Eat Me! Parmesan Crisps

 

Yesterday I mentioned that when the ‘munchies’ or ‘eat-me’ times occur for whatever reason other than true physical hunger I have a few tricks up my sleeve to deal with them. Some we’ve covered before (see here) and basically amount to distraction tactics. Occasionally (and some times frequently – I’m being honest here) I need for sanity’s sake to give in a little and just nudge the eating demon off my shoulder. My way is to have a little of something that I consider a treat or luxury but without going into full-blown binge mode. It works for me …

 

My treat or luxury of choice during this time is a small pile of Parmesan Crisps. Now I am not going to pretend these are wholly nutritious and quite ok to eat by the handful but they do have a reasonable amount of protein and NO carbs but more importantly they have enough crunch and flavour to satisfy my immediate craving. They can often just bridge the gap between desire and dinner.

 

Made with finely grated Parmesan cheese they have a strong flavour in a small bite that satisfies my taste buds (which tend to err more to the savoury than the sweet). You can flavour them with different seasonings to make believe they are crisps/chips (with paprika, cayenne pepper, dried herbs or garlic granules for example) and they can be made quickly unlike other potato-based crisp/chip offerings.  Don’t walk away and leave to cook though – they brown (and burn) quickly!

 

Store in an airtight tin/box for a couple of days if there are any left to store. I like to also serve them when time and opportunity allows with a dip like hummous, tzatziki or just flavoured thick Greek yogurt topped with a sliver of smoked salmon. They are are also a wonderful foodie-smart garnish for soups.

 

 

PARMESAN CRISPS

Ingredients

METRIC/US

50 g/½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

ground paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, mixed herbs or garlic granules to season (optional)

 

Metric

1.  Preheat the grill/broiler to medium-low and line a baking tray with foil or easy-glide.
2.  Take small handfuls of the cheese and arrange into small crisp shapes on the tray, leaving space for them to spread. This amount makes about 12 crisps.
3.  Flavour by sprinkling with paprika, cayenne, salt, herbs or garlic granules if liked.
4.  Place under the grill/broiler and cook for 5-10 minutes. WATCH CLOSELY – they do burn quickly, and cook until golden.
5.  Remove from the grill/broiler, allow to cool, then peel off the foil or easy glide. Serve alone or with a dip if liked.

MAKES 12

CALORIES PER CRISP: 16.5

PROTEIN: 1.4g

CARBOHYDRATE: 0g

FAT: 1.2g