A few months ago I talked about baked Brussel`s Sprouts and how surprisingly yummy they were. Since then, we've discovered something even better--the leaves.
On the first batch, I removed all the loose leaves that fell off when I cut them in half assuming they would burn. By the second batch, I was in a rush and tossed everything on the pan, loose leaves and all. To our surprise, the little leaves didn`t burn, they got crispy and tasted as good as chips!!
When I make them now, I actually peel the outermost leaves from all of the sprouts so I can maximize the crispiness of the batch. The youngest kids who are still not impressed with baked sprouts actually beg for the "crispy leaves." Little do they know they also pack nutrition. *snickers* But who am I kidding? We all fight over them!!
This past week I saw a recipe for, "Baked Kale Chips." It looked super yummy based on my experience with the baked sprout leaves. Not having any Kale around though, I decided I would substitute Swiss Chard since I have pounds of it growing outside in our garden. I also omitted the seasoning packet since they often include MSG and other noxious chemicals.
The experiment:
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| Swiss Chard with the ribs removed, chopped coarsely, covered with olive oil, salt & pepper. (Approx 8 cups) |
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| Bake at 300' for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. |
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| Crispy like a chip but packed full of nutrition. The kids gobbled them up. |
