spicy sweet potato chips

slowly, but surely, I'm working to build up my "spicy" tolerance. Spicy foods really do have some health benefits--they speed up your metabolism, they cause your brain to produce serotonin (happy hormones!), and can even help prevent cancer. For this recipe, I added some spice with cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper in particular has many many health benefits--it's an anti-cold agent, can help prevent migraines, aids digestion, is an anti-inflammatory, and can even help to normalize blood pressure...+ many more! so naturally, I make myself eat it. As I begin to sweat from the heat in my mouth, I remind myself: health, health, health.

to help relieve some of  my distaste for spicy foods, I decided to eat my cayenne pepper in the form of sweet potatoes. I cut them up super thin, added some cayenne, and then cooked them to the consistency of a chip. A nice combination of sweet and spicy! (and a little salty too!)

spicy sweet potato chips

yields: 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 LARGE sweet potato
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you want them)
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

To begin, heat the oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, use a nice to cut off the ends of the sweet potato. Discard. Next, thinly begin to slice the sweet potato into little circles, while the sweet potato lays horizontal. You will want to be extremely careful so you do not cut yourself. Take your time...this will enable you to get thinner slices and to have safer fingers. Once the potato is fully sliced, placed all of the "chips" into a larger ziploc bag. Add the olive oil, salt, cayenne pepper, and paprika into the ziploc bag next. Seal the bag and shake, shake, shake. Once the spices are evenly distributed, remove the chips one-by-one and place them flat, side-by-side on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for 30 minutes. About half way through, flip them once. You will want to keep a close eye on them. Some thinner slices may cook quicker and burn if you aren't careful. After 30 minutes, remove from the oven and let them cool.

there you go...your very own homemade, sweet potato chips!

If even I, a spicy new-by, love these chips, I'm sure you will too!
enjoy!

xoxo,
lauren

[you can also see this post on Hilliary's blog...along with the rest of her awesome site. Check it out!]