Tortilla chips are surprisingly easy to make at home. One day I bought a package of fresh corn tortillas to use in a recipe, however so many tortillas come in the package, that I had a lot left over. I decided then to experiment and make my own tortilla chips. Luckily it was a success!

Here’s how to make homemade corn tortilla chips:

Quarter the corn tortillas. Pour about three inches of vegetable oil in a large sautee pan, wok, or dutch oven. Over medium high to high heat, fry the tortilla chips in batches so they don’t crowd the pan. Using metal tongs, flip the tortilla chips continuously to move them around as they fry. It should take about seven minutes per batch. When they turn golden brown, remove them from the oil with the tongs. Place them in a large bowl lined with a paper towel (to soak up the extra oil) and sprinkle each batch with sea salt as you go. It’s as simple as that.

However, if I don’t have the time or patience to fry my own tortilla chips, I look for ones in the store that are organic, like the Wild Oats tortilla chips. I’m pretty picky about my tortilla chips. Corn is a whole-grain, and although they are a fried food (unless on the package it indicates that they are baked), they are a special treat that I really enjoy. If you buy ones in the store look for ones that are low in saturated fat and contain no trans fat.

Strangely enough, plain low-fat cottage cheese makes an excellent dip for tortilla chips. Cottage cheese is a high protein food and is very filling. You can even mix a few dashes of Wild Oats hot chipotle sauce or jalapeno hot sauce into the cottage cheese for some zing! Or, of course there’s salsa, and Wild Oats makes a variety of different kinds of super tasty salsas in all spice levels. Salsa is a very healthy choice as a dip because it’s usually fat-free and is made with tomatoes, which contain cancer fighting antioxidants.