Bring on the Heat!!!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together olive oil, sriracha, lime juice and salt in a bowl. Add chickpeas; toss and coat them with the sauce. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the chickpeas evenly on the pan. Roast in the oven for 35 to 40 min or until crunchy (stir them half way through). Pull from the oven and add cilantro and lime zest. Toss to coat the chickpeas. Serve immediately.

Tip:  Biena  brand chick pea snacks come in a variety of fun flavors (sea salt, BBQ, and cinnamon crunch).  I have found them in the snack section at our local Target and Stop and Shop.

Spicy foods support weight loss- True Story!

Adding heat to meals in the form or dried cayenne, fresh chili’s or hot sauce is a low-cal way to create lots of FLAVOR. Such an intense sensory experience makes for a more satisfying meal and prompts us to eat a little less.

The Key Player: CAPSAICIN. This compound found in Chili peppers has been shown to both speed up our metabolism (A.K.A. fat burning furnace) and suppress appetite.

For the Love of Sriracha!

My favorite way to spice up a dish is with sriracha. It’s a Thai hot sauce made with chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt- the one with the rooster on the bottle. It is seriously addicting (I must thank my youngest sister, Denise for the intro!), and I have used it on everything from fish to eggs to popcorn. In fact, sriracha is often the “secret” ingredient in many chef’s “special sauces.”

Check out this recipe for spicy roasted chickpeas from mom.me They make a great “munchie” snack (with way more fiber than chips). Enjoy them warm right out of the oven and then save the leftovers to use as a salad topper. Easy and delish!