Let me start out by saying that we have been some seeing technical difficulties with both the rss feed of the blog and the speed in which the page loads.  We think we got all the problems addressed but if you continue to lack posts in your email or Google reader – I want to hear about it.  Deal?

OK moving on….

Wanna know something else I love?  Chips.  Chips of any kind, any type, any shape with dip or without – it doesn’t matter.  I am a CHIP Lover/Addict.  Today i want to share with you a fun little recipe that was well received at a recent House gathering.  These are simple pita chips with a couple of twists.  Super easy to make and very fun to eat… CCCCRUNCH!

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. Olive oil
• 3/4 Tsp. Ground cumin
• 1/4 Tsp. Ground red pepper
• 5 Large whole wheat or white pitas with pockets
• 1/2 Cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In cup, with fork, mix oil, cumin, and ground red pepper.
2. With knife or kitchen shears, cut each pita in half. Brush 1 side of pita halves with oil mixture. Cut each half into 8 wedges.
3. Arrange wedges, oiled-side up, in non greased sheet pans.
4. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and salt if you like.
5. Place pans on oven racks and bake crisps 12 to 15 minutes or until golden, rotating pans from upper to lower racks halfway through baking for even browning.
6. Cool chips in pans on wire racks.
7. Dip with your favorite Hummus or Bean Dip
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If there are any leftovers, store chips in tightly covered container or large self-sealing plastic bag up to 1 week.  They will stay crunchy – I tested out 2 batches!

The cumin flavored combined with the slight heat of the red pepper was a fantastic combination.  I feel the simple oil mixture elevated a somewhat boring piece of Pita Bread into an exciting bite for the guests.

Kick start your weekend with a super day today.  Let’s see if we can do something fun.  Have a great weekend.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

A Friday treat is hear for all! Well not all but everyone who loves potatoes, cheese and bacon. Heck even if you don’t love bacon, I am pretty sure you will still love these little bits of comfort.  Some days when you get home from work or are sitting on the couch taking a breather, comfort food is all you need.  Whether it is your favorite fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, some chocolate cake or baked potato skins and bacon – food can definitely change your mood.

Despite these skins taking a little bit of effort – the end results are well worth the effort.

Ingredients

• 6 Large baking potatoes
• 1/4 Tsp.salt
• 1/4 Tsp. pepper
• 1 Cup Cheddar cheese, Swiss or Asiago cheese
• 6 slices slices bacon, cooked
• 3 Green onions, chopped

Method

1. Scrub potatoes; prick several times with fork. Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven until tender, about 1 hour. Let stand until cool enough to handle. (Make-ahead: Let cool completely; refrigerate in airtight container for up to 2 days.)
2. Cut lengthwise in half; scoop out flesh, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick walls (reserve flesh for another use, such as soup or mashed potatoes).
3. Arrange, cut side up, on baking sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cheese.
4. Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.
5. Top with bacon and green onions and serve immediately.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: For an extra kick, you can add some crushed red pepper flakes or chili powder to give it a little heat or you can have sour cream on the side spiked with hot sauce.

I don’t mean to cut this short but let me tell you these potato skins are pretty darn yummy and I would like for you to try them… ok?    Let me know what you think of them after you make them.

Movember Update – Week 2

The Mo is growing… slowly but surely.

I have to go get down to the conference for the final day.  I hope you have a great Friday and a fun weekend.  I will catch up with you on Monday!

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Hi All, Gena here from Choosing Raw with you today while zest and family are enjoying the sunshine and excitement of Disney World. Zest asked me to share with you my homemade potato chips that I somewhat stumbled upon in one of my ravenous states a few weeks back. The story goes a little something like this….

What do you do with a potato when you are starving and about to go into food withdrawals?

We could slice the ‘taters so thinly that they’d crisp up quickly. Which is exactly what we did. Using M’s mandoline, I cut two large potatoes into thin slices (I’d say 1/8-1/4 inch is fine). I tossed them in a “glug” of olive oil—maybe 2 tbsp or so—and sea salt and black pepper. I then laid them out on two baking trays and sprinkled them with just over a tablespoon of dried rosemary and another dash of pepper. After about 25 minutes at 400 degrees, they were crispy, crunchy, salty, and superb.

Advantages of these chips, over other chips:

1) Baked, not fried. These golden-brown treats are some raw foodists’ idea of a nightmare. But I think that balanced diets of raw and cooked foods can allow for some burnt edges here and there. And if you’re hooked on conventional chips, these guys are less caloric and lower in fat.

2) Gluten free-friendly. If you’re avoiding gluten, but missing your favorite crackers, these are good enough to distract you. Possibly forever. Or until you make them again.

3) Whole food snack option. Enough with your fancy organic crackers and crisps from Whole Foods or your local health food store. Those are yummy, but they’re also making you go broke. OK, maybe not, but these are the real whole foods: nothing but potatoes and spices. I’d recommend them any day as an alternative to conventional crunchy snacks, which have probably been through at least one level of processing!

If you need precision with the recipe, here goes:

Yukon Gold Potato Chips with Rosemary and Sea Salt (vegan, gluten and soy free)

Yields about 30-36 chips

Ingredients

• 2 large Yukon gold potatoes, sliced thinly (1/8-1/4 inch, depending on whether you’re using a knife or mandolin)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Toss the potatoes with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.
3. Lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and sprinkle the rosemary on top (as well as extra pepper if you like).
4. Bake for 20-25 min, or until very golden and crispy (this will vary with your oven).
5. ENJOY!

These are a great snack, but they’re also very handy as dippers:

This one worked nicely with up in smoke hummus!

Thanks so much and if you like this recipe or want to read more about me or my blog feel free to stop over at Choosing Raw.

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty