RECIPE EXPERIMENTS: Aquafaba Meringues

Above: The meringues are ready to bake.

RECIPE EXPERIMENTS: Aquafaba Meringues

Recently KQ host Mitch Hightower decided to see if aquafaba can really be whipped to make meringues. In case you don't know, aquafaba is the brine from beans, also known as "bean water". In this recipe, Mitch used aquafaba from chickpeas, (aka garbanzo beans).

Mitch reports that the aquafaba did indeed whip up beautifully into stiff peaks very similar to egg whites. Never satisfied with anything plain, Mitch dressed up the meringues by painting gel food coloring inside the piping bag to obtain a stripe effect. So far, so good.

After baking, the meringues were light and very crispy, like what you would expect if eggs had been used. Unfortunately, once the meringues cooled to room temperature, they became sticky and lost their shape. The aqaufaba meringues went from nearly perfect to an epic fail in no time.

Mitch says, "Clearly I have some work to do to get this recipe right. I may consider baking them longer next time".

Below: The aquafaba from a can of chickpeas. 

Above: The aquafaba whipped to stiff peaks.

RECIPE EXPERIMENTS: Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

Above: The chickpeas after baking and coating with a spice blend.

RECIPE EXPERIMENTS: Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

KQ host Mitch Hightower has been experimenting with recipes for roasted chickpeas. The basic technique involves baking the chickpeas that have been coated with olive oil, and then coating the baked chickpeas with a spice blend.

Several different spice blends were tried, and the consensus in the KQ kitchen is that the "taco" seasoned version tastes the best.

Here are the ingredients you'll need for the chickpeas:
1 15 ounce can chickpeas
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

To make the taco seasoning you'll need:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Instructions:

Drain the chickpeas of the aquafaba, (chickpea liquid/brine), and rinse well with cool water. Dry the chickpeas gently yet thoroughly with paper towels.

Place the chickpeas in a bowl. Pour on the olive oil. Use a spatula and stir to be sure all of the chickpeas are evenly coated with oil.

Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Sprinkle the chickpeas lightly with salt. Bake the chickpeas at 400 degrees for 40 minutes; turning the chickpeas, (or rolling them around on the baking sheet), every ten minutes during the baking time.

While the chickpeas bake, mix the taco seasoning. Place all of the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Any leftover taco seasoning can be saved in the jar to use for another recipe.

Remove the roasted chickpeas from the oven and transfer immediately to a clean bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning. Using a clean spatula, mix the chickpeas with the taco seasoning until all of the chickpeas are coated with the spice mixture. Place the chickpeas in a single layer on a plate or clean baking sheet to cool as they'll become even crispier. Serve.