Finishing elements are one of the secrets to impressive food fare.  What does that mean exactly?  Serving something subtle, smooth & creamy: top it with a garnish that’s crunchy and has tons of flavour.  That’s where these roasted chickpeas and potatoes come in.  They’re an addictive snack on their own, but they can bring a basic cream soup or green salad to the next level.  Do try and source some black chickpeas and blue potatoes if you can.  Besides the colour being amazing, they’re also firmer than their paler counterparts and therefore provide more tooth.  But if you can only get your hands on white chickpeas and spuds, do make it anyway – the taste alone justifies the exercise.

Yield: 5 cups or so

What you need:

• 2 cups cooked black chickpeas (soak’em for 24 hours and then pressure cook 25 to 30 minutes for the best eating experience.  These babies are notoriously long to cook otherwise.)
• 1lb 3oz new (baby sized) blue potatoes
• 2 heaping tablespoons Hoisin sauce (and please, please, please make your own.  The store bought bottles are stuffed with fillers, fake colour, binders and bad quality sugars.  Making your own is simple and much healthier.  I love Nina Olsson’s recipe from the Veggie Burger Atelier)

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F and line two 11”x17” sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone liners.
2. Cut the larger baby potatoes in two or four, leave the tiny ones whole.  You’re aiming for roughly 3/4” pieces.
3. Place the potatoes on one pan and the chickpeas on the other pan.  Keep them separated since they have different cooking times.
4. Plop a heaping tablespoon of Hoisin sauce on each pan.
5. Take off your rings and use your hands to coat the goods on each pan evenly with the Hoisin sauce.                                                                                                      
6. Place the pans in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.  Give the contents of each pan a toss, swap them places.
7. Cook another 20 to 25 minutes for the chickpeas and 25 to 30 minutes for the potatoes.  The chickpeas should be good and crunchy but not burnt.  The potatoes should be nice and roasted on the outside with a bit of tender on the inside.
8. Let cool and then mix the product of the two pans and use it to top your favourite soup or salad.  Or put it in a bowl on the table and try not to finish the whole thing.