Chippy Things

If you've been reading me for a while, you may have noticed that I'm a salty, crunchy girl who does not own a sweet tooth. I can down an entire bag of potato chips without even breathing hard, but one piece of chocolate from that heart shaped box will hold me all day.

So with that in mind, here are some chippy things I've been chipping lately.

Kale Chips

Yes, everyone is making kale chips. I amp up the health factor and the flavor in mine, in order to assuage my guilt when I horse down the whole pan of them.

• Preheat oven to 370. Line a large, heavy baking sheet with parchment.
• Wash your kale very well. Shake it dry, and then cut or tear the kale into bite-sized pieces, discarding the tough rib and any really stringy leaf bits.
• Spread the kale bites on your baking sheet, drizzle with melted coconut oil. (Which is to say it's too cool in my house for the coconut oil to be liquid straight from the shelf. If your house is warmer, no need to heat the oil.) Sprinkle a generous amount of flax seeds, sea salt and lemon pepper over the kale. 
• Bake until the kale leaves are crisp, let cool and then pig out.

Mushroom Chips

Have you tried these? Mushrooms are rich in minerals and vitamin D and really good for you. But I hate, despise and detest the texture of mushrooms, generally. Unless I do THIS to them! Read on:

• Preheat oven to 370. Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment.
• Slice one or two large portabello mushrooms fairly thinly and arrange on the baking sheet.
• Combine a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter with a dash of liquid smoke, about one clove of crushed garlic and some kosher salt. If you happen to have Better than Bouillon beef base on hand, a smidge of that would be good, too. Worcestershire or soy sauce would also be good. 
• Brush the oil mixture onto the mushrooms and sprinkle with coarse ground pepper.
• Bake until crisp, about 30-40 minutes.
• Yum!!

Pepperoni Chips

If you have never baked pepperoni, salami, prosciutto or any other antipasto-worthy meat into chips, I can only weep for you. These are wonderful as part of a salad, crumbled over mac and cheese, gobbled down straight off the pan, sprinkled on a cream soup, nibbled from the pan, added to hors d'oeuvres, sneaked from the pan... you get the idea. All you do is .... wait for it.... bake them at about 370 on a parchment-lined baking sheet until crispy. They will change your life. 

While you're at it, bake some shredded cheese on the same pan at the same time and make cheese lace crackers. Also sinful and addictive. Shredded parmesan is traditional, but mozzarella or cheddar work, too. Sprinkle with kosher salt before baking.