You know you’re on a detox diet when ….

… the package you receive in the mail contains 425g of ground flaxseed. 

Yes, I’m detoxing. France has been too kind to me, you could say, and this is my attempt to one-up it. I have four more days before I can return to my normal ways, or rather a modified version of normal, otherwise this period of gastronomic restraint will be all for naught. But oh, how I miss baguettes and cheese and chocolate. France is a very difficult place to live while avoiding baguettes and cheese and chocolate.

No alcohol and no three-course-dinners means more free time for me! Naturally, I’ve already obsessively stalked foodgawker in search of detox-friendly gnoshings, and I came across this gem, using ingredients that are relatively cheap AND available at the local Monoprix - double score!

Spicy roasted chick peas - try it for yourself, they’re easy, and delicious! (mine got a bit burned, but I like ‘em that way.)There’s not one specific recipe I followed, because there were so many variations, and I only had a few spices on hand in our kitchen. But if you follow these general guidelines you should be good:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas (the more the better, because they go fast!)
• Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil to coat
• Sprinkle with plenty of spices and herbs; try sea salt, coriander, curry, cayenne pepper, cumin, paprika, chili pepper, etc.   
• Bake for 40-50 minutes until browned and crispy, shaking pan once or twice throughout cooking
• Find a friend worthy of sharing your delicious snack with, and enjoy! YUM!

For some reason, people here aren’t very accepting of my decision to detox, in particular the abstaining from alcohol thing. I’ve never gotten so much negative attention directed at me for drinking water at 1am! Oh well, you know what they say…