This fall Jedd and I were watching a cooking show and they used “New Mexican Chile Powder.” I’d never heard of it. Jedd had never heard of it. And I made a note to self to check it out.
Then low and behold on my birthday two of my presents were different types of the peppers! The red, the green, and green flakes.
It’s not really a present for “me” per se, because Jedd is helping me blow through all the packages. He’s currently obsessed with a chicken rub made by combining berbere and the red and green chile powders.
The green has a citrus note and a fun amount of heat, so I use it for chicken, nachos, in salad dressings, and mixed with sour cream to smear on burritos.
The red is a little more subtle, so I like it with cumin and hot smoked paprika on chicken wings.
I haven’t fully jumped into the flakes yet – a girl’s gotta save a little something for spring, right?
And of course, green chile powder is amazing on crispy chickpeas. Combine that with a little lime and a lot of salt and – voila! It’s the snack of champions.
Or woodworkers.
Or food writers.
Give these a shot, they’re simple to make and are perfect for an afternoon pick me up.
Lime and New Mexican Chile Powder Crisped Chickpeas
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 teaspoons green chili powder, divided
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Dry the chickpeas very well with paper towels. (Note: This is when working with an older stove is very, very, useful. I just preheat the oven to 200 degrees, and put the chickpeas on a paper towel lined sheet pan on the stove top. The heat from the oven works its way through the back vent and warms the top of the stove. In ten minutes, these bad boys were bone dry.)
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, 2 teaspoons chili powder, lime juice and salt.
Toss the chickpeas in the mixture, and stir well to coat. Place them in a single layer on a quarter sheet pan lined with parchment.
Bake them for 35-40 minutes, or until crispy and golden brown rotating the pan halfway through.
Add reserved chile powder, and flaky sea salt and stir well while hot.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Store them in a plastic sandwich bag that’s not resealable – you don’t want them to get soggy. They keep for two days.
(Photos by Launie Kettler)