Last week we kicked off the Spring season with a blog on BBQing, or grilling. This week I’d like to talk about a popular side dish and snack for both the Spring and the Summer, chips. Now when most people thing about chips, they think about potato chips. However, you can make great tasting chips from just about any vegetable.
The first step in preparing a great batch of vegetable chips is to identify what types of vegetables you want to use. Starchy veggies are going to work the best like potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips, carrots and Kohlrabi. For a good sized batch of chips you will need about one or two potatoes or root vegetable per serving. When you shop for your root vegetables look for firm bodies.
To prepare your veggies you will want to peel them and slice them into very thin slices. If you have a mandalin chopper, then this will go quickly. Next you will want to rinse the pieces and pat them dry. If you are not concerned about your sodium intake, then you can sprinkle the raw chips with a little salt to help draw out extra moisture.
The final step is to cook your chips. For traditional chips you will want to deep fat fry them for three to five minutes, or until crisp. When you remove the chips from the oil let them drain on a pile of paper towels. Season the chips with sea salt or flavoring right after they are removed from the oil. This will help the flavorings stick to the chips. If you are watching your fat intake then you can bake your chips. To bake your chips line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, spray the foil with cooking spray, line cookie sheet with a single layer of chips, spray the chips with cooking spray and bake on 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until crisp. Remove from the over, give a quick spray of cooking spray and add flavoring.
Spring is a great time to experiment with new Jewish recipes. However, it can also be a great time to create a big family meal using a beef brisket Jewish recipe. Return next week to the informative Jewish Recipes Blog for more cooking tips and recipe ideas.
