Recipe - Spicy Kale Chips

I've been hearing alot about kale chips, so I wanted to make them . They are a crunchy, yet soft snack full of healthy fats and vitamins that is a great alternative to potato chips. Kale is a cruciferous vegetables in the cabbage family and is closely related to broccoli, cauliflower, and collard greens. You may have ben hearing alot about it lately, I know I have. It is full of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and lutein. One of the compounds in kale has also been shown to be effective at slowing changes to DNA and the spread of cancer.

 

Kale is a dark-green to blue/purple leafy green vegetable. My in-laws mentioned how it used to be placed as garnish around salad bars, so we've come a long way. It grows in curly leaf stalks out of the ground and has a fibrous texture and a bit of a sulfur-like odor.

 

They are sold, generally, in bunches, near the other leafy greens in your grocer's produce aisle. I chose to buy organic kale because I was going to be eating the whole outside of the vegetable and did not want to introduce any unnecessary chemicals.

 

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale

1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Coarse Salt (Sea Salt of Kosher Salt)

Black Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

 

Steps

1. Preheat your over to 350
2. Rinse and clean the kale
3. Remove the stems from the kale and the thick spines from the leaves (they are hard to chew but not harmful)
4. Cut the cleaned leaves into bite size pieces (I used 1/2" - 3/4" strips)
5. In a bowl, add the kale and 1 Tbsp of olive oil and toss. You only want to coat the leaves, not leave them soggy at all. If more is needed, add another 1/2 Tbsp and toss again.
6. Add a pinch of salt and some fresh cracked black pepper to the bowl
7. Add a pinch (or more) of the crushed red pepper. Be careful, it's spicy.
8. Toss the kale and seasonings 1 more time
9. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or foil) spread the kale into a consistent thin layer
10. Cook the kale in the over for 14-15 minutes. Half way through, give the pan a shake so move the chips around a bit.
11. Once they are done, remove them from the over, making sure they seem crunchy, and shake some cayenne pepper on top. Be careful because this is spicy also.
12. You can eat them immediately or let them cool and snack on them for a few days.