Don't throw the water away from the chick peas, I was just reading how good it was for you. You can put it in soups and use the water in making meatloaf and bunch of other great tasting things. I don't remember the name of the article, but you can look up on the internet. It was either in 'eat this, not that' or cooking light.
As for using the beans: Hummus, soups, salads and with pasta. They have a lot of protein in them.