Zucchini Chips

​I realize that this post has been in my cue for a while because my front yard doesn't look anything like this picture any more.  Oh well, better late than never.

When we moved into our house 7 years ago, the 3 maple trees in our front yard were fairly small.  I had grand visions of the majestic trees that they would become and of the beautiful colors that they would display in the Fall, but every year my expectations ended in disappointment.  They just seemed to struggle to get any sort of faded color in the leaves before they finally turned to brown and eventually dropped to the ground in mid February.  I blamed the trees for its shortcomings and I just figured that we didn't have the right kind of maple trees.

​Turns out, I was all wrong.  We do have beautiful maple trees.  I am not a tree expert in any sense of the word but I think that the excessive amount of rain this spring, contributed to the gorgeous color that the trees displayed this Fall.

Poor trees - maybe if I would have given them a little more water over the past 7 years, they wouldn't  have struggled so much.  It's taken me a while but I think I've figured out the secret to getting beautiful color on my maple trees.  

​I don't know if there is a name to accurately describe the brilliance of that color but I love it.   A perfect Fall hue.  

The day that I took these pictures of the trees in my front yard, I also made a batch of zucchini chips.  They turned out to be a great little spicy snack.  I accidentally added a little more cayenne than I had planned but they were really delicious.  Most of the time my accidents in the kitchen turn out to be disasters but sometimes they turn out even better than what I had intended.  This is one of those times when my mistake turned out for the better.

This recipe takes a plain old vegetable and turns it into a deliciously crispy little spicy nugget.  The inspiration for this recipe came from skinnyms.com.

Zucchini Chips
1 (large) zucchini, cut into 1/8" - 1/4" slices
1/3 cup whole grain breadcrumbs, optional Panko
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, reduced fat
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Kosher or sea salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons low-fat milk

Combine in a small mixing bowl, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. 

Preheat oven to 425.

​Dip zucchini slices into milk and dredge into bread crumbs to coat both sides. Note: It may be necessary to press crumbs onto zucchini slices to ensure the crumbs stick. 

Arrange zucchini on a non-stick cookie sheet and lightly mist with a non-stick cooking spray.

​Bake 10 minutes, turn over and continue baking until golden, approximately 10 minutes (being careful not to burn). 

Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.
NOTE: Zucchini Chips will continue to get crispier while cooling.

​Since my family complains when I take pictures while they eat, I decided it was about time I posted a picture of myself eating.  Not the most flattering picture - I admit - but an action shot, none the less.

Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe