Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (23 page)

For us, apple chips are a family affair. Every autumn, when my husband’s uncle distributes boxes of apples from his trees, I know that my mother-in-law will soon appear on our doorstep with bags of freshly baked apple chips. Using a mandoline slicer, she thinly cuts Fuji apples before dusting them with cinnamon and slowly baking them until they’re crisp. Each bag of these light, crunchy chips takes her several hours to make, but we’ve been known to polish ’em off in a matter of minutes. Yes, they’re
that
good.

1. A
   djust the racks in the oven so that they’re evenly spaced, and preheat the oven to
   225
   °F on the convection bake setting. (Alternatively, you can use the regular bake setting, but without the circulating hot air, you’ll have to bake the apple slices one tray at a time on the middle rack.)
   
2. A
   rrange the apple slices on several parchment-lined baking sheets, and if desired, dust with cinnamon. Bake for
   1
   ½ hours on convection bake (or
   2
   hours on regular bake), flipping the chips over midway through the cooking time. Turn off the oven, leaving the chips inside to fully dehydrate. Once they’re cool, serve or store the chips in a sealed container for up to
   3
   days.
   

Kale chips are the most addictive superfood known to mankind. Combining the salty crunch of potato chips and the nutrient load of a bottle of vitamins, these crisps will disappear before you can bake up a second batch. Even your vegan pals will give you an enthusiastic round of high-fives after they sample your chips.

1. P
   reheat the oven to
   350
   °F with the rack in the middle position, and line a couple of rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
2. T
   his is key: make sure the kale is super dry. I’m talking bone-dry, people. You don’t want any traces of water on the leaves whatsoever. Pat them down with a paper towel if necessary.
   
3. T
   oss the dry leaves with the oil, using your hands to distribute it evenly. Arrange the kale in a single layer on the lined baking sheets, keeping some distance between the leaves. And make sure the leaves aren’t folded over; otherwise, they won’t crisp properly.
   
4. B
   ake each tray for
   12
   minutes or until crisp, but not burnt. Remove the kale chips from the oven and season to taste with fleur de sel (or your favorite seasoning salt) and lemon zest, if desired.
   

“Porkitos”—crunchy chips made of prosciutto—lend a wonderfully salty crunch to creamy soups, salads, and purées. Or you can just stuff your face with them. ’Cause really: Who doesn’t love crispy pork chips?

1. P
   reheat the oven to
   350
   °F with the rack in the middle position, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the prosciutto in a single layer on the lined baking sheets. Don’t overcrowd the swine, or it won’t crisp properly.
   
2. B
   ake for
   10
   to
   15
   minutes or until crunchy. Watch your chips like a hawk to make sure they don’t burn. Porkitos will actually get crunchier as they cool, so err on the side of underbaking.
   
3. T
   ransfer the chips to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy them as a salty snack or appetizer, or use them to dress up your salads. (But something tells me these chips’ll be long gone before you’ve had time to whip up a salad.)
   

Some folks don’t like the soft, spongy texture of mushrooms. I’m not one of them, so I have no idea how they can pass up these meaty bursts of umami goodness. Still, I have to imagine that even the pickiest fungi-hater will fall madly in love with these crispity-crunchity oven-baked mushroom chips. To mere mortals like you and me, they’re irresistible—like potato chips on flavor-enhancing steroids.