Thursday, August 18, 2011

Homemade Fat-Free Potato Chips

Last week I mentioned in my Farmer's Market Fridays post that I bought some potatoes from Farmer Glen so I could make fat-free potato chips.  And I told you I'd give you the recipe.  And then I made you wait almost a week for it.  Cruel, aren't I?  

First off, let me be clear that I did not come up with this recipe myself.  If only I were that good.  No, the credit goes to Susan from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen blog.  She posted this potato chip recipe back in 2008 and I finally got around to trying it last week.  Trust me when I tell you that YOU won't want to wait 3 years before making these!

You can find Susan's original recipe here

In order to make these, your microwave must have a glass turntable tray, otherwise this recipe won't work!

I made mine a little differently than hers.  My slices were probably thicker and I used a different kind of potato; both are factors that may have affected the cooking time.  Cooking times will also vary depending on the strength of your microwave.  I will give you the recipe as I made it but please also consult Susan's before making your own.


Microwave Potato Chips 

Ingredients:

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
Sea salt

Parchment paper
 
Directions:

1. Slice the potatoes as thinly and evenly as possible.  I used the slicing disk on my food processor to make sure that they were all the same thickness.  (In order to fit them I had to cut the potatoes in half but ideally I'd have circles.)

2. Line the microwave turntable tray with parchment paper.  Lay your potato slices on the parchment paper.  Fit as many as you can without overlapping.  Sprinkle with salt.

3. Microwave at full power until dark spots begin to appear.  Susan suggests 4-6 minutes but my slices must have been thicker so mine took a lot longer.  [See NOTE.]  Just take a quick peek and if you don't see any spots, quickly turn back on for another few minutes, then check again.  Be careful not to overcook, though.

4. Once the spots have appeared, turn off the microwave for 1 minute.  (Do not remove potato slices.)

5. Microwave again at full power until all chips are nice and brown, being careful not to burn them.  Allow to cool before eating.


NOTE: With my latest batch, it went something like this: microwave for 10 minutes, let rest for 1 minute, microwave for 3 minutes, let rest for 1 minute, microwave for 3 minutes, etc.  I think you get it.  Like I said, my slices were very thick this last time so it took a lot longer.  Personally, I like them that way, but just know that it will take longer to cook them.


before

after


Next time I might try some of the seasonings that Susan suggests, such as chili powder or Creole seasoning.  Fresh ground pepper would be good, too.  She also suggests dipping them in cider vinegar and then salting them for a salt and vinegar chip.  Yum!  Leave a comment if you try any different flavors that work well.

So there you have it - fat-free potato chips!  Easy, crispy, healthy, and delicious.  Plus you can make only as many as you'd like.  No more worries about eating a whole bag!  

Have you ever made microwave potato chips?


3 comments:

  1. We had these tonight for supper & love them! The kids thought they were great, and I feel much better letting them eat these than store bought chips. Chips are a rare treat for them, but I think these might make a regular appearance at our house! Thanks for sharing!
    ~Kaci

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  2. I'm glad your kids liked them, too! I made some salt and cider vinegar ones the other day. They weren't too vinegary - just had a bit more flavor than the plain kind.

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  3. I stopped using a microwave 10 yrs ago. Look up Dr Mercola's article on dangers of Microwave and you'll see why. Also, look up Turbo Oven, an alternative to the microwave, for your family's health. I'll keep looking for the recipe I saw the other day using parchment paper, fat free potatoes in the oven. Thanks anyway.

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