Sunday, February 15, 2009

The Chip Alternative


After the years of battling the whole orange foods oddness, I've realized that you just can't count on constants. A plate of orange basil mashed sweet potatoes may get snubbed, but should I need a pound of sweet potatoes to vanish, a plate of these chips disappears like magic.

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt, coarse
1/2 tsp. Garam Masala spice blend (Penzeys.com, or cumin or Chinese five-spice powder)
2 tbs. honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

I used a mandoline to slice the potatoes 1/4-inch thin. To keep the chips from getting burnt in the process of cooking, steam the chips first for 10 minutes. Blend the spices and olive oil together and toss with the chips. Since the insides of the chips are now partly cooked, the chips will get crisp from a higher oven temperature, be fully cooked with less time, and won't be in long enough to burn.

Spread onto a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with the honey. Bake for seven minutes. Turn over and bake for another five to seven minutes.

8 comments:

Chiot's Run said...

YUM YUM. Those sound fantastic. I make something similar for the dog for treats, kind of like sweet potato rawhides. Maybe next time I'll slice some up for us.

Girlplustwo said...

mmmm. now i KNOW i can get sweet potatoes where i am going!

ExpatChef said...

And if you can't get the spice, I would ship it to you. :)

ExpatChef said...

Mrs. Chiot, why should the pooches get all the premium treats?!

Miranda said...

Which mandolin do you have? I want to buy one, but am having trouble deciding which one to buy.

ExpatChef said...

A French brand that is basic, but sturdy (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/sku4791745/index.cfm?pkey=xsrd0m1|16|||0|||||||mandoline&cm_src=SCH

Still, using that one, I have sliced off the left half of my thumb tip. I now use a steel mesh glove, too.

I like the Shun one, but for the $400 price tag I would have to factor in my ER fees savings to make it justifiable.

BTW, I did not opt to go in for stitches. I just have an odd shaped thumb. Steel mesh glove highly recommended and using the hand guard at all times.

Rachel said...

Great idea, B. And thanks for the tip on steaming first. I'm thinking of mixed pumpkin and sweet potato chips chez nous!

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