Make Crunchy Healthy Chips from Root Vegetable or . . .

How to get Finicky Children (and husbands and me) to Eat their Veggies

 especially unusual ones, and even ask for more!

Have you ever eaten Terra Chips?  The colorful crispy chips made from root vegetables? They are very good - - - and they are expensive!  And, while they claim they are cooked in "good" oil they are still cooked in oil.

My challenge is, the same as always --- to make them myself. 

Yesterday I scouted out the produce section of our market, checking out the veggies that come from underneath the ground.  This was one of the very rare times I have bought anything without checking the price first. I purchased one of each. Some, I have to admit I had never tasted, while others I had never tasted raw. 

I came home with 

one large sweet potato - $1.58

one yam -  84 cents

one parsnip - 54 cents

one turnip - 87 cents

one beet -   40 cents

one yucca root - $1.00

and went to work.

I scrubbed them well, peeled the ones I felt needed peeling (yucca, yam and sweet potato), and thinly sliced all of them using my mandolin. 

I very lightly drizzled olive oil on each batch,  using my (clean) hand to stir them up so each slice would get some oil, and placed each kind on it's own dehydrating tray. 

The sweet potato and the yam slices each filled two trays. Since this venture was mainly an experiment, and I had an extra tray of each,  I lightly sprinkled one tray of sweet potatoes with cinnamon/sugar and cumin. I did one tray of yam slices without oil.  

I dehydrated them at 135 degrees for 5 to 6 hours. Times vary with different dehydrators.

Results:  Love the sweet potatoes, yams and turnips!  I wasn't very excited about the parsnip to begin with, and even less so after tasting it raw, but it was good. Dave hates beets in any form and thinks they taste like dirt. He didn't like dried ones either but I didn't mind the earthy taste. The jury is still out on the yucca.  The texture is kinda strange and the taste is pretty bland; it will probably grow on me. Or maybe, I'll pass on that one.

None of the above were on sale so the experiment cost $5.23. Still a bargain compared to the price of  a (very-few-ounces) bag of the exotic commercial chips. 

Additionally, 

homemade is healthier 

and

self-sufficiency is satisfying

I didn't think about trying carrots and the market didn't have taro plus there may be other root veggies I don't know about. I do know I will be watching for sales on root vegetable!!!

I like my regular potato chips made in the microwave.  See post below

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2013/01/easy-crunchy-and-fat-free-potato-chips.html

'til we eat again,

          Simply, Gail