BAKED (not fried!) Potato Chips...hey now, we all get cravings...don't we?

Day 2 of "Summer"...the sun is shining... the heat is...well... on the WET Coast... it's starting to warm up... dinners become lighter as days get longer.   I don't know about you, however I have a tendency to get cravings.  Like the ones that sneak up and attack you.  Making you think of nothing else.  For instance, deep fried pickles.  OR pasta OR coffee OR chocolate chip cookies OR chip nuts.. or....  well, you get the point.  Recently, I was craving Potato Chips, however, now that the sun IS shining, temperatures warming up.. I didn't think it appropriate to go out and eat an entire bag of salty potato chips. You know...excess calories...greasy hands...salt hangovers... For my special start of summer, end of week special... I thought I'd share with you a simple - relatively quick - recipe for homemade BAKED (not fried) Potato Chips.


Baked Potato Chips

 These are light, crispy and use minimum amount of olive oil... so really, how bad CAN they be?!  haha!  I lightly tossed the potato slices with BBQ Seasoning and Sea Salt, ended up just light the ones you'd buy at a fairground! Dipped them in a low-fat sour cream dip (using one of my many Epicure Selections Dips Seasonings) and POOF!  Craving Gone! ...and Look MA - NO Greasy Hands!! Woot Woot!! Paired it with some BBQ'd Beef Kabobs and Shrimps along with some raw veggies, perfect light weeknight meal for two!

Baked Potato Chips

• 3 - 4 Russet Potatoes
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• Sea Salt
• Seasoning for flavoured chips (I used BBQ Seasoning)

- Preheat oven to 350F
-Thinly slice potatoes - I used my Kitchen Aid Slicer attachment, a mandolin slicer would work.. or just a sharp knife and steady hands

 -If using the kitchen aid slicer attachment - I used the thinnest one, and a firm pressure while the potato was slicing in the machine... make sure the bow is underneath... I mean, not saying you'd forget...I mean.. really.. who would..... *coughcough*

- Slices should be as equally sliced as possible to ensure even baking
-Working in smaller batches, lay out a clean tea-towel and place potato slices on top dab them dry

- Place in a medium size bowl, toss with olive oil, sea salt and what ever seasonings you choose to lightly coat the potato slices
-Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (PAM) and lay out the slices so that they don't overlap.

- I had to use 2 cookies sheets, and just had them in the oven side by side, stitching and turning trays half way through cooking time.  (also sprinkled on a little more BBQ Seasoning once on pan to ensure a flavour burst
- Place in oven and bake for approx 20 - 25 mins, stirring around gently if need be to ensure even cooking.
- Potato Chips are done when they are golden and crispy!

 ....betcha can't eat just one!!

SO, on the upcoming first "Weekend of Summer 2012" , let's hope Mother Nature lets us enjoy a bit more of her sunshine.. get outside and play.  I don't know about you.. but us here on the West Coast.. are craving some vitamin D in its purest form... SUN!