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Read MoreSesame-Garlic Nori Chips
http://www.MelJoulwan.com/2009/10/26/sesame-nori-chips/
Sometimes I want to chow down like a teenager: just lie in front of the TV watching something craptastic, and snarf a crispy, salty snack.
But my ever-present adult voice knows that no amount of salty goodness will ever recreate that fleeting combination of utter lack of responsibility and complete, open possibility.
Doesn’t mean I won’t try, though.
One could argue, I suppose, that I should be past mindless, indulgent snacking – that all meals and snacks should be deliberately consumed, with full consciousness of the activity, eaten at the dining table with a napkin on my lap.
What.ever.
Most days, I eat my breakfast at the table; I eat lunch with a knife and fork seated at my kitchen counter; I eat dinner at the table with my handsome husband; and I sometimes eat snacks where and when I can: at the gym, in the car, on the bed, walking around the house
I’ve given up just about every other vice; once in a while, I eat like an animal, and I like it.
A while back, The Minimalist in The New York Times offered a recipe for chips made from nori. I tried the recipe as written and with some variations; I like my variations the best.
The Minimalist mentioned potato chips so many times in his piece, I think my expectations were inappropriately set. So let me tell you: These do NOT taste like potato chips.
However, they are crispy. They’re salty. And with the addition of seasonings, they’re really irresistible. Plus, making them yourself is ever so much more reasonable in the finance department than buying Sea Snax. MAKE THEM YOURSELF! THEY’RE SO EASY! (Plus, there’s a bonus, non-recipe recipe at the end for the fastest nori chips ever.)
Sesame-Garlic Nori Chips
Makes 42 chips | Prep 10 min | Cook 15 min | Whole30 compliant
Ingredients:
12 nori sheets
water
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
pinch ground cayenne pepper
salt, to taste
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Directions:
1
Preheat the oven to 275 F. Cover two large baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2
Place 6 sheets of nori, shiny side up, on the baking sheets. With a pastry brush, lightly brush the shiny side of the nori with water, being sure to reach the edges, then carefully align another sheet of nori on top and press them together. Repeat with the remaining sheets until they’re all buddied up.
3
Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut the nori into 1-inch strips, then cut those strips in half crosswise. You should end up with about 42 chips. Arrange the chips in a single layer on the baking sheets.
4
In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, garlic, and cayenne. Use the pastry brush to coat the top the chips, then sprinkle generously with salt. Use your fingers to sprinkle the sesame seeds across the tops of the chips.
5
Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. They will crisp and turn a deep, glossy green. Remove from the oven, taste and sprinkle with more salt if you like, and allow them to cool before eating for maximum crunch.
You Know How You Could Do That?
Follow the instructions above, but replace the ingredients with these…
Southwest Nori Chips
12 nori sheets
water
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt, to taste
Toasted Onion Nori Chips
12 nori sheets
water
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1/2 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon dried chives
Fastest-Ever Nori Chips
These have less flavor than the real recipe above, but they come together really fast. Like, “I want a salty something with my lunch right now,” fast. Sometimes, that’s all you need.
Heat 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cut nori sheets into 6 pieces. Place the nori pieces in the pan and heat them until they become dark green and start to get crispy. Sprinkle with salt. Devour.
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04
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Oh, I'm making these! Not only did I happen to just buy some Nori Sheets, but I also just burnt my zucchini chip attempt. I was trying to make zucchini chips to satisfy the exact feeling you describe. I'm on it!
I'll be excited to hear what you think. I'm kind of curious now and want to try them with different seasonings… or spritzing with that wheat-free tamari sauce instead of water… hmmmmm.
I like kale chips, though they're a pain to get just right. These sound neat! Any vehicle for sesame seeds sounds good to me 😉
YUM! Nori anything…I will nom nom nommmm all over. Delish!
So good !! (I <3 nori and am in sushi withdrawal.. obvs need to make some Paleo sushi rolls soon)..! Next time I will experiment using toasted sesame oil instead of olive oil and see what happens!
Between this comment and the salad idea, you've made me crave nori chips. I'm definitely going to have to make them again. Thanks for the reminder!
I am going to try this…Thanks
Vinee
I’ve made these twice since you’ve posted! I’ve only bought the seaweed chips, never made them on my own. They are GREAT sprinkled with wasabi powder too. It goes well with the flavor of the seaweed. Thanks for the idea!
I’ve been thinking I need to revisit these. I made them so long ago — before my taste buds had really committed to clean eating. I’ve been making kale chips a lot, but I think I’m going to give the nori another try. Thanks for the tip on the wasabi — can’t wait to try it!
Thank you so much for the nori chips recipe. I have been craving something crunchy and chip like. I just made them and my 4 year old keeps asking for more. I will definitely try other seasonings and will make the kale chips this weekend.
Thank you so much- watched the Mark Bittman video but your explanation was clearer. Looking forward to the ( not potato chip) chips !!
This is the first recipie I’ve tried out of your fab book and they are great. I do miss chips (crisps as we call them in the UK) and these fill that gap!
I lied.. I did your scotch eggs from the free PDF preview chapter of your book ….
They were amazing and sold the book to me 🙂
Great work Mel,
From your UK fan club 🙂
Hooray! Glad you like them! That salty crunch is pretty good, right?! Plus, extra bonus of them being nutrition packed!
Thanks for taking the time to let me know you’re enjoying the recipes!
So, I bought some pre-made wasabi nori chips the other day and LOVED them. I tried to make some today, but I don’t think I did it right. Mixed the wasabi powder with olive oil then spread it on the cut nori strips. Anyone know the best way to do it?
Yum! I just made these and they are amazing! I sprinkled them with a combination of standard sesame seeds, black sesaeme seeds and some togarashi (japanese seven spice). Great finger food to go with a bowl of freshly cooked edamame!
Glad you like them — thanks for letting me know!
You are a genius. I made these for my 5 year old daughter and she begged me for more. On the second batch I made myself some with vinegar instead of water and they were amazing! Thanks!
The vinegar is a great idea! Thanks for sharing… glad you like them!
These look yummy! Looking for something to replace the bagel chips & pretzels in Chex mix– would this work, and stay crisp?
They *should* stay crisp for a few days. If they get wimpy, just pop into the oven for a few minutes to re-crisp. You might also like this as a replacement for Chex mix: http://meljoulwan.com/2012/12/31/savory-paleo-snack-mix/
Hi! A couple of questions. I could only find nori packets with 10 sheets, about 0.88 oz, about 8×10 inches. Are these the ones you use? Also, I couldn’t figure out how you get 42 pieces. I was getting 32 pieces (about 1×2 inches each) from each buddy-sheet!
These are yummy. They are 5 Weight Watchers SmartPoints for the whole recipe, so if I eke them out a few at a time — which I can do, because they’re such a strong flavor — it’s a zero-SP snack! =)