Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Kale Chips

In my effort to eat a well balanced diet, I am trying to find ways to incorporate more dark, leafy greens into my day. There must be a million ways to prepare greens, but I always seem to end up relying on the same old - steamed brocolli. Not very exciting, and definitely not enticing enough for a 19-month old to try.

Lately though, I have discovered a fantastic trick. When you bake kale in the oven for a short period of time, it comes out crunchy and crispy, just like chips! Lightly coated with olive oil and sea salt, you might actually believe you were eating a bag of potato chips (Tom disagrees - he thinks they have a funny aftertaste. OK, yes, they don't exactly taste like potato chips, but who wouldn't enjoy trying something hot, salty, oily and crunchy? And bonus: A loves them too!)

To prepare, purchase a bunch of kale (most supermarkets carry the softer/leafier kind - you can find some very tough varieties at farmer's markets, but they're better suited for soups/stews). Break off the stems and wash. Now, VERY IMPORTANT: make sure to dry thoroughly with a towel! If you attempt to put kale pieces into the oven with even a few drops of water on them, they will turn into a soggy mess.

Place kale in a big bowl, pour in some olive oil (I never measure...maybe 1-2tbsp?). With you hands, toss and rub the oil all over the kale to make sure the pieces are well covered.

Place pieces on a baking sheet lined with tin foil; bake in 325 degree oven for exactly 12 minutes. No longer, or you will end up with overcooked kale chips! If you have a hot oven, check them out at 10 or 11 minutes.

Sprinkle with sea salt and enjoy warm!

(Kale chips are now being sold in bags at natural food stores, and I found one the other day for almost $10 - ridiculous! My advice is to stick to the homemade version; if you can find it in season, kale is around $2-3)

1 comment:

  1. Another one of my friends posted on her Fabebook page that she made kale chips ... I've never heard of them before and now they're everywhere. I'll have to give them a try!

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