I tried the kale chip thing. I really tried.

I tried the kale smoothie route. It was good if I used a lot of blueberries. Lots.

I tried kale pesto and I gotta’ admit it was pretty rocking. Then again, I use Tuscan kale when I can find it and add lots of olive oil, pine nuts, and Parmesan. A trifecta of perfection.

At the end of the day, spinach always comes back to my heart.

One of my favorite things to do is try to be as resourceful as possible. When my pantry, freezer, refrigerator, or cupboards are stuffed to the brim, it makes me anxious. Too much abundance means that I have to make sure things don’t go to waste. When my space is lean it means I get to creative and resourceful. I find it fun to figure things out based on available ingredients. Are you ever like that? Of course, it helps to make sure your pantry, freezer, refrigerator, and cupboards are stocked with pantry staples. But that is a story for another time.

Yesterday Dennis and I were working outside and it was time for a lunch break. Since it was in the 90s with a heat-index of one-hundred-and-something, it seemed only right to turn on the oven and bake something. Oh, and of course I decided to make soup. Because hot stove + hot oven + hot outside + hot physical labor = refreshing.

Yet.

Yet, refreshing it surprisingly was.

Since my fridge was bare bones, I knew that I had to get creative. Watching Lidia’s Kitchen earlier in the week, she made a beef broth based Italian egg-drop soup (sort of) with spinach. Beef broth, check. Eggs, check. Spinach, check. Okay, the soup plan was well on its way.

As I put the spinach container back in the fridge, I paused and pondered. What if I made spinach chips? Surely it would taste like kale chips. But better. Right?

Right!

Dennis raved and raved and raved about these spinach chips, which I coated with olive oil, salt, Parmesan, and a roasted garlic Italian white wine vinegar from De Nigris. It took twenty-five minutes from start to finish, and honestly, only five of them were actual work.

The big question is… are you keeping spinach on hand? It makes an excellent everyday staple, along with the olive oil, sea salt, and white wine vinegar. With these ingredients you will always have a delicious and healthy baked snack right at your fingertips.

PARMESAN-VINAIGRETTE BAKED SPINACH CHIPS

Makes approximately 50 snacking chips

Excellent as a garnish

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon De Nigris Seasoned Italian White Wine Vinegar Dressing with Roasted Garlic

1 tablespoon finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1 large handful of organic baby spinach, washed, dried and stems removed (save the stems for another meal)

Instructions

1.

Preheat oven to Bake 350 degrees.

2.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly, adding spinach as the last ingredient. Toss well.

3.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and layer with spinach leaves. Be careful to not let them touch, for best results.

4.

Bake for fifteen minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes.

5.

Enjoy!

Happy snacking.

Eat well, my friends.

Lyndi
PS :: The soup was delicious too.  As I took the last slurp I realized that I could’ve used the spinach chips as a garnish! Next time. Next time.