Kale Chips

Until I tried kale chips at a potluck supper, I thought that kale was boring and tasteless. Even though I knew that it was good for me, I certainly didn't want to eat it! All that has now changed!

Now that I know how to make this delicious snack, we eat - and enjoy! - kale regularly.

I've always known that kale is an exceptionally nutritious green vegetable. However, even though I like spinach and Swiss chard, I had never developed a taste for kale.

It goes without saying that my children wouldn't eat it either.

Then I discovered this extremely easy and surprisingly delicious recipe that magically transforms kale into a tasty snack.

When I come from the market with a big bunch of kale, my children actually cheer! (I'm not making this up!)

At our house, a bowl of kale chips vanishes just as fast as a bowl of chips or popcorn. (Really! This is true!!!)

As you can probably tell, I'm still amazed by this. Try it yourself, and let me know what you think.

I'm not including any measurements here. You'll quickly learn the amounts that work for you.

The only tricky part is cooking the kale just long enough for it to get completely crisp, but not long enough to burn it. This part takes practice. Watch it carefully the first few times you make it, until you know just how much time it takes.

Check that you have these staples at home

• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar
• salt

Buy these fresh ingredients

• green kale

Get out your equipment

• baking sheet or baking dishes
• a large bowl
• a cutting board and sharp knife

The recipe

kale

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt

Preheat the oven to 350F/175C.

Wash the kale.
Remove the stems.
Chop the kale coarsely.

Put the kale into a large bowl.

Add a bit of oil, and toss.

Add some balsamic vinegar, and toss again.

Transfer the kale to the baking dishes or baking sheets.
Spread it out in a single layer.

Bake, stirring every 10 minutes.

The kale will turn bright green, and will begin to get crisp. Watch carefully, and continue to stir it every 10 minutes. When it looks crisp, take out a piece, let it cool for a moment, and pop it into your mouth. If it's crisp and delicious, it's done!

Put the kale chips into a bowl, sprinkle with salt if you like, and enjoy!

Substitutions

• Use black kale, red kale or any other of the varieties of kale.

• Use another vegetable oil in place of the olive oil.

• Use another vinegar instead of balsamic.

Ideas for making this recipe your own

• Experiment with different flavorings. How about adding some garlic salt? Sprinkling the chips with parmesan cheese? Use your imagination. Remember - these are chips!

Tips

• Since kale stems are fairly tough, I prefer to remove the entire stem, all the way to the top of the leaf. (I use a sharp knife to cut the leaf away from both sides of the stem.) If you're in a rush you can just chop off the bottom part of the stem - but then you'll have chewy bits in your chips.

• You can also use a food dehydrator to dry the kale, rather than roasting it in the oven. I hear that this works remarkable well. I am hoping to get a food dehydrator soon!

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