Crispy Baked Beet Chips

You know the phrase "needle in a haystack"?  Do people still say this when they can't find something?  I think it's time we changed this up.  I mean, who has a haystack anymore?  Heck, people barely have needles nowadays, right? 

I bought a needle this week to use in a beading project.  This is how I learned that the phrase "needle in a haystack" is out-of-date.  Really, the phrase should be "needle in a bed."  Because, let me tell you, it is an urgent matter when you lose one in there.  Who cares if you lose your needle in a haystack?  Are you sleeping in the haystack?  No, you're sleeping in the bed.  With the needle.

It's been 24 hours and I still haven't found it. I suppose this is why one should never work on a beading project in dim light just before going to sleep.  Live and learn.

Speaking of learning, I also learned an important lesson this week involving beets: they make dang good chips.

Have I caught your eye with kale chips before?  This is a similar tasty snack involving thin slices of beets baked in the oven.  They are so simple and incredibly delicious. 

Start by slicing your beets very thin.  The thinner your beet is, the quicker it will cook and the crispier it will be.  Since I don't have a mandoline, I tried using a vegetable peeler and also slicing by hand.  A vegetable peeler would have worked perfectly, except that my beets were very small and it was hard to use the peeler on such a small surface.  Slicing them by hand didn't get them quite as thin so some batches had to be cooked longer than others.

Once your beets are sliced, toss them with a little oil and then lay them flat on a baking sheet.  After 10 - 20 minutes (depending on how thin your slices are), you'll have crispy little bites of root vegetable goodness.

Crispy Baked Beet Chips

Serves 6

3 medium beets (or 6 small beets), sliced thinly
1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
Sea salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toss beets with oil and lay flat in a single-layer on a sheet pan (baking multiple batches if necessary).  Bake for 10 - 20 minutes, until chips are crispy.  Remove from oven and top with sea salt.  Serve.