25

Jul
2011

Beet Chips

I have been on a veggie kick lately. I was getting bored of salads, and plain boring vegetables. This is summer, after all. There are plenty of fresh veggies ready to be eaten. So, I chose beets to experiment with (and they are in season!). However, I don’t really like beets that much. I have only enjoyed beets when shredded to make a pickled salad.

Since beets remind of something in the sweet potato family (they are a root vegetable), I figured I could make chips out of them. And I am glad I did because they were delicious! They tasted like a sweeter and more flavorful potato chip. Similar to a sweet potato chip.

So pretty. They look like rose petals.

Beet Chips Recipe
Makes 2 servings, or about 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked. I would recommend making 2 batches (or more) because they shrink so much upon cooking.
Ingredients:

• 4 small to medium size beets
• salt
• olive oil spray

Directions:

1. Cut off the root end of the beet.
2. Peel the outer layer with a vegetable peeler.
3. Using a mandolin (this is a necessary and useful kitchen tool), slice the beets into thin slices.
4. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray, and place beets on the baking sheet in a single layer if possible. Mine overlapped a little, and turned out just fine. Then, sprinkle with salt and spray once more with olive oil spray.
   
5. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Stir halfway. At 40 minutes, take out the pieces that have crisped up, and bake the rest that still aren’t crispy for another 10 to 15 minutes.
   The chips lighten up (the bright red ones in the picture) when they are done. The darker colored ones still usually need a little longer in the oven.

This recipe was actually a lot easier and quicker than I had imagined. These chips were very tasty, are healthy, and a lower calorie option instead of regular potato chips. One beet is only 35 calories, 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, and is a good source of folate. I estimate that one serving can be about 70 calories (half of what I made and half of what this recipe calls for).