Spain revisited

Tomorrow night we’re having Peggy and Lorraine and their significant others over for a dinner of tapas, sangria, and paella. We’ll exchange photos and basically relive our dreamy trip to Barcelona. Plus, I have to put my money where my mouth is when I assured them that my paella is superior to what we had in Spain.

Here is the recipe for one of the many tapas I’ll be serving.

Roasted Chickpeas with Lime and Pimentón

15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika (Pimentón Dulce Ahumado)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the empty foil-lined baking sheet in the preheated oven while you prepare the chickpeas.

Rinse, drain and pat the chickpeas dry. Pick out any loose skins from the beans.

In a large bowl, toss the chickpeas with the olive oil, lime juice, cumin and salt until evenly coated.

Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and carefully transfer the chickpeas to the baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer, and remove any newly loosened skins.

Roast the chickpeas for 10 minutes, then stir and continue to roast until crispy and golden, for about another 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove the chickpeas from the oven, transfer them to a serving dish, and taste one, adding more salt if needed. If the chickpeas are not completely crisp, they will get crisp as they sit and cool slightly.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6