Fava Bean Crisps

 This recipe is based on a snack I randomly happened upon at the grocery store.  It was amazing how good beans could be!  So, with a little research and kitchen experimentation, here's a delicious and healthy snack!

The basis of this recipe is fava beans.  They are not the same thing as lima beans!  While seemingly not popular in the US, they are in Europe - seemingly the Mediterranean and UK, in particular.

They make a really great snack, roasted with some extra virgin olive oil and seasonings.

Here's how:

Sort through the beans (toss any bad ones).  If you want to make a big batch, put two cups in a a large pot and bring to a boil.  Gently boil/simmer for 30 minutes.  I add a "glug" of olive oil when cooking beans, to help prevent the foam mess.

Preheat your oven to 375F and after 30 minutes, drain your beans and put into a bowl.  Gently toss with extra virgin olive oil (2-3 "glugs"), salt, and spices.  Spices might be as simple as black pepper or more.  I like salt, pepper, dried dill, and garlic powder.  You want it to taste slightly overseasoned - the flavor will come down a few notches as it cooks.  The more EVOO the tastier, but try to keep total calories in mind!  Spread out on a sheet pan (lined with aluminum foil for less mess and a faster clean up).

Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, using a wooden spoon to toss the beans every 10 minutes.  Test them towards the end (35+ minutes).  When undercooked they will be mushy still, overcooked and they are very crunchy/hard.  They will crisp slightly as they cool - so don't worry if they aren't as crunchy as you might expect at 40 minutes when hot.

I read read a recipe that included adding lemon and parm cheese, so before the last 10-15 minutes, I squeezed some on:

You're left with a great snack - there's about 170 cals in one serving (4g fat, 23g carb/10g fiber, 10g protein).  If you calculate net-carbs, the calorie count would be lower.  They are high in other nutrients too - B vitamins (B6,B12 and lots of folate), iron, manganese, copper, zinc, vitamin K, and others.