Chickpea Crostini with Orange, Cumin and Mint

I had one of those weeks where I hadn't gone grocery shopping in ages, I was having strange dinners consisting of apple slices, pickles, some cashews and chocolate milk (sort of delicious in a secret way), and the fact that I hadn't done a blog post in over a week was just LOOMING over me. Something had to be done and thankfully, I came up with this.

This might not look all that pretty but in this case, looks aren't everything. The combination of flavors really works and is both healthy and interesting. The nuttiness of the chickpeas is livened by the zest and mint. The raisins add a subtle sweetness and the last-minute sprinkling of goat cheese imparts a nice richness.

This literally took no time at all to make--probably about 15 minutes, yet I think if this were served to guests they'd eat it up quick and ask for the recipe later.

For about 20 crostini:

• 1/2 a multigrain baguette
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• The zest of one small orange
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons finely minced shallot
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese, for garnish

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the baguette into about 20 slices. Put two tablespoons of the olive oil in a small bowl and brush each side of the baguette slices with it. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes per side until golden and toasty. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the chickpeas, the remaining 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, golden raisins, orange zest, mint, cumin, and shallot. Stir together well and season to taste with salt and pepper. With a potato masher, lightly mash about half of the mixture.

Spoon the chickpeas onto a crostini and sprinkle with a little goat cheese. Serve immediately.