Monday, September 11, 2006

Parmesan Rice Crisps with Roasted Tomato Salsa



Just another Sunday spent chillin' under the portal. I had a package of stale brown rice tortillas (Food for Life wraps) on hand and decided to experiment. Good things often spring from two simple words. What if...

Our dinner was Mediterranean- my tasty little zucchini-tomato-mozzarella number- on pesto penne pasta. So I wanted to serve a late afternoon snack with an Italian-Southwestern flair. These super easy crisps were terrific with margaritas.

Parmesan Rice Crisps Recipe

The brown rice tortillas we get locally are usually a bit stiff from being frozen, and sometimes they're so dry I suspect they are stale. But have no fear. These crunchy crisps are a fabulous way to use up stale brown rice tortillas.

4 to 5 brown rice tortillas– I used Food For Life
Olive oil
Sea salt
Garlic powder
Parmesan, grated fine with a microplane grater (or omit cheese)
Dried basil or Italian Herbs


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush the tortillas generously with olive oil on both sides and arrange them on baking sheets in a single layer. Sprinkle with sea salt. Dust them with garlic powder, to taste; then sprinkle on the Parmesan and dried basil.

Bake until crisp and slightly golden around the edges, about 7 to 10 minutes. Allow the tortillas to cool a bit. Using a pizza cutter, slice the tortillas into triangles and arrange the crisps around a bowl of Roasted Tomato Salsa [recipe follows].

Serves 3 to 4.


Karina's Note:

Vegans can substitute the Parmesan with vegan "Parm" or simply omit to keep it dairy-free.




Easy Roasted Tomato Salsa

You can roast your own plum tomatoes for this- which is heavenly- or cut to the chase and use Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes. I won't tell.

1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, seeded, roasted and chopped- here's how to roast tomatoes
2 tablespoons red onion, diced very fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar- or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle or cayenne pepper, to taste
Pinch of organic sugar or agave

Combine the salsa ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill for an hour.

Taste for seasoning adjustments. Cover and keep chilled for up to 4 days- if it lasts that long.

You can also add any of the following, if your little heart desires:

Finely chopped yellow or green bell peppers
Roasted corn kernels
Chopped jalapeƱos
Rinsed canned black beans