Parsnip Chips

I have always wanted to try parsnips but somehow they have eluded me for years. I'd go to the grocery store and they'd be sold out. Well, my mother-in-law had some a friend had given her from the garden and she was generous enough to share them with me. I don't think I've ever been so excited about a vegetable before.

If you're familiar with my blog, you know that I'll turn anything into a chip so the first thing I did with the parnsips was turn them into chips (then I roasted them like a normal person). They reminded me of a nutty potato chip. Eric, who was pretty sure he didn't like parsnips but was willing to try them, really like the parsnip chips (he didn't, however, like the roasted parsnips).

Ingredients:
Parsnips
Cooking Spray
Salt

Directions:
Slice the zucchini into thin slices using a mandolin. You want them just step above paper thin--this is the second setting on my mandolin, but each one is different. Place a sheet of wax paper on a microwave-safe plate, and spray it generously with cooking spray. Place the zucchini slices on the plate in a single layer. Season to taste. I used just salt, but you could use garlic powder or grated Parmesan cheese or anything that sounds good to you.

On high power, microwave for 4 to 6 minutes. Allow the chips to rest for 1 minute. Microwave for another 2 to 3 minutes or until light brown spots appear on the chips. Keep in mind each microwave cooks differently. Mine turn out best when cooked for 4 minutes then 2.5 minutes.

Parsnip and carrot chips

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Chip Recipes:
Baked Apple Chips
Banana Chips
Homemade Pita Chips
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Kale Chips 
Parmesan Veggie Crisps
Pepperoni Chips
Potato Chips in the Microwave
Snowflake Tortilla Chips
Yellow Squash Chips 
Zucchini Chips 2.0

Carrot Chips

Sweet. Crunchy. Healthy. Is there a more perfect snack out there?

Ingredients:
Large carrot
Cooking Spray
Salt

Directions:
Slice the carrot into thin slices using a mandolin. You want them just a step above paper thin--I use the second setting on my mandolin, but each one is different. Place a sheet of wax paper on a microwave-safe plate. and spray it generously with cooking spray. Place the zucchini slices on the plate in a single layer. Season to taste. I just used a little salt, but you could season them with any spices that sound good to you.

On high power, microwave for 4 to 6 minutes. Allow the chips to rest for 1 minute. Microwave for another 2 to 3 minutes or until light brown spots appear on the chips. Keep in mind each microwave cooks differently. Mine turn out best when cooked for 4 minutes then 2.5 minutes.

Carrots and parsnips

Carrot and parsnip chips

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Chip Recipes:
Baked Apple Chips
Banana Chips
Homemade Pita Chips
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Kale Chips 
Parmesan Veggie Crisps
Pepperoni Chips
Potato Chips in the Microwave
Snowflake Tortilla Chips
Yellow Squash Chips 
Zucchini Chips 2.0

Cinnamon-Sugar Roasted Chickpeas

Most often I season my roasted chickpeas with garlic powder and onion powder, but when I want something special I make sweet and salty chickpeas and roasted pumpkin chickpeas. Since cinnamon-sugar everything is delicious, and I was craving something sweet, I made cinnamon-sugar chickpeas. Sooooo good. I seriously love roasted chickpeas.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can chickpeas
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar; set aside.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Using paper towel, dry the chickpeas well (this ensures they'll be crunchy). Roast chickpeas for minutes. Remove from oven and toss with olive oil then toss with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roast for another 15 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 to 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container (but beware, they don't stay crisp for more than a day).

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Snack Recipes:
Baked Apple Chips
Buffalo Chicken Dip 
Fries with Garlic Cheese Sauce
Homemade Pita Chips 
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Roasted Peas

Roasted Kidney Beans

You may have noticed that I've been on a roasted vegetable kick lately. First there were roasted chickpeas, then roasted green peas, then roasted butter beans. The only bean left in my pantry to roast were kidney beans--another healthy snack to add to my repertoire.

Ingredients:
15-ounce can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Lemon pepper seasoning (or seasoning of your choice--you may have noticed I LOVE lemon pepper seasoning)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Pat the beans dry with paper towel. Spread them on the cookie sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the beans half way through cooking.

Season with lemon pepper seasoning.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Healthy Snacks:
Baked Apple Chips
Banana Chips
Kale Chips
Parmesan Garlic Wonton Crackers 
Roasted Butternut Seeds
Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn
Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus 

Crunchy Roasted Butter Beans

I'm always looking for healthier snacks. Roasted chickpeas, roasted peas, zucchini chips are just a few of my favorites. For some reason I had a can of butter beans in my pantry (a gift for our pantry wedding shower, maybe?) and had no idea what to do with them. So I decided to roast them. They're crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and addicting.

Ingredients:
1 15-ounce can butter beans, drained and rinsed
Lemon Pepper Seasoning (or the spice of your choice)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

Pat the beans dry with paper towel. Spread them on the cookie sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 20 minutes, flipping the beans half way through cooking.

Season with lemon pepper seasoning.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Healthy Snacks: 
Baked Apple Chips
Roasted Butternut Seeds
Kale Chips
Yellow Squash Chips 
Yogurt-Covered Blueberries

Roasted Peas

A couple days ago I made a batch of roasted chickpeas (so, so yummy) and it got me wondering about what other beans I could roast and make crunchy. As I was googling roasted kidney beans and roasted butter beans, I came across a recipe for roasted peas. I had peas in the freezer and I needed a side for dinner so I tried it. Even Eric, who isn't a huge fan of chickpeas unless they are in hummus form, loved these crunchy little things. I had to convince him to leave me some.They also make the perfect healthy snack.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
lemon pepper seasoning (or your favorite seasoning)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pat dry the peas with paper towel; get them as dry as you can.

Grease a cooking sheet with cooking spray. Spread out the peas on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the peas are crisp.

Frozen peas

Roast peas with pumpkin gnocchi in a parmesan sauce.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Healthy Snacks:
Kale Chips 
Zucchini Chips 2.0 
Baked Parmesan Tomatoes
Yogurt-Covered Blueberries
Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn

Roasted Cauliflower Popcorn

I always thought I didn't like cauliflower (or broccoli). Turns out I don't like frozen cauliflower and broccoli, but love them fresh. I'm not sure why this matters, but it really does. Taste, texture, totally different in my opinion. I had a little bit of cauliflower left over after making cauliflower alfredo sauce so I had to find something to do with it so of course I made popcorn with it. For someone who thought they didn't like cauliflower, I couldn't scarf it down as fast enough.

Recipes comes from here.

Ingredients:
Fresh cauliflower florets, bite-size
butter-flavor cooking spray
seasonings

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Spread your florets in a single layer on parchment-lined cookie sheet and spray with the cooking spray. Sprinkle the veggies with the season of your choice. I used this lemon pepper spice mix from the Dollar Store that I love. It's magical on vegetables. But you could use garlic powder, turmeric, or even grated parmesan. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until it's crisp and brown.

Eat as a healthy snack or as a side dish.

Enjoy!

~Krissy

More Cauliflower Recipes:
Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Basic Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

My great aunt and uncle came over for dinner on Memorial Day. As we brought the food out to the picnic table, my uncle's eyes went straight to the baked parmesan tomatoes or as he called them "those fancy tomatoes." There is nothing really fancy about these tomatoes other than their taste. Sometimes it amazes me how the simplest foods and recipes taste the best.

Ingredients:
Tomatoes, washed and dried
Grated Parmesan cheese
Herbs such as oregano, basil, rosemary, or thyme (fresh or dried)
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Cut the tomatoes into thick slices and arrange them on the baking sheet. Generously top with Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with your herb of choice--I used oregano. Bake for 15 minutes.

Most of us ate these tomatoes as is. They reminded me of little cheese pizzas but without the crust. My dad put one on top of his turkey burger (I can't believe my truck driver father not only tried my turkey burgers but ate about three, he liked them so much!) along with avocado and lettuce and loved it. Needless to say, there weren't any left overs. With summer on its way and tomatoes coming into season, I can't wait to make these again and again.

Enjoy!

~Krissy