Confession: I had to stop buying bags of chips because in my hands (and stomach) entire bags of chips would disappear in like a day, and I’d suffer from a major chip hangover afterward. You know the feeling – bloat from the salt, greasy taste in your mouth, tighter jeans, and a general haze of guilt and shame.
But now I figured out how to make tasty veggie chips that are actually good for you. You can eat entire bowls of this stuff without piling on the calories or getting the chip hangovers of regular chips. Instead, you can smugly relish in the fact you’re feeding your body some serious superfoods. I do two kinds of veggie chips – beet and kale. The kale chips are more savoury and the beet chips are more sweet – the best of both worlds.
Beets provide great anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. They’re also full of carotenoids which are good for eye health. Plus they’re beautiful to look at and sweet to eat, so you can’t really go wrong. Beets are normally either the red or golden kind – here I used golden beets and watermelon radishes (I mistook the radishes for beets at the farmer’s market, but luckily they turned out). You can use any beets you like.
Kale is great for you, full of anti-oxidants, low-calorie, anti-inflammatory, and packed with vitamins. Until very recently, I was a kale virgin. Growing up in a Chinese household, these healthful leafy greens weren’t in our diets and my only experience with kale was the curly kind we used as a garnish in the university pub I worked in. As a line cook and server, I remember being totally grossed out by the usually wilted and yellowed tough leaves sitting on the edge of the plates. Now when I think of kale, I think of fresh crispy chips that are completely addictive and delicious. Yay for chip’n kale.
Read more about beets and kale and other superfoods in ‘Power Foods‘ – a great resource on how to eat with healthier habits, a timely read after a calorie/carb-fest Thanksgiving weekend. Especially if you are like me and have to fit into a slightly snug dress for a wedding in a couple of weeks (Spanx can only do so much, am I right?).
Baked Veggie Chips
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
- Mandolin
INGREDIENTS
Baked Kale Chips with Infused Oil
- 1 large bunch of kale
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Lemon rind from half a lemon (in large strips)
- 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- Salt
Beet and Watermelon Radish Chips
- 2-3 raw beets (any colour or watermelon radishes)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Baked Kale Chips with Infused Oil
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small sauce pan on medium heat, combine olive oil, lemon rind, pepper flakes and garlic. Heat oil mixture for 3 to 4 minutes or until fragrant and remove from heat and set aside.
- Using a knife or kitchen shears, cut along the rib of the kale and cut the leaves into bite sized pieces. Discard the ribs. Wash, rinse and dry leaves thoroughly (spin dry in a salad spinner then dry on clean towel or paper towels to remove water). In a large mixing bowl, add kale leaves and 2 tablespoons of the infused oil (not garlic or lemon rind). Toss until kale is evenly coated. Spread on parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until kale edges are slightly browned but not burnt. Remove and sprinkle with salt immediately.
Beet and Watermelon Radish Chips
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Peel beets and thinly slice using thinnest setting on mandolin (as close to the thinness of a potato chip as possible). Toss in olive oil. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until dried out. Remove from oven and sprinkle immediately with salt. Lay chips on a baking rack to cool.
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