Don't get me wrong, I do love roasted beets with thick slices of goat cheese on top of a bed of mixed greens, but this time, I wanted to try something different. I love Terra Chips, I've tried almost all of their varieties out on the market, so I thought I'd give making them a try.
To be honest, it wasn't that hard. It was a little time sensitive because I tried making them two different ways—baking, and pan frying—since I didn't know how baking them would work out. I had tried making potato chips in the oven once, and wasn't so thrilled with the results. They got too chewy, and not crispy as I would have liked. So, even though I know baking is the healthier option, I wanted to try pan frying half the chips just to see. Heck, Terra fries theirs, so why shouldn't I? And, of course, as I suspected, I did like the pan-fried chips better. First of all, they were much quicker to make. The pan fry time was about a quarter of the amount of time it took for me to bake them in the oven. The fried batch came out a bit crispier than the baked ones too. Overall, the baked ones came out fine, and yes, I would make them that way again. But, you know how it goes, pretty much anything fried always seems to taste better. I think it's one of those Murphy's Law things.
The one thing about beets you should be aware of before making these, is their beautiful red color juices will stain just about anything they come in contact with, so be careful not to get it on your clothing. The juice will stain your cutting board too, but don't worry, eventually it will come out after enough use.
The dip was pretty easy to make as well. It reminds me a bit of spinach and artichoke dip because of the kale and parmesan cheese. Unfortunately, I did not have any artichoke hearts on hand, but if I did, I would have certainly added them into the mix. My husband said it reminded him of the garlic scape pesto I make. Which, I too, agreed with him on. Either way, it was good!
So, anyway, here are the recipes for both the chips and the dip. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
4 medium to large beets; washed, dried, and sliced thin
Oil (coconut, peanut, or canola), for both methods
Sea Salt to taste
Directions:
For oven method:Preheat oven to 350°.
For pan frying (when ready): Put about 1" or so of oil in a large skillet and preheat oil to about 350°.
Take dried beet slices and place them in an single layer in the heated frying pan. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, turning over half way, or until crisp. Be careful not to cook them too long, or they will burn. Once the are done, remove from the pan and let drain on a few paper towels. Season with sea salt and allow chips to cool completely.
Take dried beet slices and toss in about a teaspoon or two of oil, sprinkle with salt, and then place the beets in an single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, checking on occasion to see if they are drying out. Once the edges begin to dry out, flip them over and put back in the oven for about 15-20 more minutes. Keep checking them about every 5 minutes. Remove once chips have crisped. Place on a paper towel and season with sea salt. Let chips cool completely before serving.
Makes 4 servings.
This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free if you do not use peanut oil for frying.
adapted from FitSugar
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale (or about 4 cups), stems removed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup water
Sea salt, to taste
3/4 cup greek lowfat yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
Lemon zest (to taste)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
In a large skillet, combine kale, garlic, onion, and water. Set over medium heat, cover and cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender. Add more water, a tablespoon at a time, if pan dries out.
Transfer vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add yogurt, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and zest, a pinch or two of sea salt, and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl and let chill for about 1 hour.
Serve with beet chips or tortilla chips.
Makes 6 servings.
This recipe is gluten-free, nut free, and vegetarian. It can easily be made vegan but substituting the greek yogurt for a vegan variety.
Where's the parmesan?
ReplyDelete"Transfer vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add yogurt, parmesan cheese, lemon juice and zest, a pinch or two of sea salt, and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth."
DeleteIt's there, but doesn't say how much.. Hmmmm