Tuesday, July 12, 2011

healthy chips....sort of

The boy is obsessed with chips. When he buys a bag (we're talking the "family sized" bag. Though he claims the "family size" is the "normal size"), he'll finish it alone in two days. I think if it wasn't for his obsession, I could phase them out from my diet completely by way of forgetting they exist. Except for Cheez Doodles. omg. love. And anyways, those aren't chips...they're doodles.

Anywho, I found a few recipes online for baked chips using various root veggies. I even came across a recipe for kale chips! It all looked so good, and healthy! When I made my way to the food store however, I completely forgot everything I'd read. What was I supposed to get? A radish? A carrot? An avocado?!? I stared at the display of various leafy greens for 10 minutes. I drew a blank. This is why I usually try to bring lists. I managed to make my way out of there with a giant bag of carrots and two sweet potatoes. I didn't even remember the regular potatoes! Gosh darnit, I was right next to them when I picked out the sweet potatoes. On my next trip I have to remember the potatoes, kale, parsnips and....hmm, something else. See? I need lists.

The recipe, if you can even call it a recipe, is really easy. Slice everything really thin. Use a mandolin if you have it. Or use a knife and give yourself carpal tunnel, like me. Toss it all in olive oil and salt. Bake at 350 degrees, 10 minutes or til crispy, flipping halfway through.



One recipe I read suggested to sprinkle the slices with salt and let them sit for 20 minutes to seep out the moisture. I wish I'd done that, but my impatience got the best of me. My "chips" came out a little less than crispy. And the longer I kept them in the oven, the more they burned, instead of crisped. So that's my lesson for next time.



I also couldn't help but notice that of all the veggies in the world for me to choose, I picked two orange ones. Coincidence? Sure, why not. Aside from the less than crispiness, both veggies ended up tasting pretty sweet after they were baked. I was expecting that from the "sweet" potatoes, but totally forgot carrots have a sweetness too. I didn't mind it, but if I'm trying to get the boy to open his eyes to healthier chip alternatives, I'm going to have to pick something that can closely compare to salty regular chips.




Kale Chips are next on the horizon!

2 comments:

Greener Pastures--A City Girl Goes Country said...

That is too easy! I've been frying them to make chips. First I boil, then I fry and it still takes forever.

magicbeanbuyer said...

I miss those chips. But jeez...the house sure does reek after frying in all that oil!