BAKED EGGPLANT CHIPS

I hate to waste food!  I literally make questionable food choices at least once a week, meaning I'll eat something that's probably past it's shelf life, but most likely won't make me sick, just because I don't want to see it go to waste.  Don't try this at home, but I have to openly admit that this happens on the regular...

I bring this up because the Baked Eggplant Chips were a direct result of not wanting to waste the beautiful eggplants that I had snagged at Spring Brook Farm, and at the same time, I had absolutely nothing to go with the burgers that I was making for dinner.  My husband is a HUGE fan of chips, or anything crunchy, especially with burgers and sandwiches, so I wanted to make something that was chip-like in consistency to satiate that desire.  Eating well is all about substituting healthy foods in place of those that you know are laden with fat and calories.  There is always another option, you just have to get creative and find it.

Ingredients:

- 1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Various seasonings (salt, pepper, smoked paprika, Italian blend, etc)



Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

1. Whisk egg whites in a container separate from the bread crumbs.
2. Mix Panko with desired herbs. (It really depends on what herbs you like, dried or fresh, and what you are eating the chips with).
3. Dip each eggplant slice into the egg whites, and then immediately into the bread crumbs, coating each side generously. Place each slice onto a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.
4. Cook for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the slices, and the amount on the tray.  You should see the Panko brown slightly, but not burn.
5. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.

They may not be potato chips, or french fries, but they are much healthier, make you feel like you're eating something similar, and are darn tasty!  If you like a sauce with your chips, try mixing together a little Dijon mustard and Non-fat Greek Yogurt (1 to 2 ratio) with some smoked paprika or black pepper.  It will make you feel like you're indulging when you're really just upping your veggie and protein intake!  ENJOY!

Seafood Salad Pockets with Homemade Potato Chips

I was lucky enough to come across some free jumbo shrimp, and lobster tail, and wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do with it.  As much as I enjoy both seafood options by themselves, I wanted to make it a whole meal, as opposed to something that my husband and I picked at sitting at the dinner table.  With summer in the air, I decided that it would be a nice treat to have a nice seafood pocket with some potato chips.  *GASP* Potato chips???  Yes, potato is not bad for you, and chips are not bad for you, if you don't go dropping the chips in a giant fryer.  

Although I typically substitute Fat-free Greek yogurt for mayo, every once in a while I have to feed my husband textures and tastes of "real food" in order to satiate his sandwich needs.  *GASP*  Mayonnaise???  Yes, given the right mayo, (I use an Olive Oil based mayo), in a small quantity, it can give you the flavors and textures you crave, without all the crap that's in your typical full-fat mayonnaise.  

Ingredients:
1 lb. Shrimp, cooked, shelled and de-veined
1 Lobster tail, cooked, and shelled
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. Olive oil based Mayonnaise
1 Celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Dill
1 Russet potato, thinly sliced
Non-stick Olive Oil spray
1 tbsp. Extra-virgin Olive Oil
1 c. Baby spinach
2 Whole-wheat pockets

To prepare the seafood salad, place the shrimp in a food processor and pulse until you reach a desired consistency.  I like mine small because I keep the lobster chopped into larger chunks, in order to keep the lobster the main texture of the sandwich.  In a medium bowl, place the shrimp, chunked lobster, salt, pepper, mayo, celery, lemon juice and dill and mix.  Season to your liking.  Cut your pocket in half, place your spinach leaves, and spoon in however much seafood salad you would like.  I made a sandwich for both my husband and I, and still had some left over to eat on a regular salad the next day.

To prepare the potato chips, preheat oven on 350 degrees, and thoroughly wash the potato.  When the potato has dried, cut off a small part of one end, take a mandoline slicer set at 1/8" slice, and slice your potato.  Watch your fingers!  If you don't have a mandoline, you can always slice them with a sharp knife, however, unless you're a trained chef (which I am not) getting the slices thin enough for them to bake like real chips is very, very difficult.  

In a bowl, toss the potato slices with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place them on a large parchment paper lined baking sheet, making sure they are in a single layer.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and allow to cook for 12 minutes.  Turn the slices over, and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes, checking on them periodically to see if they have browned.  If you want them nice and crispy, you'll want to see them really browned, otherwise the chips will be soggy and chewy.   Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve with your seafood salad pocket, or the sandwich of your choice.  

You can also use this chip recipe with sweet potatoes, if you want an even healthier version.  I just so happened to have used my sweet potato the day before for grilled wedges, so I went with regular potatoes, which was nice because it felt like a day at the beach eating this sandwich with these chips.  

The Better Monte Cristo with Kale Chips 

Once upon a time, my relationship with kale went no further than a steakhouse restaurant, where it was beaten into our heads "NO KALE, NO SALE!"  In this atmosphere, kale was used as a garnish; a pretty green flower-looking plant that decorated the plate full of bacon, butter, and steak.  Well, imagine my shock and surprise when I learned that people actually ate kale!  

I'm the first to admit, that with many greens, I'm not such a huge fan, primarily because the not so popular ones: kale, Swiss chard, endive and such, were not introduced to us in our household, and therefore I had no idea that they even existed, never mind that they could be eaten as a side.  However, the fact is, these yummy greens have nothing but great vitamins and nutrients to offer us, and so, they have made their way into my household in many different varieties.

The Better Monte Cristo Sandwich was a no-brainer.  I like turkey or chicken, Dijon mustard, spinach, pear and low-fat Swiss cheese and I definitely like it more when it's been dipped in egg and milk and then pan-fried.  So, when I saw it in The Best of Clean Eating, I thought, "Yes, please!"

Again, I use Food For Life 7 Sprouted Grains Bread, place spinach on the bottom slice, place thinly sliced pear on top of the spinach, place thinly sliced turkey or chicken, top it with Swiss cheese, spread some Dijon mustard on the top slice, close that puppy on up and dip it in an egg white and milk mixture (I use WestSoy Unsweetened Milk) with some cayenne pepper.  Spray your pan with some non-stick spray, heat at medium, and cook on both sides. 

When it comes to the protein in the sandwich, I've done this with grilled meat because I buy the large packages of the already sliced chicken, and cook it all at once.  It's not necessary, but I will say that it adds a large amount of flavor.  Use whatever meat you want, but grilled meat = yummy meat!

So I guess the main problem with just the sandwich, is that who wants a delish sandwich with no chips?  And as much as I love baked pita chips, and all the other options there are out there for those similar products, they are not vegetables, and they are usually filled with a carb load that is unnecessary when you're already eating a sandwich.  And so, the research of the kale chip was born.

Important note.  When you wash your kale, do it hours before you plan on baking them.  If they are at all wet when you oil them, you will end up with a chip that is chewy and kind of gross.  When clean, pull out the inner rib and rip into bite size pieces. Once they are dry, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a LARGE bowl (and capitalize this because one bunch of kale is going to produce more chips than you think you can handle) mix together two tablespoons of Olive Oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Throw in your kale, toss it around to make sure all the leaves are coated, and lay them out in a single layer on a LARGE baking sheet.  Cook for about 15 minutes, but as you get nearer to the finish time, check on them, because they can go from really delicious chips to ashes in your mouth within a two minute span. You'll know they're about done when you see them browning around the edges.  And, the really great part is that you can use whatever seasoning you want.  Get creative and have fun.  

Isn't it great that your sandwich sidekick is also a Superfood sidekick?  I'd say so!