The World Cup is making me gain weight. Okay, not really…but I do feel like my diet has been on a downward spiral in the past two weeks. We’re a soccer family. We play soccer, we watch MLS games and to us the World Cup is more important than the Superbowl, the Rose Bowl and the Olympics combined. Well maybe not the Olympics, but you get the picture. So now that we’re two weeks into the World Cup, and have watched most of the games (it’s convenient for us because of working night shift) I am desperate for healthier game time snacks.

The Kettle Chips and onion dip are getting old (That’s a baldfaced lie…I love that stuff.)

The answer to came to me via my weekly Chow Locally produce box…Butternut Squash from Pinnacle Farms.

Aren’t they cute little butternut squishies? Can I call them squishies, since they are so little and cute? And yes, the butternut squash is a winter squash and when I looked at the dashboard in my car this morning it was 108 degrees outside…not exactly winter temperatures. But they are grown in the summer for winter harvest. Still, it’s the beginning of July. Arizona gardening baffles me.

There are three essentials to getting these chips crispy. First, slice them thin. One eighth of an inch or thinner. Secondly, make sure they are completely dry after blanching. Seriously dry. Bone dry. Thirdly (is thirdly even a word?) Don’t add any salt until the very end. I’ve been doing that with my kale chips and it makes a difference in the crispness.

I used a mixture of avocado oil and extra virgin olive oil. The avocado oil has a higher smoking point and I really like the flavor. It’s up to you. You could use coconut oil too, but sometimes the coconut flavor can be too much.

Yield: 4 servings

Garlicky Butternut Squash Chips

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons avocado oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• sea salt to taste

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375 F.
2. Halve the butternut squash and scoop out the seeds of both halves.
3. Very carefully cut off skin of squash.
4. Slice the squash very thinly for the chip. 1/8th of an inch or less.
5. Finely mince the garlic cloves until they are itty bitty.
6. Place the sliced squash in boiling water for 2 minutes to blanch. Remove promptly and place on towel to throughly dry.
7. Once dry, place in bowl and toss with the other ingredients sans the sea salt.
8. Spread out the squash chips evenly on a cookie sheet.
9. Place in oven, flipping over the chips at the 10 minute mark.
10. Continue checking on and flipping the chips until they appear crunchy and browned at the edges.
11. Let cool and sprinkle with sea salt as desired.
12. Serve promptly and devour.

Butternut squash is lower in carbs than sweet potatoes, and both are better than potatoes… So yeah, you have my permission to eat the whole bowl. I promise I won’t tell.

 

Linked to ~ Link Party Palooza, Say G’Day Saturday