Maple BBQ chickpeas

I have had an obnoxiously difficult time finding baked beans since moving to Vermont. Which for me is, frankly, quite bothersome. I have grown quite accustomed to having a tin of baked beans in my pantry as a fail safe. They are a perfectly well rounded meal alone, and can easily be paired with a number of other things from baked potatoes to jackfruit. I will honestly combine them with any savory meal or even eat them straight out of the can. So you can see why not having this option for the past three months has been trying.

In order to provide myself with a fraction of this ease, I decided to make some as a part of my Sunday cooking extravaganza. It has carried me through nearly 4 meals, each one a little bit different than the last. I recommend adding these to your weekly prep if you are keen on not eating the same thing all week. Plus they are easy: the recipe requires you to make the sauce and then dump in the chickpeas (unless you are doing the chickpeas from dry).

To provide some inspiration: I paired mine this week with a pineapple habanero coleslaw in a chickpea omeletee, on top of rice, as a tostado, and with a cornmeal flatbread. So may options to be had here. I hope you find these as comforting as I have!

Ingredients:

• 1- 16oz can chickpeas, drained
• 4 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame or sunflower oil
• 1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 – 2 tbsp. maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)
• 1/2 red onion – diced
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. water (or bean liquid)
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat – add in onions and a healthy pinch of salt and cook until translucent and fragrant
2. Add in soy sauce, sesame oil, liquid smoke, acv, paprika and nutmeg. Sautee onions in this mixture for up to 5 minutes. Stir as needed to avoid burning or charring
3. Stir in tomato paste, water, and maple syrup to the mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes, again stirring to avoid burning or sticking
4. Add in the chickpeas and remove from heat. At this point you may choose to bake them like you would most other baked beans or just serve them as is. Totally up to you.

Enjoy!