Unbeatable Beet Chips

Today did not turn out as expected. Though I may think I am the most organized human on the planet, I did not realize that Kickstarter campaigns have to be reviewed and approved before launching and that it can take "a few days." I discovered this Tuesday afternoon and worked like a madwoman for 5 hours on finalizing the campaign. I submitted at 10pm on Tuesday and am now waiting to hear back for final approval. My dream of launching on May 1st crumbled, but I have a feeling that May 2nd (or 3rd or 4th...) will be just as exciting. I am so incredibly excited to share my project with the world and give everyone a taste of my upcoming cookbook. It is my first time focusing all of my creativity and ignoring my math brain, and it has been incredible! I am even getting more active on social media to generate the buzz. I am not an expert tweeter by any means, but my goal is to at least triple my followers (@sooopaleo) by the end of the campaign! Stay tuned for updates - I will share all of the information as soon as it's available!

Tonight's recipe is a simple snack or side dish that really is incredible. I just started eating beets about two years ago, and there is no turning back. You can make these for kids in all different colors (using yellow and golden beets as well), and they are so crispy and flavorful. I would've added garlic powder as well (that should go without saying), but I have to admit that I ran out.

Give these a try, and let me know how they come out! Enjoy :)

P.S. If you have disposable rubber/latex gloves, you may want to wear them while peeling and cutting the beets - the juice will stain your hands!

Unbeatable Beet Chips: Serves 2, Prep time: 5 min, Cook time: 25-30 min

Ingredients:

- 1 large beet, washed and peeled

- 2 tsp. olive oil, divided

- fine sea salt
- pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Slice beets into thin, even slices

3. Lay all slices on a foil-covered pan

4. Brush the beets with 1 tsp. olive oil, and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper

5. Flip beets and brush the other sides with the remaining 1 tsp. of oil and salt and pepper

6. Cook for 15 minutes

7. Flip beets and then cook another 10-15 minutes until they reach your desired crispiness

  

Plantain Chips

Am I excited that I am leaving for Dubai in 72 hours? YES. Can I believe it is real? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Someone over there must have been preparing for my visit because I just saw this great article from Time Out Dubai talking about the increasing demand of local, organic produce in Dubai over the last year. There are now 3 farmers markets running every week, so I am sure I will feel right at home! The journey of packing has officially begun, and I am certain I will continue to shove things in the suitcase up until 30 seconds before I have to leave. 

I need to get back to my list-making, but I wanted to share a new recipe for plantain chips. Buying the container from Whole Foods is way too dangerous, so I bought one lonely plantain and made a reasonable serving size of chips for myself. I hadn't used the dehydrator in a while, and it continues to amaze me. I am definitely going to try out some fruit leathers, dried veggies, and jerky when I am back from my trip. Stay tuned!

Plantain Chips: Prep time: 5 min, Cook time: 8 hours

Ingredients:

- Plantains

- Fine sea salt

Instructions:

1. Slice the ends off of the plantains, and then make a slit length-wise through the skin/peel (avoid slicing all the way through into the plantain itself). 

2. Remove the peels from the plantains and then slice the plantains into very thin pieces

3. Arrange the plantain pieces on your dehydrator trays, and lightly sprinkle with sea salt

4. Dehydrate for 8 hours at 130 degrees until crunchy

  

  

Garlic Sesame Kale Chips

I am officially ready for my big vacation! I'm all packed, I got 4 new tires for my car, got my nails done, made CDs for the car ride, gassed up, and mapped out the trip. I have to admit that this 130-mile drive is going to be the longest drive I have ever done in my life! That may seem hard to believe, but I usually draw the line at 30 miles. My mix CD has a big job of keeping me awake and alert on the road. It is quite the eclectic mix:

1. "I Will Wait" by Mumford & Sons
2. "Home" by Phillip Phillips
3. "Get Back to Ya" by Casey Hurt
4. "Madness" by Muse
5. "Some Nights" by Fun
6. "Pretty Wings" by Maxwell
7. "The a Team" by Ed Sheeran
8. "Overwhelmed" by Tim McMorris
9. "This Woman's Work" by Maxwell
10. "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman
11. "Hall of Fame" by The Script & will.i.am
12. "Why" by Annie Lennox
13. "Climax" by Usher

Between this and my Lumineers CD, I should be good to go. I most likely won't be doing much blogging over the next week, but I will have loads of stories and new recipes when I'm back. In the meantime, here is a simple recipe for garlic sesame kale chips. I have made these four days in a row, and they never get old. Feel free to switch up the seasonings for a new twist if you don't like eating the same thing all week like I do! Enjoy these as a snack, appetizer, or side.

Ingredients:
- 2 bunches kale, stems removed
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- fine sea salt
- pepper
- sesame seeds

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Put kale leaves in a mixing bowl and break into chip-sized pieces. Be sure to discard any stems/crunchy bits
3. Drizzle a little olive oil in the bowl and rub the oil into the kale leaves with your hands
4. Arrange on a foil-lined cookie sheet, and sprinkle with garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper
5. Bake for 10 minutes, toss the leaves, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and bake for another 5-15 minutes based on your crispiness preference

  

Eggplant Chips

There was a big change in the McLagan Boston office (aka my home office) today when I converted my desk into a standing workstation. I have been thinking about this for a couple of months since I heard a great lecture at my first paleo meetup about the benefits of standing at work. I hate sitting all day, and I have a huge problem with body parts or entire sections of my body falling asleep from sitting in weird positions or not moving for a long time (sexy? I thought so...). My desk happened to have adjustable legs (thanks Ikea!), so I had no reason not to try it out. It was a bit of a disaster taking everything off the desk and maneuvering it, but it ended up well. My body definitely feels different from standing all day, and it reminds me of the feeling after a long day cooking in the kitchen on my feet. I wore sneakers all day for a little extra padding/support, and I am curious to see how it goes. Luckily tomorrow is Friday, so it is only a two-day standing work week this week! According to the following article (http://ergonomics.about.com/od/office/a/Benefits-of-a-Standing-Desk.htm), my new standing desk should improve my ergonomics, health, focus, mood, and productivity.  I would be ok with any or all of those things!

Today I also attempted round 2 with my dehydrator, and it proved to be much more successful! I attempted to use my mandolin which failed miserably, but I will give that another try next time. I made eggplant chips this time since the slices are so much larger and wouldn't disappear into thin air like the zucchini. The eggplant pieces definitely shrank, but nothing compared to last time. These were a delicious snack, but I am happy and shocked to announce that I didn't eat the whole batch!

Ingredients:
- 1 large eggplant, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
- sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, & paprika

Instructions:
1. Arrange the eggplant slices on the dehydrator trays
2. Season with spices listed above (or any other spices/herbs you want to try)
3. Dehydrate @ 125 degrees for 4-5 hours until desired crispiness is reached

  

So easy, healthy, and delicious! (and Paleo of course...)

Paleo Veggie Chips!

It's official! I received my first birthday present for 2012. While my 27th birthday isn't for another 27 days (ironic?), I was thrilled to come back from a work trip and unwrap this exciting gift. Thanks to Ryan, I am now a proud owner of an Excalibur 2400 Food Dehydrator (yes, every little girl's dream). It sort of looks like a hardcore VCR/8-track from the 80s, but in reality, it is a magic machine that will now allow me to make my own dried mango, grass-fed jerky, veggie chips, and more! I was dying to try it out, so for the first recipe, I tried some simple zucchini and summer squash "chips". They took less than 10 minutes to prep, and when I came back from crossfit and peaked inside the machine, I couldn't stop laughing because the chips were TINY. The pictures at the bottom show the size of the chips, and that plate of chips is a small salad plate and has the entire batch that was created from a whole zucchini and squash (excluding any I may have tasted along the way...). These tiny little midget chips were adorable and delicious, and now I will almost certainly need to buy a mandolin. I am known to be quite clumsy, so mandolins scare me (a lot), but I think it is essential for becoming a dehydrating queen. By the way, if you think calling myself a dehydrating queen is lame, you are probably right, but it isn't going to stop me!

 Ingredients:
- 1 zucchini
- 1 summer squash
- splash of olive oil
- Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, & dried herbs of choice

Instructions:
1. Wash veggies, and slice with food processor or (carefully) with a mandolin
2. Put veggies in a ziploc bag or a bowl to mix, and add olive oil and spices
3. Mix thoroughly and then arrange on the dehydration trays
4. Cook at 130 degrees for 4-6 hours depending on thickness
5. Eat them all! Note: this step doesn't last long since the chips belong in a miniature dollhouse...

  

  

P.S. That zucchini ring is not a wannabe wedding ring; it is just strategically placed to see the size/scale of the chips! However, this does make me wonder about making a new line of jewelry to be sold at farmers markets across the country...