Baked Carrot and Parsnip Chips

If you love potato chips or french fries or baked sweet potato fries, then you are going to LOVE these carrot and parsnip chips.  We all know and love carrots; but let me just say that eating real farm fresh carrots from a farmers' market is a whole different experience then eating those processed baby carrots from the grocery store.  And eating roasted carrots is an entirely different experience than eating them raw, which most of us are used to. Parsnips are also root vegetables and are closely related to carrots, but they are lighter in color and slightly sweeter in flavor.

http://www.bigoven.com/glossary/Parsnips

Parsnips are really high in potassium, and carrots are of course known for their Vitamin A (beta-carotene) content; and both have a slew of other vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Parsnips and carrots pair really well together and are great additions to soups and stews, or just on their own as in this dish.  These chips are extremely rich in flavor, so simple to prepare, and a great crowd pleaser.  You can just use your hands to pop them in your mouth like chips, but with less guilt (and even more flavor)!  Any of the root vegetables in season nowadays (turnips, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, etc) are excellent baked as "chips" or "fries"... so think outside the box and add some new colors and flavors next time you go and grab that plain old white potato! 

BAKED CARROT AND PARSNIP CHIPS

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 medium carrots

1 parsnip

Olive oil

Salt/pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Peel the carrots and parsnip, and chop into thin slices (a mandoline works great here, if you have one, to get really thin slices. thinner=crispier!)

3. Arrange on a cookie sheet, trying not to overcrowd, and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

4. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring a couple times, until nice and golden brown and crunchy. 

5. Serve on a plate with your favorite dipping sauce (ketchup, dijon, thousand island, etc) or just plain. Enjoy.. and beware- once you pop, you just can't stop!