(vegan, gluten-free)
These sweet potato and beet chips are nothing original, in fact, I got the idea from a recent episode of Giada de Laurentiis’ Everyday Italian where she fried the mandolined slices in extra virgin olive oil and then finished them with garlic-rosemary sea salt. I was immediately attracted by the bright, deep, pink and orange contrasting colors. Gorgeous!
But as a lover of beets and sweet potatoes, this idea was naturally appealing to me straight away with the exception of the frying part. I’ve never been the deep-fried type, especially since I primarily favor the opposite end of the spectrum where raw and minimally cooked food sits. But then I thought, this method would be a fantastic means for which the rest of my family could try beets and sweet potatoes, two things that they would rather hide under the sofa at the sight of them – forget even trying to attempt something remotely raw!
The frying part isn’t what I would consider your typical, artery clogging, greasy fried fare either, because of the use of extra virgin olive oil at a very controlled temperature. Despite its low smoking point (which not only means it’s burning, the oil becomes toxic), you can still successfully fry with it. If you’re going to eat fried food, there is no healthier oil to use. Use an oil thermometer on the side of your frying pot to assure the oil stays at 350 degrees. I know my gas range’s temperament very well, so I knew this would also equate to just keeping the setting on “low”. I used a 3 1/2 quart Le Creuset wide French oven with approximately 4 cups of oil.
I fried the chips in batches, only enough to evenly cover the surface. On average, they take about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. As they came out of the hot oil, they were immediately drained and seasoned with a finely processed blend of coarse grey sea salt, rosemary leaves, a clove of garlic, and a pinch of cayenne.
It is very difficult not to eat these while you’re cooking them! The sweet potatoes nor the beets are as sweet as they tend to be with other preparations, however the beets are slighty more sweet than the potatoes. Because of the use of olive oil, lack of any preservatives, freshness, and their nutritional density, they’re much richer, more filling and satisfying, and of course MUCH more delicious than any potato chip in a bag! And most importantly, everyone LOVED them and couldn’t believe they were eating beets and sweet potatoes!
This recipe is great for anyone who’s scared of beets and sweet potatoes, healthy food, raw food, skeptics, well you know who I mean. Put these out for the guys during the next football game, in your kids’ lunchboxes, or for a movie snack. You’ll never buy another bag of chips!
<3, JMK
