I am kind of , sort of, totally obsessed with anything salt and vinegar flavored, well the vinegar part mainly. I love vinegar. Most people probably think of potato chips when they hear the combination, but there are endless possibilities to what you can salt and vinegar. These chickpeas have become one of my favorite snacks. They not only have the tart and crunchy thing going on like salt and vinegar chips, but they are obviously much healthier and pack in a lot of protein. I think they are perfect for a snack on the go, but they are also really good on salads. They make the perfect gluten-free alternative to croutons and still give you a nice flavorful, crunch.

If you really like the flavor of vinegar, I would highly recommend allowing the chickpeas to sit for a longer amount of time once they are done boiling in the vinegar. I find that after 30 minutes there is only a subtle vinegar flavor, but after an hour they are nice and tart and the vinegar taste really comes.

Salt & Vinegar Roasted Chickpeas (from Oh She Glows)

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3-4 cups white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2-3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper. Take chickpeas and vinegar and place in a medium sized pot. Add a dash of sea salt. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Let sit in pot for 30-60 minutes, depending on desired vinegar-ness.
2. Preheat oven to 425F. Carefully drain chickpeas. Place on lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Massage with fingers until fully coated. Roast for 45 minutes, flipping once half way through. Keep a careful eye on them after 35 minutes of cooking to ensure they don’t burn. The goal here is crispy and golden chickpeas, not black.

This soup is so easy to make, it’s almost foolproof. It also takes next to no time at all to whip up, so it’s perfect for a fast weeknight meal. There is a bit of a kick to the soup (it’s easy to adjust to your taste), but it helps make this hearty and filling soup nice and warming, which is great for a wintry day or evening.

I thought the heat factor from the chili was just about perfect. I might even go a little crazy next time and add in some sriracha or garlic-chili sauce. You could even you fresh chiles or jalapeños in place of the chili flakes if you wanted, or use both if you are really crazy bout spice. Next time I would definitely add in some more garlic and maybe squeeze in some lemon juice before I served it, but recipe is pretty close to perfect as is.

Red Lentil, Chickpea & Chili Soup (adapted from BBC Good Food)

• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• large pinch chilli flakes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 140g/5 ounces red split lentils
• 850ml/3.5 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
• 1 ~400g can tomatoes, whole or chopped
• 1 can of chickpeas (~411g), rinsed and drained (freeze leftovers)
• small bunch coriander/cilantro, roughly chopped (save a few leaves, to serve)
• 4 tablespoons 0% Greek yogurt , to serve

This is a quick and easy vegan curry. It’s super tasty and you probably have the majority of the ingredients on hand already. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal and it will make your kitchen smell amazing.

After reading some of the comments on the original recipe, I used less than the original amount of liquid called for since most people seemed to find it too watery. I also substituted broth for the water just to create a bit more flavor. If you don’t have red chiles on hand or can’t find them you could easily substitute jalapeños, bell peppers or even canned chiles.

Chickpeas with Tomatoes & Spinach (from BBCGoodFood.com)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ finger length piece fresh root ginger, shredded
• 2 mild red chillies , thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¾ teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 teaspoon tomato purée
• 3/4 cup/200 ml low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 14-ounce/400g can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
• 1/2 pound/200g baby spinach leaves

While living in London, I naturally developed an obsession with Indian food. Sure, I’d had Indian food before in California, in Budapest, hell, even in India, but it was never something that was on my everyday radar. Well, moving to London changed all that. The first Indian meal I remember going to in London was to Preem and Prithi for Lauren’s birthday. That meal signified the beginning of the obsession. I’ve been hard pressed to find an Indian dish that can even compare. I was close to giving up. I had resigned myself to Trader Joe’s frozen Indian meals. Not bad considering they come from a microwave, but just not good.

Yesterday, while I was in Trader Joe’s, I was looking at the Channa Masala box. Despite having purchased it many times, for some odd reason I decided to look at the ingredients. Once, I realized that I had all of these ingredients at home in already, I hatched a genius idea of making my own Indian food! Best idea I’ve had all week. Maybe even all year.

Just trust me when I say that you need to make this right now. You can thank me later.

Channa Masala (adapted from this recipe)

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 5 tablespoons diced tomatoes (I used canned, diced tomatoes with garlic and onions)
• 1/2 cup broth (I used vegetable broth)
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Allo Palak (adapted from this recipe)

• 1 1/4 cup frozen spinach
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 fresh jalapeño, diced
• 4 small waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• vegetable broth (if needed)