A month from today I will have been blogging for a full year! I have "met" so many great people in the food blogger community and beyond. Some of them I even consider my personal friends now, even though we have yet to meet in person. These "recipe swaps" I've been doing have been a good way to get to know those friends and their cooking stylea little better and for those that have swapped with me to get to know me and my cooking style.
One of the closefriends I have made is Monica from Sweet Heat Chefs. She made my Spicy Guacamole with Baconrecipe and I'm making her recipe for crispy kale chips.
Now, a little bit about kale, and kale chips.
Kale is a member of the cabbage family, along with broccoli and cauliflower.
If anything but well cooked broccoli bothers your stomach, you might want to stay away from these, just ask my husband 🙁
My only experience with kale is from my years working in the food service of a local private boarding school where we used it as a garnish for EVERYTHING. I had never eaten it, nor did it even really occur to me that I could, until right around the time I started this blog and I started seeing recipes with it all over.
So, when I found these while searching Monica's recipes to find something for the swap, I knew it was time to try it. The first time I made them they burnt really fast, so I asked Monica what I did wrong and after talking to her she updated her recipe to better explain how to cut the leaves, and the second time I was able to make them much better, with just a little modification.
Honestly, you NEED to try these kale chips.
They're REALLY delicious, but they are also addicting! Don't eat all of them yourself, because they WILL give you gas! Just saying.....
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Crispy Kale Chips
Healthy kale is rubbed with oil and spices, then baked up until crispy. It's a healthy snack that you can enjoy any time of the day.
Make sure kale is thoroughly washed and dried. Preheat oven to 300*F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut off the stems off the kale and remove the ribs from the middle of the leaves, keeping the veins of the leaves intact. Cut the leaves into larger bite size pieces, keeping in mind that they will shrink as they bake and they will burn if cut too small! I cut each leaf in half lengthwise and then in half again crosswise.
Put the leaves on the lined baking sheets, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Mix to coat well, then make sure they are as spread out and flat as possible so they crisp up nicely. Bake for 12-24 minutes*. Watch carefully to make sure they don't burn and turn over half way through.
Notes
* I know that's a wide range for the baking time. Monica's recipe calls for 24 minutes, turning over after 12. The first time I made them I cut them way too small and some of them burnt after only 12 minutes. The second time I made them and cut the leaves much bigger, they were still almost crispy after 12, so I turned them and put them back in for 3 more minutes. None were burnt and all of them were crisp. Basically your going to have to watch them and adjust your time accordingly. Is it worth standing there and watching? Absolutely!
I haven't made kale chips in quite a while, but you've got me craving them! I'm going to have to pick up some kale and make a batch. And congratulations on your upcoming blog anniversary! Be sure to come to the Weekend Kitchen Link Party to link up another recipe!
I cut each leaf in half lengthwise and then in half again crosswise. Put the leaves on the lined baking sheets, drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Mix to coat well, then make sure they are as spread out and flat as possible so they crisp up nicely. Bake for 12-24 minutes*.
To get perfectly uniform, crispy kale chips, the key is to bake them for longer, at a lower temperature. Baking kale chips at 300F for 20 to 25 minutes allows the vegetable to slightly dehydrate while it cooks, resulting in a perfectly crispy chip.
To keep them crispy, it is important to let them cool completely. Once cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You could also try adding a few grains of raw rice or silica packs (like those found in store-bought kale chips) to the airtight container. & Perfect for snacking!
Usually soggy kale chips happen because of too much moisture. If you washed your kale right before making this recipe but didn't fully dry the leaves it can cause the chips to come out soggy when you bake them. Next time, make sure you pat the leaves dry with a paper towel or run them through a salad spinner.
Arrange kale on two rimmed baking sheets.Drizzle evenly with olive oil and toss.Season with salt.Bake, rotating trays once, until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.
Rinse and dry the kale leaves before removing most of the centre stalk, leaving long, thin pieces of kale. Toss the kale in the oil, then sprinkle with the sugar, cinnamon and ½ tablespoon of sea salt. Arrange the leaves in a single layer on a couple of baking trays and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp.
And unlike potato chips, kale retains its nutritional value when made into chips. Kale is high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin A and calcium, as well as B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium. It's fat- and sodium-free, and the minuscule amounts of olive oil and salt used in my recipe barely bump up those amounts.
Any variety of kale – curly or flat – can be made into baked kale chips. Some home cooks prefer to use flat lacinato kale, aka "dinosaur" kale, so named for its leathery appearance, and some like the frilly appearance of curly kale.
Kale contains a large amount of fiber, which is great for digestion but can be dangerous if you eat too much. If you overeat on kale chips (or any food) then you may experience bloating, gas, and constipation due to the excessive intake of fiber.
Why are my homemade chips not crispy? It's likely that too many chips were cooked at once (a crowded pan is never a good thing) and doing so means the temperature of the oil decreases, resulting in soggy, greasy chips.
There's the cost of the actual ingredients, the labor costs to produce it, the packaging etc. And for kale chips, I think the two main factors are the food costs and labor costs. The ingredients for most kale chips are a base of raw cashews and nutritional yeast, both of which are pretty pricey.
Store kale chips in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, but they are best when consumed immediately as they tend to lose their crispiness over time.
Though it isn't the number one green vegetable in terms of nutritional value, kale is high in Vitamin A, as well as vitamin C, iron and antioxidants. Besides being packed with nutrients, kale is extremely low calorie, with about 36 calories per cup.
It also has lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help lower your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Also, lutein may help prevent atherosclerosis , a buildup of hard plaque in your blood vessels. Add kale to a salad or eat kale chips as a snack for an anti-inflammatory benefit.
If desired, season the sautéed kale with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. For more flavor, try sautéing kale in this hearty lentil skillet or with some prosciutto and sweet potatoes.
Generally, older potatoes are the best for making chips, as the natural sugars diminish over time and convert into starch – the perfect excuse to use those old potatoes that have been sitting around for a while.
And unlike potato chips, kale retains its nutritional value when made into chips. Kale is high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin A and calcium, as well as B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium. It's fat- and sodium-free, and the minuscule amounts of olive oil and salt used in my recipe barely bump up those amounts.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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