The Occasion: When your favorite TV show returns from hiatus and you CANNOT WAIT to see what the hell kind of crazy they’re going to bring this time. And above all WWCW – What Will Cookie Wear?

Empire is back on Wednesday night. Here’s a taste featuring my girls Porsha and Becky:

I know I’m going to want a snack during this nutty show, and these simple yet craveable Sweet Potato Chips are just the ticket. Pretty easy to make – yes, in the microwave! – and deliciously satisfying. Some say that salt is optional but I say it’s a must. Still pretty healthy compared to regular chips. I mashed up a few different recipes/techniques to arrive at my version below, but the inspiration for this evening's snack comes from the By Stephanie Lynn blog - thanks!

Basically you slice a sweet potato very thinly (I used a mandoline), place the slices on parchment paper, zap 'em with a little cooking spray, salt and pepper, and then cook in the microwave for a few minutes. It's not at all difficult but takes a little time, mostly because you'll want to make several batches. As they say, you can't eat just one!

No-Fry Sweet Potato Chips
Recipe adapted from a post on By Stephanie Lynn blog
 
INGREDIENTS:

• Sweet potatoes – as many as you want; I used 2
• Unflavored cooking spray such as PAM or olive oil spray
• Salt and pepper (I recommend using a good quality flaky sea salt)
• Optional: Dried herbs or spices, such as thyme, rosemary, cumin

 
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT:

• Mandoline or VERY sharp knife
• Parchment paper
• Microwave

 
DIRECTIONS:

• Scrub the sweet potatoes well and slice off any bad spots. Or you can peel the potato entirely if you prefer.
• Thinly slice the potatoes – less than 1/8-inch thick. A mandoline is the ideal tool for this job, but if using a knife be sure that your slices are of consistent thickness to ensure even cooking.
• Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the turntable inside your microwave. Spray one side very lightly with cooking spray. Place potato slices on the sprayed side of the paper – not overlapping each other. Spray the slices very lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you'd like to add additional herbs and/or spices, now is the time.
• Carefully transfer the parchment paper with potato slices into the microwave and onto the turntable.

NOTE: I tried taking the turntable in and out of the microwave but it didn’t work as well as transferring the loaded parchment paper.  

• Cook the sweet potato slices in the microwave at Power Level 8 for 3 minutes. Check the chips for doneness (they will turn color and be nearly-but-not-all-the-way crisp). Continue cooking the chips at 20 second intervals on Power Level 8. Total cooking time will probably be no more than 4 minutes.
• Remove chips to a rack for cooling and continued crisping.
• Repeat the process with the remaining raw potato slices. You can re-use the same parchment round several times.  

If your experience is anything like mine, the first batch of chips will be a disaster but you’ll quickly get the hang of it after that. 

The sweet potato chips are best on the day they’re made. Storing extras in a sealed container will cause them to lose crispness although the flavor will still be good.

So now I've got my snack, I've got my adult beverage, the remote is nearby. I'm ready for the show.

Welcome back, Empire!

​Will you be watching? Let's dish about it in the Comments. 

Although online streaming and subscription services like Netflix and Hulu have forever changed the way we watch television, autumn still brings a little excitement with the arrival of the new viewing “season.” New shows are introduced, hoping to find a home in our hearts or at least in our DVRs. And the return of last season’s favorites gives us reason to celebrate – especially when we’re talking about Empire, the ultra-fabulous, camp-tastic, nighttime soap opera about a hip-hop mogul and his way too dysfunctional to be believed family and entourage of hangers-on.

This show is not without problems – continuity gaps, characters and storylines introduced then dropped without resolution, farfetched plot turns and so on – but for me, all is forgiven when Cookie Lyon sashays onto the scene wearing another over-the-top outfit featuring animal prints + faux fur + extra bling-bling please. Taraji P. Henson OWNS that character and the whole dang show too quite frankly, although the rest of the cast does an admirable job holding their own against the force of nature that is Miss Cookie. She’s sassy, salty, spicy, real and out of this world, all at once.

So if you’re new to Empire I suggest that you:

a)      Binge-watch Season 1
b)      Grab your popcorn and take a seat on the couch
c)      Join me in asking the weekly question – WWCW – What Will Cookie Wear?

Wednesdays on Fox, starting September 23rd.

Read what others have to say about this fun show.

I love this show and its seriously flawed, funny as hell, twisted, down-but-not-out characters who often get kicked in the teeth for their troubles but every once in a great while emerge triumphant.

Apparently in Season 3 we will be treated to themes of motherhood and faith, the comings and goings of some featured characters (Alex/Laura Prepon is back and Larry/Jason Biggs is not), and the tastiest treat of all -- big butch Boo (Lea DeLaria) in ruby red lipstick!

Can. Not. Wait. Good news – we don’t have to! Season 3 returns Friday June 12 on Netflix for your viewing pleasure. If you’re going to binge-watch, you might need a little nourishment along the way, keep up your strength to command the remote. I don’t know that you’ll get much nutrition from these suggested snacks, but they’re delicious and thematically correct, so there you go.  Pictures and recipe after the jump.