Easy Side Dishes and Snacks - Make Your Own Chips

I'm really excited about this post because this is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I have always been too scared to venture out into the world of "make my own chips."  I always thought it would be too time consuming, or my family wouldn't like that, or it would be too time consuming (yes I repeated but time is a big factor for me when cooking).  

Over the holidays however, I had a tiny bit more time to play in the kitchen so I tried out some recipes and what I found is - it isn't that time consuming at all. I mean, yes it takes more time to slice a sweet potato than throw a bunch of frozen fries on a baking sheet. But it doesn't take THAT much more time and in the end, we are being better to our bodies so it is worth it.  

I have compiled here the three recipes I tried and that are now in our permanent weekly rotation. I'm sorry there aren't many pictures. I honestly didn't think that I would post about them (figuring they wouldn't be blog worthy) BUT they are!

First recipe:  Zucchini Chips

Here Is What You Need:

-1 large zucchini

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-Sea salt

Here Is What You Do:

1.  Preheat oven to 225

2.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

3.  Slice zucchini thinly (my thinner slices were crispy and my thicker slices a bit more juicy but I liked both!)

4.  After slicing, sandwich the slices between paper towels and wring out any excess water

5.  Place on baking sheet being careful not to overlap

6.  You are supposed to pour olive oil in a bowl and brush on with a pastry brush. I didn't have a pastry brush so I just drizzled it on top of the slices while they were on the pan.

7.  Sprinkle the salt over the baking sheet.  Do not over salt them because as they cook, they will shrink so putting too much salt initially can make them VERY salty by the end.

8.  Cook for two hours until edges are brown and the chips are crispy and not soggy.

I loved these. We actually ate all of the serving in one evening. I left them out to cool but they never made it to the fridge.  The only thing I don't like about this one is the extended cooking time. Still, if you pop them in during the afternoon, they are ready for a dinner side dish!

Sweet Potato Fries: Part II

So, here's the rest of the sweet potato fry story - this time I tried a few different things:

1) savory flavor: salt, pepper, and cumin

2) I tried cutting them into disks instead of long fry shapes

3) A hotter oven temperature for a shorter amount of time.

I kept thinking that these would make great appetizers - a dollop of sour cream and some dill.  Oh my. Yum!  This time, I added a dollop of ketchup and indulged in this healthy treat.

Sweet Potato Fries: Part I

I am loving this weather lately... well, minus all the rain we've been having!  But it does seem like after the rain it cools things off nicely and gives us a tease of what those cool autumn days are really going to be like.  I can't believe Saturday this week marks the halfway point through September.  I mean, really, where is this year going?!? I don't know about you, but I am longing to pull on my first pair of jeans of the season and a nice cozy sweater.  Mmmm... I can't wait.  At the first peek of cooler weather a few weeks ago, I purchased some organic sweet potatoes at the grocery store. I've been wanting to try something with them besides the same ole mashed sweet potatoes.  Thursday, I spent quite a bit of time googling "sweet potato fries" and my mouth drooled over all the options. These babies were my first attempt and delicious!  Follow along below :)

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

I don't know about you, but cauliflower has never been one of my favorites. Because... well... it's just blah.  Plain.  No flavor.  Boring.  You get it, don't you?  Well, let me tell you what - this roasted garlic cauliflower is perfectly roasted and perfectly garlicy with a hint of lemon.  Mmmm.  This will become one of our staple sides.  I hope it does for you too!