When many people hear the world “chips” the next thing that pops into their mind is “potatoes.” As we all know here, however, chips can be made out of any number of vegetables. Parsnips, beets and rutabagas work well and as Diana pointed out with her snack recipe submitted to the Primal Blueprint Cookbook Challenge (current theme: Primal Snacks), so do zucchini and yellow squash.

Diana uses a dehydrator to make her chips. But since not all of us have a dehydrator, let’s start with the kitchen oven. Although we’ll be honest: making chips of any kind in an oven is tricky. To get a crispy, crunchy chip that isn’t burned, the slow method is best. And by slow, we mean practically a whole day at your oven’s lowest possible heat level.  Some people recommend leaving the door slightly cracked so air can circulate. If you don’t have that kind of time, try this fast method: slice zucchini thinly, dip in egg white and then a light coating of coconut flour. Bake in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes, flipping once. This will make a flavorful and fairly crunchy chip. For even more flavor, add onion powder or grated parmesan to the coconut flour.

However, it can’t be denied that by far the easiest and most fool-proof way to make chips is in a dehydrator. You can walk away and let the dehydrator do the work without worrying about the chips staying soggy or burning to a crisp. They come out crispy and crunchy every time, which is exactly the texture we want when a snack-attack strikes.

A dehydrator is also a kitchen appliance worth considering if you’ve been wanting to make jerky or dried fruit. If an electric dehydrator isn’t in your budget, then you might want to consider some homemade versions, and let us know if they work.

If you are using a dehydrator, Diana’s recipe for zucchini chips is as good as we’ve ever tried. We love the simplicity of it. Make sure to try her salsa too, because nothing makes a chip taste better than a little something to dip it in.

Chip Ingredients:

• 1 or more large zucchini and/or yellow squash
• 1 dehydrator (or your kitchen oven)
• salt (optional)
• onion powder (optional)

Instructions:

Cut squashes into 1/2 inch slices. Season lightly with salt, onion powder or any other spices you like. Dehydrate in the dehydrator. If you’re using an oven, set oven to low, place squash directly on the racks and let them dry. It may happen over night, or may take a couple of days.

Serve with home-made “roasted” salsa.

Salsa Ingredients:

• 6 roma tomatoes
• 2 bell peppers
• 3 jalapenos (more or less for hotness)
• 1/2 onion

Chop veggies into medium to large chunks, coat with olive oil and roast in oven at 400 degrees until lightly roasted.

Add:

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• cayenne pepper sauce to taste

Lightly pulse in food processor until chopped.

OR: Chop veggies into small pieces by hand, mince garlic, place in a bowl and mix in olive oil, lime juice and cayenne pepper sauce.

If you'd like to add an avatar to all of your comments click here!

Load Comments