Receta Spicy BBQ Zucchini Chips
A friend gave us some overgrown zucchinis. Large circumference zucchinis do not spiralize well. So, how about making some "potato" chips? These are so crazy reminiscent of BBQ potato chips, I can't believe it! Warning - they are very spicy, so cut down on the hot red chili powder and cayenne if you want a tamer version. I re-tweaked this from the original recipe, using less marinade,thinner zucchini slices and and added ingredient, and the result was PERFECTION!
Note: if you don't have a dehydrator, these can be baked, but I've not tried this method.
- Spicy BBQ Zucchini Chips Ingredients:
- 3-4 zucchinis (depending on size and how heavily you coat them)
- 3/4 cup filtered water
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil (Living Tree Community Olive Oil - or your favorite)
- 2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds (soaked 2 hours) (optional)
- 4 sun dried tomato (soaked and chopped)
- 1 Tablespoons onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup (grade B or your favorite sweetener)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro, dried
- 1 teaspoon basil, dried
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon hot red chili powder (these are VERY spicy, or 1/4 teaspoon chili powder)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne (eliminate if you want to cut down on spiciness or add more if you don't have hot chili powder)
- *1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional - but really gives the BBQ authentic flavor)
- Garnish with hemp seeds (optional)
*OPTION : Instead of liquid smoke - try using smoked paprika or smoked sun dried tomatoes. I don't know much about this product, but I've seen it used by Russell James and Matthew Kenney. I had it in my cabinet, and figured I'd try it. I'm going to look for smoked paprika which is probably a good option.
Directions:
1 - Add ingredients to blender and mix until sunflower seeds and tomatoes are completely processed. Scrape down sides of blender if needed, and continue to blend until well mixed.
2 - Wash and peel or partially peel zucchini and slice thinly using a sharp knife, peeler, or mandolin. A mandolin or box grater work BEST to get the thinnest slice, but not too thin, or it will fall apart.
3 - Transfer zucchini to a large mixing bowl. Pour half of the batter over zucchini and gently mix. Coat each slice well, adding more batter as needed. (Save some to re-coat when you flip chips over). Place on non-stick dehydrator trays, flat and not touching each other. Dehydrate at 110 degrees F for about 2 hours.
4 - Peel slices up from sheet and carefully turn over. Re-coat as with BBQ sauce as needed. Dehydrate for 2 -3 hours.
5 - Carefully remove and transfer chips to mesh dehydrator tray and continue to dehydrate 12-15 hours (depending on humidity and thickness of chips), until dry and crunchy. Depending upon humidity, they may stay a little chewy, but still fabulously melt in your mouth fantastic!
Note: Some of the chips were garnished with sprouted Quinoa or hemp seed. Sprouted Quinoa, is a staple in our home. I keep a jar of them in the freezer to toss on salads or grind into flour. I preferred the chips with the hemp seed.
For those of you who like a thicker chip (less reminiscent of a potato chip, and want to add either hemp seed or sprouted/dehydrated quinoa, here is the original chip - just cut it thicker, leave all of the skin, and use the garnish as directed.
Dehydrators: I get a lot of questions regarding dehdyrators.My two favorites are the Excalibur 9 tray (with timer) and the TSM D10. What I love about the TSM is that it's stainless steel, the fan is much quieter, and it's a more commercial machine. Both work well, so decide what works best with your budget.