Brussel sprout chips

Thinking of fall and all I can think of is crunchy. Fall leaves crunching underfoot, crunchy conversations about the holidays and turkey, the popcorn's crunch while watching a football game. Fall also gets me going on all things food. I love this time of year. I love thinking about warm pumpkin quick breads with cinnamon. I also love the fact that the good old sprout from Brussels gets put in the spotlight.

Sadly, the outer leaves of the Brussel sprout usually are trimmed off to allow the more delicate tender leaves of the sprout to brown or braise. Well, what to do with all those extra leaves? Roast the heck out of them. Yes, turn them into chips. Roasted in the oven until golden brown, crispy and of course crunchy.

Get your crunch on. You can use any spices to liven up the party. 

Trim the stems off of the sprout and then pull off the outer leaves. Spread them evenly on a baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then add whatever spices you want. I used a two small pinches of ground ginger and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. Toss all together and roast in a medium hot oven until the leaves turn golden brown and are crisp.

Remove, and let cool. See how golden they are. You can just pop them in your mouth.  

Use them like you would a garnish. You could sprinkle them over the top of another sprout dish to liven it up.  Or, add to the top of a fall pasta dish to it give some added nutty texture. Even place over a salad to seriously "crunch it up." Kinda like a green crouton.

Thinly sliced apples, chopped toasted almonds, chopped baby spinach, Cheddar cheese, top a handful of Brussel sprout chips. Go ahead add that crunch. Hmmm...I think I have something here. Enjoy!