I’ll just have one, said no one ever! The struggle is real my foodie friends. I try my best to eat healthy and have proper meals throughout the day, but it is the need to snack that gets me every single time. Can you relate?
“Snaccident: Eating a family size bag of chips entirely by mistake.” — Unknown
I’m not really a chip person but I dies for a bag of Hawkins cheezies. There’s something about the crunchy texture that is extremely satisfying. The question I pose to you today is: have you ever made your own chips, not just any chips, veggie chips?
I assume they are healthier than a bag of store bought chips. Especially when you think of all the fillers, fat and preservatives that wind up in a bag of chips. It sure makes you wonder.
“If we’re not meant to have midnight snacks, why is their a light in the fridge?” — Unknown
You can make veggies chips with all sorts of vegetables. Anything from the usual, like potatoes, which give you that crispy crunch you look for in regular chips. You can also use sweet potato, carrots and zucchini.
I have been making veggies chips for years, but I always used the oven to bake them until I recently found a recipe that says you can use your microwave.
Where to start? Break out the veggies you want to use, you’ll also need olive oil or cooking spray and your favourite seasoning. Oh, and the much loved mandoline for cutting thin slices of the veggies.
Mandolines are a foodies best friend in the kitchen as they are easy to use and cut your veggies in the same thin layer. If you don’t have one a use a food processor, a vegetable peeler or a sharpe kitchen knife.
Let’s talk seasoning. There is nothing wrong with good ol’ salt, pepper and oil. It’s a classic. But, there’s a heap of other flavours you can entertain like cumin, cinnamon, ranch, chili pepper flakes, curry powder and more. Think about seasoning that you normally put on your veggies and start there.
“If by 'crunches' you mean the sound potato chips make when you chew them, than yes, I do crunches.” — Unknown
I decided to make potato chips and carrot chips. I used a parmesan spice seasoning for the potato chips, and a sweeter seasoning of cinnamon for the carrot chips. Sweet and salty combo — the best!
Once your veggies are sliced, place them in a bowl with a little oil and your seasoning. Get a plate and line with a sheet of parchment paper, place your veggie slices on the plate one by one (not on top of each other) and put in the microwave.
If this is the first time you are making homemade veggie chips, you may have to gage the strength of your microwave. When I first tried this, the recipe called for four to six minutes. Turns out, my microwave isn’t that powerful. I put them in for at least eight to 10 minutes. If they turn a little brown, no problem. But don’t leave them in too long or they will burn.
They may feel a little soft when you first take them out of the microwave. Place them on a paper towel and let them cool for about 10 minutes and they will harden up.
Don’t be disappointed if they’re not really crunchy, as there are some veggies that might not get as crispy as potatoes. If you are using watery veggies, like zucchini, place them on a paper towel and sprinkle them with salt before adding your oil and seasoning. This will soak up some of the liquid.
What’s a chip without a tasty dip? Not that you absolutely need it, but it certainly can’t hurt. I used a chipotle mayo. Deeeeelish!
Veggie chips are definitely fit to eat and a great go-to recipe when you can’t get to the store and you are craving a snack. Plus, it will probably take you the same amount of time to make when comparing it to driving or walking to the store.
Erin Sulley is a self-confessed foodie who lives in Mount Pearl. Email [email protected] Twitter: @ErinSulley Instagram: @erinsulley
