Looking for an easy-to-make, great-for-you snack? I have an outstanding one, and you’re only about ten minutes away from snacking on them right now! Zucchini chips are simple to make and contain only completely natural ingredients, a perfect anytime snack!
The fresh herbs are really what take this snack from simply good to extra-ordinary. Adding even a tiny bit of fresh herbs will escalate the flavor of any dish. For me, there is nothing like the incomparable flavor of a fresh herb. Not only are they flavorful, herbs provide some outstanding health benefits as well. I’ve listed a few of them below for you.
Basil- this leaf sweet, slightly minty, and mildly peppery has been shown to provide impressive protection against unwanted bacterial growth. The essential oil of basil can heal and give relief for people with chronic conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. When used as a skin and hair moisturizer, the essential oils of basil enhance the luster of skin and hair. Basil can also provide immediate relief from the gas in your stomach to stomach cramps, and even indigestion.
Parsley- often dismissed as simply a garnish, has many health benefits to offer. Regular use will help stave off the onset of inflammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis. The vitamin K found in parsley is essential for keeping our eyes healthy. The vitamin C found in it serves to strengthen the body's immune system. Regular use of parsley can help ward off cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, and atherosclerosis.
Lemon adds flavor and imparts serious health benefits- not only infusing your body with vitamin C and folates but acting as a cleanser inside. The antiseptic properties disinfects you internally. It also stimulates the digestive system, helps to elevate bloating, revs up the metabolism and freshens your breath.
Let’s not forget the main ingredient. The herbs and fruit aren’t the only ingredients offering important health benefits.
Zucchini contains fiber which prevents high cholesterol build up. The high levels of Vitamins A and C prevent cholesterol from oxidizing in the blood vessels thereby preventing build up. It’s also beneficial for weight management. Zucchini helps to control your appetite by filling you up with water and fiber. You can eat a lot, feel full and still consume very few calories. Read below for my extraordinarily easy zucchini crisp recipe.
1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. Slice the zucchini very thinly. I used a mandolin slicer, it cuts the pieces very thinly and evenly. *Be careful when using because the blade is incredibly sharp!
2. Slice the basil, parsley, and lemon –finely.
3. Prepare cookie sheet, I lined mine with parchment paper. I have used silver foil before. Both seemed to work very well. I simply prefer using the parchment.
4. Place the zucchini on cookie sheet.
5. Take a bowl and mix together the almond meal, parsley, basil and lemon, add a pinch of salt and bit of black pepper. Use a small spoon or your fingers and dust the mixture over the zucchini slices.
6. Drizzle the olive oil, lightly over the zucchini
7. Place in oven, check after 3 minutes. It may take up to 5 minutes. When you see the edges start to curl up and the tops slightly brown, they are ready. Remove.
8. Let cool, slightly and enjoy.
* An important note- I tried several different herb and fruit combinations in my attempt to come up with the perfect flavor. Luckily, I really enjoy eating zucchini, so it was really a fun experiment. I learned a few important things in the process-a little lemon goes a long way. Too much overpowers the dish. Secondly, slice the lemon and rind very very finely. Otherwise, the big chunks will really throw the flavor off.
Zucchini crisps-a super easy and good for you treat. This is my very best version and I can’t seem to put them down. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Alexandra Kudukis is a freelance journalist currently writing for Dirva, Draugas News, and Draugas Newspapers, contributing articles in both English and Lithuanian.
She began her informal journalistic training at the tender age of four when she began attending concerts with her mother’s best friend Jane Scott, the premier rock music reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Everything she knows from the structure of a good article to conducting an engaging interview- including how to be gracious and kind even in the most difficult of situations, she learned from Jane.
She has completed her first novel, a dynamic struggle of a woman letting go of childhood dreams while attempting to balance a horric home life and burgeoning career.
Alexandra has also just completed her first full-length screenplay chronicling the young adult lives of children from Eastern European families, misfits trying (and failing) to find success as first generation Americans.
She has an M.P.A. from Cleveland State University, which has provided her a broad base on which to base her career.Her blog details the trials and triumphs of an aspiring writer. She studied German and Russian as an undergraduate and loves to travel. Alexandra currently resides in Fountain Valley, CA with her animal companions, two cats Isabella and Victoria and Pierre, a rescue pigeon.
YIELDS
20 - 25 crisps
PREP TIME
