Chickpeas and Christmas Chocolates (in July)

Roasted Chickpeas with Chocolate and Almonds

People always seem to be in a good mood whenever chocolate is involved.  All the recent scientific evidence about antioxidants, flavonoids, and other health benefits of chocolate makes a compelling case for indulgence now and then, but do you know anyone who really needs convincing? What are your fondest or most vivid memories about chocolate?  Maybe it’s baking cookies and eating Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips straight from the yellow cellophane bag when your mother wasn’t looking—not that I ever did that.  You didn’t either, right?  Or opening a can of Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup and drizzling it into a glass of milk in such a way that a lickable amount of syrup stayed on your spoon.  Or making chocolate fudge and cleaning the warm, buttery, fudgy goodness out of the pan with a spatula that also required a good licking.  

I’m sure you have plenty of happy chocolate anecdotes to share.  Or maybe you have a chocolate trauma or grievance you’d like to get off your chest.  Please feel free to leave a comment or two about your relationship with chocolate.  Maybe we can (or should) start a support group for People Who Are Way Too Fond of Chocolate.   

Michel loves chocolate, too.  He exercises his considerable Taurean willpower about almost everything but, when it comes to chocolate consumption, all bets are off.  He’s very careful not to overdo it.  One of the chocolates he recalls from his childhood in Holland was a powdered cocoa in a can, similar to the Nestle Quik stuff we have here in the U.S.  The Dutch brand is Droste (Droste B.V.).  As a boy, Michel was transfixed by the image on the tin: a stern-looking nurse holding a tray which held a can of Droste and a mug, both with the same image of the nurse.  It was like looking into infinity for him.  He couldn’t get enough. 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Droste.jpg

Another chocolate Michel was fond of as a boy was the traditional Dutch holiday treat, chocoladeletters—chocolate letters in the shape of the child’s first initial.  These were given on the occasion of Sinterklaas, the feast of Saint Nicholas celebrated on December 5^th in the Netherlands.  Michel’s initial M meant that he had about twice as much chocolate to enjoy as his older brother Lancelot who was stuck with only a letter L.  Score one for the little brother. 

http://blog.amsterdamcitytours.com/on-the-town/chocolate-letters-and-other-sinterklaas-goodies 

One of Michel’s more recent chocolate delights occurred during a business trip to Lausanne a few years ago.  While waiting to meet a client, he was strolling the streets of the beautiful Swiss city when he came upon Blondel Chocolatier on the Rue de Bourg, clearly a venerable institution.  In the window he saw enormous trays of large pieces of various chocolates and he couldn't resist.  He went into the shop and chose several pieces which he took back to his hotel and consumed with great pleasure. 

Image from Chocolats Blondel photo gallery

Are you salivating yet?  All this talk of chocolates and holidays is dandy, but it doesn't diminish my annoyance with the current spate of television ads for “Christmas in July” sales that have nothing discernible to do with Christmas.  I understand that there are countries in the Southern Hemisphere where the holiday is celebrated in July because that’s when the winter weather happens.  It’s more festive, I guess.  But here in North America I think it’s a tiresome marketing ploy to shore up retail sales between Fourth of July barbecue bargains and the inevitable Back-to-School blitz.  I’ll deal with Christmas when the time comes.  In December.  Probably at the last minute, as usual.  

Image from Australia, via Wikipedia

On to the food.  Michel decided to spice up some chickpeas with chocolate and peppers—a combination that works very well.  Hope you enjoy this new vegan recipe!  

Roasted Chickpeas with Chocolate and Almonds

·        1½ cups chickpeas, soaked overnight and rinsed

·        1 teaspoon salt

·        ½ teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns

·        1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

·        3 pieces star anise

·        1 tablespoon cumin

·        3 cloves

·        3 cardamom seeds

·        ¼ cup cocoa powder

·        ½ cup grated almonds

·        1 cup almond milk

You will need a soup pot or saucepan and a baking dish.

·        Place chickpeas in water in a large pot with 2-3 inches covering.

·        Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, then cook for 1 ½ to 2 hours until chickpeas are really soft.

·        Drain all the liquid away.

·        Transfer chickpeas to 9 x 13 baking dish.

·        Remove the cloves, star anise, and cardamom pieces.

·        Sprinkle chickpeas with cocoa powder and grated almonds.

·        Mix to coat then bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

·        Set oven to broiler temperature.

·        Pour almond milk over chickpeas.

·        Place baking dish under broiler for about 10 minutes until almond milk has almost evaporated and a slight crust forms.

·        Serve over quinoa mixed with chopped basil and baby kale (liberally sprinkled with vinegar and olive oil). 

Or, skip the almond milk part and eat the roasted chocolate-almond chickpeas as a crunchy, healthful snack.