Baked Beet Chips: Mine were a little burnt around the edges, but they were still noms!
Dang, I wish I had discovered this recipe last summer when I had beets coming out of my ears from the weekly CSA! In any event, beets are no longer coming out of my ears and I am now purposely seeking these little buddies out to change up the beat around this place (see what I did there, ha!). To stay consistent with my previous food concoctions, this recipe also aims to be:
- Easy:
- Only three ingredients and, with the right tool, five minutes to prep!
- Healthy:
- Beets are high in immune-boosting vitamin C, fiber, and essential minerals like potassium and manganese. Studies show that beets may help lower blood pressure, boost stamina, fight inflammation, and reduce the risk for cancer.
- Delicious:
- Unless you don’t like a nice crunch that is salty and sweet (naturally sweet because of the beets themselves). And if that’s the case, I need to know who you are because I don’t trust you anymore.
Concentrating hard on separating these slippery little buggers!
Helen Highlights/Ideas for Getting Your Kids Involved & Chowing Down:
- Let little ones mix the beets and avocado oil together (naked prep for little ones might be the way to go based on the red pigments called betalains in beets; the good news is these pigments are powerful phytonutrients that provide significant antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support, the bad news is they can stain clothes.)
- Kids can also separate and place the beet slices on the pan.
- And of course taste testing! Little Miss is always enthusiastic about trying out whatever we are making, raw or baked 😉
Official Taste Tester
- 3 medium-large beets, rinsed and scrubbed
- 2-3 Tsp Avocado or extra virgin olive oil
- Sea Salt
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and place oven rack in the center of the oven.
- Thinly slice beets with a mandolin (on thinnest setting) or a sharp knife, getting them as consistently thin as possible. They should curl a little when cut. This will ensure even baking and crispiness.
- In a bowl, toss beets to cover with oil.
- Divide between two baking sheets and arrange in a single layer, make sure the slices aren’t touching.
- Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy and slightly brown. Be sure to watch closely past the 15 minute mark as they can burn quickly.
- Remove from oven, let cool. Serve and enjoy! I think they are best eaten on the same day. . . . Or maybe that's just because they never last for more than an hour around here 😉
- Avocado oil: This oil has a healthy (less inflammatory) fatty acid profile and has a smoke point of around 500 degrees fahrenheit making it an ideal oil for high temperature cooking/baking.
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO): This is a good choice as long as you have high quality EVOO. Lower quality EVOOs have a lower smoke point (temperature at which your oil begins to degrade and lose nutritional value) that are around 320 degrees fahrenheit. Click here and scroll to the bottom for tips on choosing the best EVOO.
In closing, I would like to leave you with some words of advice: please do not freak out when you see red in the toilet bowl. Turns out beets come out the same color they go in 😀 Fun fact to share at your next dinner party!
To connecting with your inner beet! Chris
Comments