I went and bought a whole thing of kale for my zuppa Toscana recipe last night, and was left with about half of what I started after I made the soup.
Oh what should I do with the rest of the kale, I asked myself. I couldn’t just throw the vitamin-packed vegetable to waste – I was raised to appreciate everything we were able to afford, and not to throw anything that’s perfectly fine in the garbage.
I guess I can make some kale chips with them. I’ve never even tried kale chips before, let alone make them. I’ve heard of them before, but that’s about the extent of the relationship between kale chips and I. Potato chips, on the other hand…. Yeah, I pretty much love potato chips.
For those that aren’t familiar with kale, here’s a little quick lesson: kale is a relative of broccoli and cauliflower. It is also packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, and calcium. It’s a green leafy vegetable. So whenever you see brochures or literature that tell you to eat “green leafy vegetables”, well, eat some kale.
Kale chips are healthier than potato chips. Their nutritional value is higher while still satisfying your craving for something salty and crunchy. Of course you can go to the store and just buy pre-made kale chips. However, if you make them at home, they’re probably healthier (less preservatives), and you can season them however you want – cheese, salt, pepper, vinegar… the possibilities are endless!
After trying it, I’m totally sold. It’s delicious! I think from now on I’ll be making this instead of popcorn on movie nights in our house :)
Ingredients:
- A few handfuls of kale – stems removed, torn up in bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- A pinch of cayenne pepper – or as spicy as you want
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300°F
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.
- Place kale pieces in a large bowl and drizzle the olive oil over it. Toss to coat, making sure that all pieces are evenly coated with the olive oil.
- Sprinkle half of the seasoning onto the kale, toss to coat.
- On a baking sheet, spread kale out in a single even layer.
- Sprinkle the rest of the seasoning over the kale.
- Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway in between.
Enjoy!
Note: as you can see, what seemed like a lot of kale pieces didn’t yield a whole lot of kale chips in the end, so if you plan on sharing yours with other people, make sure you double (or even triple!) the recipe so there’s plenty to go around.
