Turnip and Rutabaga Chips

I've been writing and editing my cookbook and working on recipes makes me very hungry!  And, my snack of choice lately has been a lot of packaged Potato Chips. So, I decided to go a bit healthier and make some different kinds of veggie chips. Today I made Turnip and Rutabaga Chips. Now, most people aren't fond of these two vegetables as they've often been a winter standby that are usually mashed. When raw, they have a bit of a mustardy smell and taste, but when they are roasted they get sweet and if you slice them thin enough, they make fabulous chips!  

Turnip and Rutabagas are different colors - Turnips are white and Rutabagas are a lovely soft yellow/orange. Together they are beautiful as well as delicious when made into chips. They are also very good for you. They are part of the family of Cruciferous vegetables that have anti-cancer properties and are full of phytonutrients and they are also high in fiber. In Chinese Medicine, they are said to cool the blood and the qi and help you get rid of phlegm so they are perfect foods for the  cold and flu weather. They are also good for digestion.

These chips are very easy to make and the only skill required is that you slice the pieces very thin - best to use a Mandoline if you can. I like them in half moon shapes as they area bit easier to manage and tend to get crispier. Then you toss them in Olive Oil and a Seasoned Salt of your choice or just salt and pepper and cook them in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Crisp them just a bit more if you like under the broiler. Let them cool and you will have made Turnip and Rutabaga Chips.  Some will be super crispy and some will still be soft - it's a mixture of textures.  As for flavors, they are savory and a little bit sweet too - a perfect snack and healthy too!

Turnip and Rutabaga Chips

4 small Turnips, stem ends cut off and peeled and cut in half

2 medium Rutabaga, stem ends cut off and peeled

1/4 cup Olive Oil

3/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt (I used Paul Prudhomme's Vegetable Magic) or Salt and Pepper

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and get two baking sheets ready by putting Parchment Paper on them.

Slice the Turnips and Rutabagas as thin as you can up to 1/4 inch wide - the thinner they are the crispier they will get but they will burn easier.  Place them in a mixing bowl and add the Olive Oil and Seasoned Salt.  Mix thoroughly.

Pour onto the prepared baking sheets and spread them out so that each chip is touching the Parchment and they are not overlapping. Place on upper and lower racks. Cook for 15 minutes and turn - place the pans back in the oven on the other rack  Cook for an additional 15 minutes. Remove all the chips that are browned.  

Heat the oven to broil and return the chips to the oven one pan at a time. Broil for up to 1 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn and remove from the oven. Repeat. Let the chips cool before serving.

Five Element Analysis

Turnips are a white pungent vegetable so they belong to the Metal Element and the Seasoned Salt adds a bit more Metal because of the Spices in the mixture. If you use Salt and Pepper, you are brining in just a hint of the Water and Fire Elements.  Rutabagas because of their color are more of an Earth vegetable so that element is represented too. The Olive Oil contributes the Wood Element so be sure to bring in more of the Water and Fire Element foods at another time.  I drank tea with my Chips so that added some Fire too.