Brussels Sprouts Chips

My vegetable love this fall has been roasted Brussels sprouts. I think I could eat them everyday. I make them pretty much the same each time with only a variation in the spices I put on them. I cut them in half, cover with olive oil and either salt or an herb blend of some sort. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned. Yum!!

One thing I always do when checking on them is pick off the single leaves that have become brown and crunchy and immediately eat them. I can’t even describe how delicious they are! So last week while pulling off the usually crispy leaves and promptly eating them I had a revelation. I could make a whole pan of crispy leaves! Why didn’t I think of that before? It’s my favorite part! Why not have a whole pan? Essentially Brussels sprouts chips. To me these are so much better than kale chips and still healthy. It does take a little patience to break each sprout into it’s individual leaves but it is well worth it!

Brussels Sprouts Chips

Fresh Brussels sprouts
Olive Oil
Sea salt or herb blend of choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut each sprout in half. Core each half as you would a cabbage but on a smaller scale.

Carefully pull apart the layers. Place the leaves and the core pieces in a bowl. Coat lightly with olive oil and sea salt or herb blend. My favorite blend these days is Penzey’s Greek Seasoning.

Place on a baking sheet, separating the pieces. Bake for 10 minutes, pull off the crispiest pieces and bake the rest a few more minutes. The core pieces won’t crisp up but they are still delicious.

Eat immediately!

Cooking as Meditation

It’s funny how for so many years we’ve been learning ways to better multi-task so we can get more done in less time. Now it seems the thinking is that it is better to be “present”, to be focused on doing a good job on one thing at a time and then moving on to the next.

I have to say that for me cooking really allows me to be present. Whether I am following a recipe or making something up, I need to be present while cooking or everything will get messed up. 

Chopping vegetables or sauteing onions or measuring ingredients are very much like a meditation that keeps me present with the rhythm of it all. At other times of the day I have to remind myself to be present. But when I am cooking, I just am.

With busy schedules it’s not always easy to squeeze in cooking or meditation. Believe it or not you can do both. Especially with dishes that require chopping or stirring. Stir fry and risotto come to mind. Both of which taste way better from scratch. Homemade french fries are also a favorite of mine for this. Piles and piles of potatoes!