Crispy Pie Chips + Strawberry Mint Chutney

Yesterday looked like this:

I actually didn't mind. This summer has been so bananas with busy-ness that I was secretly excited to simply spend the afternoon at home. It made me a tad excited for Fall, when Sundays at home are a staple.

And with an afternoon at home, I love to get down with some cooking! I haven't really been cooking lately. I've mostly been throwing together super quick dinners. I was so excited to get back in the kitchen and get cooking yesterday. When I realized that I had some strawberries on the verge of going bad, I decided to make a little jam with some of the mint leaves from our urban herb garden.

As for what to dip in the chutney? I had saved a cute recipe from Food Network Magazine for baked chips made out of leftover pie crust scraps. Genius, no? They were the perfect vehicle for this strawberry chutney. I used limited sugar in both of these recipes, so for a sweeter chutney or a more 'coated' chip, go crazy on it. You can also use melted butter in place of the cooking spray on the chips. Hope you enjoy!

Cinnamon Pie Chips + Strawberry Mint Chutney
for the chips:
*adapted from Food Network Magazine
1 pre-made refrigerated pie crust (like Pillsbury)
1 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut the unrolled pie dough into strips (I used a fluted pastry wheel, but a basic pizza cutter will do the trick). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay the pie pieces on the sheet and spray them with cooking spray. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake about 15 minutes.

for the chutney:
1 1/2 C strawberries, hulled & quartered
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cornstarch (optional)

Place strawberries, lemon juice, mint and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let cook, stirring occasionally. Once the strawberries start to release their pectin, turn the heat to low and simmer until thickened. If you have limited patience (like me), add the cornstarch for a quicker thickening. Let cool and serve.

The chutney is thick and super strawberry-ish. I love it. It's so fresh, light and summery. For a sweeter version, add more sugar!

Questions of the Day:

What do you like to do on a rainy day?

Do you ever use leftover pie crust for anything?

psst...today I'm blogging about some fun eye candy getting me through this Monday morning over on The Peach & The Pit. Head on over to check it out!