fat I’ll give it a shot. One of the better substitutions I’ve come across is Roasted Lime Chick Peas.

A slight variation of Alton Brown’s Roasted Chick Peas, this is a great snack for a long holiday weekend like Memorial day where chips and beer tend to dominate the pre-barbecue dinner menu. 

Take one pound of soaked chick peas patted dry and toss them in a vinaigrette composed of 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tsp of Dijon mustard and 1 tsp of kosher salt. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 60 -70 minutes tossing every 15 minutes to make sure there is even heat coverage.

When fully dried removed from the oven and move the chick peas to a heat-proof bowl, then add 2 more tsp of red wine vinegar and 2 tsp of lime flavored margarita salt. Toss to coat.

Serve in a snack bowl alongside your favorite skinny margarita or a Corona Light with a lime (or your preferred lime-infused beer) and you’ve got a relatively healthy snack that can save you quite a bit of calories while satisfying the craving for something crunchy and salty along with your beverage.

Hope everyone’s enjoying their Memorial Day weekend with friends and family. Don’t forget to take a little time to remember why we’re observing this holiday.

And remember… the food abides…