Parsnip Chips

I've never been one to crave potato chips, I've always been more of a sweets snacker than a salty or savory one. Don't get me wrong though, if I do reach for the satisfying salty crunch of a chip, I can never stop at just one. The past few months though, I've been making a switch to craving all things savory versus sweet, to satisfy my snack attack. Go figure. So when I saw a lonely giant parsnip sitting in the crisper I had a hankering for some spiced up parsnip chips.

Parsnips are pretty gnarly looking, but nothing compared to a few other root vegetables out there, so if you're new to adding slightly less known roots to your diet, I would suggest this be one of your first. It resembles a carrot, but it's flesh is white and I usually find them a bit larger than carrots, with a more distinct taper. They also have a slightly sweeter taste, especially when cooked, but if they are more mature they can sometimes even be a bit spicy. You can eat them raw or cooked, in pretty much any way you would a carrot, they're a pretty versatile root.

Parsnip Chips / serves 4, unless you have a large appetite, as we do, then it serves 2

Adapted from Full Circle

It's important to slice these pretty thinly and as evenly as you can. If you have a mandolin, use it, but a sharp knife and some patience works too. These are not as crispy as potato chips, but they were still seriously addictive (I probably could have eaten the whole parsnip if Scott wasn't around).

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and ground

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chile powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 lb. parsnips, peeled and sliced no thicker than 1/8-inch

2 tablespoons coconut oil or other high heat oil

salt

Preheat oven to 475˚F. Have ready two rimmed baking sheets.

Mix the fennel, cumin, chile powder, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside. 

Pat the parsnips with paper towels and place in a large bowl, drizzle with oil and toss with the spice mixture and season with salt to taste.

Place the parsnips in a single layer on the baking sheets (if you don't have two you'll have to do this in shifts). Roast for 15-20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom half way through and flipping the chips over with a spatula. Baking time may vary depending on a lot of factors, so make sure you stick close by the oven and watch for burning.