French Fry Diary 706: Wai Lana Chips

These snack chips made from cassava rather than potato began to show up at local Wawas maybe a year or two ago, and yes, I'm just getting around to reviewing them now. Wai Lana the person is apparently the world's most famous yoga teacher, watched by millions worldwide on television. She's not just a teacher or media phenomenon, and it's not just a cassava chip, Wai Lana is a lifestyle.

All that said, on to the chips. Cassava is a root vegetable native to the South American tropics. According to the packaging, these cassava chips have 30% less fat than regular potato chips, and they're also gluten free with zero transfats. Furthermore they have no GMOs, cholesterol, artificial flavors or preservatives. They come in a dazzling variety of Asian inspired flavors including sweet & sour and Tai curry & lime, also lime chili, as well as more traditional ones like sea salt & vinegar and barbeque.

I chose three flavors to try - the Sweet & Sour, Thai Curry & Lime, and my favorite potato chip flavor, Barbeque. The chips actually look similar in size and shape to the various air popped chips out there.

I didn't really get a sweet and sour taste from the Sweet & Sour, not sure what the flavor was, but it wasn't bad. The Thai Curry & Lime had a tiny bit of a kick to them, with the lime really standing out. The Barbeque was very smoky but without the sweet vibe that flavor needs.

These weren't bad, and were certainly tastier and more flavorful than most healthy snacks, but I think I'll stick with more traditional potato chips myself.

French Fry Diary 461: Deep River Rosemary & Olive Oil Potato Chips

Here's the first entry from the bag o' rare chips from Anchor's Food Finds that The Bride got me for Christmas. One, the Avocado Oil Chilean Lime Potato Chips I have already reviewed when I found them locally. You can check that out here. The rest were pretty new to me.

Next up from the "Bag o' Chips" are Rosemary & Olive Oil Kettle Cooked Potato Chips from Deep River Snacks. They make a wide variety of interesting flavors of potato chips, as well as tortilla chips, popcorn, and baked fries. Among their other flavors are zesty jalapeño, New York spicy dill pickle, aged cheddar horseradish, and sweet Maui onion (I think there actually might be one of these in the Bag o' Chips), as well as regular stuff like mesquite BBQ and original salted.

These are terrific kettle chips, thick and crunchy, twisted with nooks and crannies, and excellent for dipping. As soon as the bag is open, that rosemary and very garlic aroma hits you, the same flavor that makes rosemary baked potatoes so good. Very flavorful, a nice change of pace for the potato chip form. I like these fancy chips.

And bonus, Deep River Snacks is a snack partner with Autism Speaks. Great chips, and a great cause.

French Fry Diary 424: Avocado Oil Potato Chips

I came across these on a recent trip to Walgreen's, believe it or not. Good Health Natural Foods, the folks behind the world's first avocado oil potato chips, make three different flavors - Barcelona Barbecue, Chilean Lime, and regular, "with a pinch of Sea Salt." They seemed just exotic enough, also safe enough for this catastrophically picky eater to give a try.

According to the company these are the first avocado chips as I said. Avocado oil comes from the pulp around the fruit's pit, and has a much higher smoke point than other oils. It also supposedly has lots of vitamins and monounsaturated fats.

Rumor has it that similar to tofu, it carries the flavor of other foods well. Many olive oil manufacturers make avocado oil in the off season because it's a year round crop. Its main use however, disturbingly, is in cosmetics for its moisturizing and lubricative properties.

The packaging talks a lot of talk about the 'good fats,' anti-oxidants, and the miraculous virtues of avocado oil. But enough science, and hype, especially if I'm going to eat these things. The regular flavor lists only potatoes, avocado oil, and sea salt as its ingredients. The potatoes are fairly small making for a small chip - even smaller by kettle cooking. Small, but kettle twisted for excellent dipping, these aren't bad, but not great either, and they had a clean, decidedly not greasy taste.

I'm not really sure what makes the Barcelona Barbecue variety all that special, beyond the name. The ingredients are the same as the regular plus all the standard suspects when it comes to barbecue potato chip flavor. Not too hot, and kettle cooked like the regulars, so they are great for dipping.

The Chilean Lime flavored chips are the real prize of the three varieties. Not only were the chips in this bag bigger than those in the Sea Salt or Barcelona Barbecue bags, but these also had a delightfully unique lime zing to them. It's almost like a cold bubbly 7-Up on a hot day, but in a potato chip. Thumbs up.

Guy Fieri's Yucca Fries

For this Food Network Friday we turn again to Guy Fieri, mostly because he's one of my favorite chefs, but also because he knows his fries - even when they're not made of potatoes! Here's his version of Yucca Fries:

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

Show: Guy's Big Bite Episode: Mojito Chicken

Prep Time: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time: --
Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients
•3 cups canola oil
•1 tablespoon fine sea salt
•1 teaspoon black pepper
•1 teaspoon paprika
•1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•2 pounds fresh yucca
•1 lime zested

Directions
In medium Dutch oven heat oil to 350 degrees F.

Place all spices in mixing bowl, and combine thoroughly.

Peel yucca tubes with heavy-duty vegetable peeler until bark is completely removed. Cut yucca into strips: 1/4-inch wide, 4 inches long. Add yucca into oil and fry until golden brown. With a slotted spoon remove the yucca from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Season hot yucca fries with spice mixture and lime zest and serve on a warm paper - towel-lined platter.

Cheesy Chili Lime Gold Potato Wedges

Cheesy Chili Lime Gold Potato Wedges

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 hours,

2 teaspoons finely grated lime rind
2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Kosher salt, to taste
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes
1/4 cup finely grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, optional
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, optional
Salsa and sour cream for dipping, optional

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil or spray liberally with vegetable oil.

Place lime rind, lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large zip-top bag. Squish around in the bag until combined.

Scrub gold potatoes and dry. Cut in half lengthwise. Continue cutting halves lengthwise into wedges about 1/2-inch thick. Add gold potato wedges to the oil in the zip-top bag, seal, and toss to coat.

Place gold potatoes on prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is golden. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Serve gold potato wedges with optional sides of salsa and sour cream for dipping.

Yield: 4 servings

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/simply-side-dishes/
Stuck in a rut when it comes to your side dishes? Check out this group!

The above recipe brought to my attention at the just-potatoes group.


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