Personally I adore making kale chips and roasted green beans. Both are tossed with a bit of olive oil, maybe some balsamic vinegar, salt, and perhaps lemon, or a mexican spice mix. Bits of kale, chip size without the stem, go into a 250 oven for about 25 mins. Make sure they are in only one layer, on a cookie sheet. Green beans similarly tossed go into a 450 oven for about 20 mins, or until they are clearly roasted with flecks of brown. They are delightful snacks with a small drink, and keep me from missing chips or french fries. I love both. 

Cut in rounds, thinly sliced daikon, a mild-tasting crunchy radish (looks like a big beige carrot) can stand up to any low-carb dip, never snaps like a chip or nacho, combines with any flavor you like in the dip. Same goes for jicama, thinly sliced.  Hollow out half a small peeled raw zucchini for a hot dog "bun" that won't get soggy. You can do the same thing with half a small peeled cucumber, which goes especially well with Italian sausage.

I adapted the flax wrap recipe from Wheat Belly (Dr William Davis) to make it crunchy. Microwave it longer in little 1/2 tsp dropped pieces on the coconut oil greased glass pan. Also added about 1/2oz shredded cheese (usually cheddar and parm) and 1/2oz (T) sunflower seeds. I like curry powder (1/4 tsp) and some ground black pepper as a seasoning  instead of onion powder, but you could use anything you like. He also uses baking powder, but I usually leave it out. Base recipe is 3T (20gm) ground flaxseeds mixed with 1 small egg, a little salt and 1 1/2 T (15gm) melted coconut oil.  You can melt it in the pan you will microwave the crackers in if you like and then pour it into the mixing bowl. If you like it crisp, take about 2-1/2 min microwaved, cool 5 min, and enjoy. BTW, the flax would no longer have much breast/prostate cancer reduction benefit, since it is the water soluble portion that does this, but tastes great for low GI high fiber gluten-free crackers. PS I like Gaytan Domingo's chicharrones (they used to say something about humanely raised, not sure anymore)

I have recently found freeze dried okra in Sprouts (our local organic grocery store).  They use the whole pod and freeze dry so they are beyond crunchy and yet have the taste of fried okra, which is delicious! So you can have the crunch of fried okra without the breading or oil.

David Mendosa, Health Guide

9/ 4/12 10:06am

Thank you! We have Sprouts here too and okra is one of my favorite foods, even when not crunchy. I'm going to look for it today.

Anderee

9/ 4/12 12:05pm

I love okra, too, and have recently found a new healthier way to enjoy it that is crispy .  Grilled okra, over hickory wood coals.  Spritz it with a little olive oil then place on the grill.  Turn until blacked all around.  Sprinkle with a little salt if you like and eat!  The less oil you use, the crispier and the cooler you let it get it becomes less crispy.  Wonderful new southern technique that is even good dry roasted under a broiler...carefully, although the hickory or mesquite or applewood chip flavor is excellent.  Since I love the taste of okra, that doesn't matter to me.

Thanks for the great newsletter!

Andrea