Thursday, January 21, 2010

Kale Chips


Hello, kale.  We rarely meet, and when we do it is not very pleasant.  Yes, yes, I know you are beyond healthy, but so far that hasn't been enough to tempt me.  

I should have known that roasting kale would be the key to making it delicious, since that is my favorite way to eat any vegetable.  And if you do it right, your kale will be as crispy as potato chips and you will be munching it so quickly you'll wish you made more. 

First remove the thick stems with your hands, as shown in the above picture.

 
 Then rip the kale into bite-sized pieces.  John and I apparently have big bites.

 
Now here is the key - when you wash the kale you need to make sure it is completely dry.  This will mean you are using your salad spinner multiple times (about 3) until you get as much water off the leaves as possible.  Your kale will not get crispy if you do not dry it well.

Once dry, remove your kale to a bowl and add in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Mix well until kale is well-covered.  (Do not add salt now!)  Now roast it at 350 degrees on a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet for 12-20 minutes (depending on the amount of oil) until leaves are crispy but not browned.

 
Test the leaves, and if they are fully crisped start eating them immediately.  Okay, that's not required but that's what we did.  Make sure you sprinkle them with kosher salt first, that will make a big difference.

 
I wasn't joking about eating these kale chips right away.  We were already halfway into them before I got a picture snapped.  Now don't get me wrong, these still taste a bit like kale - they aren't real potato chips after all.  They have great texture and are really fun to eat though, and I definitely recommend you try this super simple recipe soon.  

Kale Chips

4 large handfuls of kale, stems removed
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Remove thick stem from leaves of kale.  Rip the leaves into bite-sized pieces.  Wash well and dry thoroughly (very important) in salad spinner.  Once well dried, put kale in a bowl and add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil.  Mix well until kale is well coated in oil.  Place on lined baking sheet and bake 12-20 minutes until completely crispy and no longer soggy but before they brown.  Sprinkle with kosher salt. 

3 comments:

  1. I'm learning SO MUCH about cooking different veggies from you. Thank you!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. p.s. I don't own a salad spinner. Is that bad?

    ReplyDelete
  3. well i don't own parchment paper, and i've already got torn up kale in my kitchen. oops. =)

    ReplyDelete

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