It's been a while since I wrote a blog and even longer since I blogged about food!
Those of you who know me will know how much I love food. I love to experiment with flavours and combinations that you wouldn't usually expect. I also love simple food.
One of my most favourite simple foods is vegetable crisps. They're easy to make, delicious, and a healthy alternative to shop-bought crisps.
In April, I decided to buy myself a spiralizer so I could make vegetable crisps at home. I bought mine rather cheaply on eBay but you can buy them from a number of places. See here for the BBC Good Food list of best spiralizers updated in April 2020.
If you don't have room in your kitchen for a spiralizer, consider buying a mandoline instead. See here for 8 recommendations from Good Housekeeping.
If you cannot access either a spiralizer or a mandoline, you can hand slice your vegetables with a good, sharp knife or even use a swivel vegetable peeler. The key is to slice them as thinly as possible.
My favourite thing to use the spiralizer for is making apple crisps. They are delicious and healthy and a great way to use up bruised apples that won't get eaten.
To make apple crisps, slice your apple using your spiralizer or mandoline. Lay them out on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for an hour at 140°C or gas mark 2. You need to flip them over half way through cooking. Depending on your oven, you might need to leave them in a little longer. Just be sure to keep checking on them so they don't end up burnt!
I like to flavour my apple crisps with cinnamon or vanilla sugar. You can do this before or after cooking.
This weekend, I made potato crisps for the first time. There wasn't any reason I hadn't made them already. I just happen to prefer apple crisps.
I used the spiralizer to slice up the potato, tossed the slices in olive oil, salt, pepper and mixed herbs and baked them on a greaseproof paper lined tray in the oven at 200°C or gas mark 6 for 20 minutes.
On the recommendation of a few people, I also tried beetroot crisps. I'm a HUGE fan of beetroot and I was excited to make some into crisps.
I used vacuum packed beetroot from the supermarket. First I blotted off the excess moisture with kitchen paper, then I sliced them with the spiralizer, laid them out on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and baked them at 150°C or gas mark 2 for 1 hour and 20 minutes, turning half way.
I decided to not season the beetroot crisps because the flavour was already delicious but next time, I might experiment a bit more. One thing is for sure, the beetroot crisps were very popular at the BBQ!
If your crisps are turning out chewy, they might have too much moisture in them. Blot them dry as best as you can before baking and bake them for longer at a lower temperature, rotating them 2 or 3 times instead of once.
I have found that it is best to experiment when you have the time. What works one day, might not work the next!
It's also down to preference whether you season your crisps before or after baking. I tend to season mine before as that bakes the flavour right in.
If you're not eating your crisps right away, it's best to let them cool in the oven and store them in an airtight jar.
Happy Crisping!
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