CAJUN TOMATO CHIPS

So are tomatoes a fruit or a vegetable?
Botanically, a tomato is a berry.  It's the ovary together with its seeds of a flowering plant, which would make it a fruit. But in the cooking world, it is referred to as a vegetable, since they work better as part of a salad or a meal rather than a dessert. There was so much confusion as to where they belonged that the U.S. Supreme Court decided in 1993 to declare it  a vegetable, based on its primary use/functionality.

Whichever way you feel about tomatoes, this little snack will rock your world!  Forget the store brought chips, these dehydrated tomato slices are so flavorful and good for you.  Dehydrating them at 115 F means that they do not lose any of their nutrients since the temperature is too low to kill them. They are made with real, natural ingredients, and are also low in calories and fat. Whoohoo!

I remember posting a picture of them 2 years ago on Instagram and Facebook, and my sister was quite intrigued.  Well, 2 years later, she finally came to Las Vegas to visit me with her family, and had them as a special request.  I couldn't believe that of all the food I posted over the last few years, this was what caught her eye . But without a doubt, they are delicious, and I made her a batch, which she loved! The whole house smelled so good while they were dehydrating, it made it difficult to wait the full 24 hours for them to be fully dried.  But in the end, it was all worth it. I have a feeling that she will be buying a dehydrator in a near future so that she can make these on her own.

CAJUN TOMATO CHIPS

Ingredients:

4 large tomatoes, sliced very thin
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation:

In a small bowl mix together all of the ingredients except the tomatoes.  This will be your marinade.
Place the tomatoes in a single layer on your dehydrator trays and baste them with some of the marinade on top of each slice, Turn the tomatoes over, and repeat the process.

 

 

Dehydrate for about 24 hours. If they are still leathery or pliable, they are not quite ready, and will need to dehydrate longer. The time really depends on the thickness of your slices and the brand of dehydrator that you have. It's a long time to wait but on the bright side, your house will smell amazing! :)
When they are ready, let them cool to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container.
Enjoy them as a snack or as a topping for burgers, salads, or sandwiches.
I personally eat them as a snack but let me know in the comments below how you prefer to eat them!