Recipe: Beet Chips with Rosemary, Vinegar and Sea Salt

vegetable chipsBeet Chips With Rosemary and Sea Salt and rice wine vinegar make a super healthy snack.

Beet Chips are a tasty, crunchy nutritious snack, rich in  cell protective cancer fighting super antioxidants.  Rosemary not only adds flavor but also contains carnosol, a potent phytochemical widely studied for its impact on cancer cells.  The aromatic oil in rosemary leaves also enhances digestion.

Beet pigments are  rich in healing plant chemicals called  betanins and  betalains which have a positive effect on inflammation and also enhances the vitally important Phase Two detoxification function in the liver, allowing you to process and get rid of toxic chemicals and properly detoxify your own hormones, including estrogen. That is why beet juice is part of so many healthy detox plans. You will also find betalains in the stems of red chard and red rhubarb. Cancer cells exposed to beets in the lab demonstrate lower levels of pro-inflammatory molecules including COX-1 and COX-2.  Cancer both thrives in and produces inflammation, so controlling inflammation is crucial.  Betalains also appear to slow down the growth of tumor cells in the lab.  The effects of beet pigments have been studied for their effects on cells from breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer and stomach cancer cells.

Rosemary  not only adds flavor  and enhances digestion but also contains cancer fighting carnosol.  According to the National Cancer Institute  carnosol is “a promising anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory agent….and has been studied in breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer and skin cancer. ”

Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Heart Healthy, Diabetes Friendly

Four Servings

Ingredients

2 large  organic beets very thinly sliced using a mandolin, a food processor or a very sharp knife

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, stems removed, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Rice  WIne Vinegar (usually found in the Asian Food section) or  Organic White Wine Vinegar

Preparation

Heat oven to 375′ F

Place sliced beets in a stainless steel or enamel ware pot

Cover the beets with rice vinegar

Bring to a boil, immediately turn off the heat, allow to steep for 15 minutes and drain thoroughly

Put the beets in a large bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of oilve oil until evenly and lightly coated

Place the beets evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp and just slightly brown

Remove from oven

Sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary

Variations

Use both red beets and golden beets.  Be sure to cook them separately so you get both deep purple and bright orange chips

Try this same recipe with finely sliced carrots or yams

If you like your chips  a bit spicy sprinkle sparingly with ground cayenne pepper or black pepper

Instead of Rosemary sprinkle with Chinese Five Spice Powder or Cumin Powder

Serve  Beet Chips with

Pam’s Homemade Humus (vegan and  dairy free ) or

Roasted Garlic Yoghurt Dip (contains dairy)

or both!