Kale Chips

How many of you are familiar with Kale chips?? Well, this is the new fad of the foodie world! Kale, as you know is a superfood. Kale chips is the new "in" thing. They are all over in the gourmet food stores like Trader Joe's, Whole foods. I have even seen them in some T.J Max and Marshall's by the registers wherein they keep all the novelty foods that are overpriced! Well, I was curious as to how Kale chips taste?? I make kale all the time. I just saute them with onions, garlic, tomatoes and green chilli.I have to post a recipe of it sometime soon!I don't know why I haven't considering the frequency with which I make it! I like the sautéed kale. I decided that since I have kale sitting around most of the time, I should definitely give it a shot! Then the impetus was when one time
I had 2 bunches of kale in my refrigerator and I had to use them for fear of them going bad! I decided to make the chips with one bunch. I don't know how the store ones are made, but I was definitely not going to fry them! My culinary experience told me that it could definitely be baked! I looked up online for recipes and found several of them! I came across one wherein she listed all the things that could go wrong and one should not do! I definitely liked that one! After all I was setting myself up for success, not failure! As usual, I modified the recipe a little to keep it simple and basic. I must say the outcome was rather nice! The only downside was that I wished that they looked greener!:(They are best eaten immediately as they tend to soften the next day! You can find the original recipe here.

I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday, hosted by the marvellous Angie from the Novice Gardner and co-hosted by the  two BFF  Tracy @Scratch It  and Stephanie @The Cozy Cook.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Fresh Kale: 1 bunch
Salt: to taste
Black pepper powder: 1/2 tsp, freshly ground.
Olive oil: 1 tbsp

Method:

Separate just the leaves from the bunch. You can use a knife and separate the leaves from You do not want the woody fibrous part. Save it to make vegetable stock.Roughly tear the leaves using your hands.

Rinse the leaves thoroughly and then dry them either using a salad spinner or using paper towels. Since I don't have a salad spinner, I had to do the latter and manually dab each leaf with the paper towel. If the leaves are wet, the chips will turn soggy!

Preheat the oven to 300 deg F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep ready.

Mix in the olive oil with the kale in a bowl. Using your hands, massage the oil into the leaves. Mix in the salt and pepper.

Arrange the kale on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. 

Bake it in the oven for 12 minutes at 300 deg F. Now turn the tray around and bake for another 10-12 minutes depending on your oven.

Don't let them get burnt. Mine were nice and crispy at total 24 minutes of baking! The only down side is the color!!! I wish it looked more green!

When done, let it cool down for 3-5 minutes. This firms them up a little.

Enjoy immediately! ! Best when eaten the same day!

Cooking made easy:

Cleaning greens is a nightmare to most people! It need not be! Just soak the greens in cold water mixed with a few drops of vinegar. The sand ( if any) settles at the bottom.Rinse thoroughly in running cold water;chop and use.

Tip for healthy living:

Kale has several health benefits. It is very aptly described as a superfood. Not only is it rich in dietary fiber, it is extremely rich in iron, Vit A & K, has lot of anti-oxidants and is an anti-inflammatory , heart-healthy food.

Food for thought:

Nature never deceives us; it is we who deceive ourselves. Jean-Jacques Rousseau