I tried to make kale chips once and they came terrible. I had some the other day at my daughter’s and they were better than mine. So I thought I’d give it another try since I am growing kale in the garden and I have an abundance of it.
Why? Kale is nutrient dense food. That means it is very healthy. It is an excellent source of Vitamins K, A and C. It has over 50 phytonutrients. It helps lower cholesterol, benefits heart health, manage diabetes, contains cancer fighting substances, promotes skin health and aides in weight loss.
On to the recipe.
The keys to uniformly crispy kale chips are to:
- start with completely dry kale
- don’t over do it with the oil, it will be soggy
- massage the oil evenly into the leaves
- cook it low (300 – 325 degrees) and slow
The basic seasoning is salt and pepper. However, you can use any combination of spices that you enjoy. Coat the leaves evenly after massaging the oil in. You can also add some nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.
It’s actually seems quite easy after you know the keys.
Be sure to strip the leaves off the stems. They are tough to eat.
Massage the oil into the leaves.
Sprinkle with seasoning and place a single layer on a baking sheet. The time it takes to cook will depend on how much you crowd them and the type of kale you use. This batch took about 10-15 minutes.
Bake at a low temperature so you don’t have some burnt parts and some soggy parts.
Baked Kale Chips
Ingredients
- Kale leaves- enough to cover a cookie sheet in a single layer
- avocado oil (1-2 Tbsp) I used an oil mister.
- salt and pepper
- spices (whatever you like) – I used: onion powder, garlic powder, nutritional yeast
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Wash the kale and let dry completely.
- Strip the leaves from the kale stems. Tear into bit sized pieces.
- In a bowl, add the oil or spray the kale leaves lightly with oil. Don’t over do it.
- Massage the oil into the leaves making sure they are evenly covered.
- Sprinkle the leaves with the spices, coating evenly.
- Put the leaves on the cookie sheet (cover sheet with parchment for easy clean up) in a single layer.
- Cook until the leaves are evenly crispy, turn if needed. Takes about 10-20 minutes depending on how full the sheet is and how dry the leaves start out.
- Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Let cool. Cover lightly to store.
Peppers and Planks 