Baking for Beginners: Zingy Roasted Chickpeas

I love snacking. In fact, I'd say that it comes pretty high in the Top Ten list of things I like to do (its currently positioned somewhere between 'snoozing' and 'watching marathons of America's Next Top Model in my pants') Unfortunately, my love of a 2pm mug-of-tea-and-a-Twix combo doesn't love me back. And seeing as I'm a bit of a fan of climbing stairs without having a heart attack halfway up, something has got to give.

Thankfully for my innate sense of gluttony, I have found the answer to my snack-based prayers. Namely, these zingy roasted chickpeas - crunchy little nuggets of salty, lemon-y, Garam Masala scented goodness. Ok, so they may not give you the same giddy sugar high as a Wispa Gold, but do manage to be pretty damn delicious. So much so in fact, that I have been known to scoff a mega-portion of these in one sitting. Plus, they're dirt cheap to make - even if you don't have all of these ingredients lying around your cupboards, you can easily buy them from your local corner shop for the price of a shiny pound of the queen's coinage.

So yes. Forget all of those horrible mass-produced 'healthy' products which come in tiny portions and usually taste like reconstituted cardboard. If you're looking for a guilt free treat to snaffle during your day, I suggest you make these chickpeas. Pronto. Go on, what are you waiting for?

ZINGY ROASTED CHICKPEAS (makes one large portion)

You Will Need:

• A tin of chickpeas (nothing special, the bog standard 30p ones from your local supermarket will do just fine)
• A Lemon
• Some Spray Oil (if you don't have any, regular Olive Oil works just as well)
• 1tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Garam Masala

Make It!

• Take your chickpeas and drain them thoroughly in a sieve. You're probably best off dumping them onto a piece of kitchen roll and patting them until they're pretty damn dry.
• Heat your oven to Gas Mark 7 (around 200 degrees). Place the chickpeas onto a flat baking tray. Spray them with the oil (or sprinkle a tablespoon of Olive Oil over them if you're using that). Sprinkle the salt and the garam masala over them, and then shake your tray thoroughly to make sure that each chickpea is coated in the mixture.
• Bake your chickpeas for 30-40 minutes. You want them to be brown and crispy but not burnt!
• Once your chickpeas are done, sprinkle them with lemon juice, a bit of grated lemon zest and some salt to taste.
• Scoff in a one-er. Burp. Rub your belly in a satisfied manner. Then go and make more.