As part of my “healthier eating plan”, I’ve been coming up with all kinds of ways to make “fake” junk food – i.e. delicious treats that are actually pretty good for you. These yam chips and guac are easy to make, and so yummy! I always make the guacamole first, so it has a chance to sit (the onion and garlic flavours will go through it). Here’s my recipe:

INGREDIENTS

3 avocados, peeled and cubed (keep the nuts)
1/4 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 clove of garlic (I used the stuff that comes in a tube)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (again, I used the tube-stuff; the fresh is almost impossible to find)
salt & pepper

Add all ingredients to a medium bowl, and mash. Place the nuts back in the guacamole to prevent it from going brown. Refrigerate.

Next, make the yam chips.

INGREDIENTS

1 yam, washed and scrubbed
olive oil in a spray can
sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Slice the yam using a mandolin. You can use a knife too, but they need to be really thin and uniform!

Soak the slices in warm water for at least a half hour. This helps get some of the starch out so that they’ll become more crispy. Then dry on paper towels.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spray the paper lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay the slices out so that they don’t overlap, and add a little more oil and salt on top.

Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Remove the chips and turn them over. Return to the oven, but watch then closely so they don’t burn – they’ll only need a couple minutes more!

Enjoy right away!