Have you ever hosted a get-together with friends or family and need to bring up your A-game in the appetizer department? I'm not saying that a traditional veggie/dip combo or meatball'ish-type appetizer isn't great, but it's been done about a million times. Truth be told, I'll always do the veggie/dip combo if for no other reason than I like veggies, but I now have a new (and incredibly easy) favorite for party hosting: Turmeric Roasted Chickpeas.

I made these Turmeric Roasted Chickpeas a couple days ago and they somehow managed to vanish before I knew it. I don't know whether I should be embarrassed that I didn't have enough or flattered that they disappeared. Regardless, I've been combining turmeric and black pepper (the duo in this recipe) for quite a while now.

Turmeric's much-touted compound, curcumin, is activated in the presence of piperine, an alkaloid in black pepper. If you want to get the anti-inflammatory benefit of turmeric, then add black pepper to whatever it is you're eating. If you want to make it even better, then combine the two with heat, like in this Turmeric Roasted Chickpeas recipe or in this detox tea recipe.

One of the greatest things I like about this recipe is that it's incredibly simple. I mean, it takes me about five minutes to prepare the entire recipe. After that, I pop the chickpeas in the oven and forget about them for a while.

The second greatest thing about this recipe is that my 18-month-old will eat these without a problem. This may not impress you, but if you've ever had to deal with a fussy young eater, you know the sense of accomplishment when they eat something good for them. My little guy could crush a bowl of these in a flash. I want to do cartwheels when this happens!

Enjoy these little savory treats. They're full of flavor, fiber and protein. Not bad!

Turmeric Roasted Chickpeas
Serves 10

2 cans of chickpeas, drained (note: most BPA-free cans are labeled as such)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Thoroughly toss together chickpeas, olive oil, turmeric, pepper, salt and cumin in a medium bowl.
3. Lay chickpeas on a baking sheet.
4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, gently turning chickpeas halfway through.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
6. Serve and enjoy!