Kale Chips

Kale chips have become somewhat of a gourmet item. You can make them at home with some practice. The first ones I made were soggy. There are some tricks to perfecting them. You must remove the stems by holding onto the bottom of the stem and running your hand down the spine to remove the leafy part. Wash thoroughly. I like to wash my leafy greens by plunging them in water rather than running the water over them. A salad spinner works as a colander for washing the greens and also spinning out the excess water. If the leaves aren’t properly dried, the water can “steam” the kale chips while baking and lead to soggy chips.

Use olive oil or coconut oil and massage into each leaf. The oil will help the flavorings to stick to the leaves. Usually only a half a teaspoonful or so of oil is adequate for a whole baking sheet. Add whatever seasoning you like. Put only a single layer on the sheet. Rotate it halfway through the baking time. Bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes, rotate, and bake for another 15 minutes

Cool for just a few minutes before removing them from the baking sheet. Even three minutes of resting will allow the chips to increase in crispness. Kale chips will become more firm when cooled. Don’t add liquids to the chips after baking. If your recipe calls for a liquid seasoning

after baking, just spritz it lightly.

A half a bunch of kale will usually fill one baking sheet. For the seasoning, you can use a seasoned salt or make your own blend. Here is one recipe for a delicious blend:

1 ½ tsp. Nutritional yeast

1 tsp. Garlic powder

3/4 tsp. Chili powder

½ tsp. Onion powder

½ tsp. Smoked paprika

1/4 tsp. Fine-grained sea salt

1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper (optional)

Other ways of preparing kale are to cut it in small pieces and use it raw in a salad or saute it. To saute, hold it by the stem and pull off the leaves. Instead of discarding the stems, you can chop them and cook them for three or four minutes before adding the leaves. Use a tablespoonful of olive oil and some minced garlic. Add the kale leaves and some water or broth. Cook curly kale for 10 to 15 minutes or lacinato kale for 4 or 5 minutes.

Besides being delicious and versatile, kale is a super food. Kale contains beta carotene, lutein, and zeanthin for eye health. Other dominant nutrients are potassium, vitamins A and C, fiber, iron, calcium, and even protein. Perhaps the greatest nutritional benefit of kale is that, like other cruciferous vegetables, it fights the cancer-causing xenoestrogens (endocrine disruptors) in the body. Xenoextrogens are chemicals from the outside that get into the body and minic natural hormones, blocking or binding the hormone receptors. They cause great harm in the body. Since we cannot completely avoid them, we can try to counteract them with diets rich in kale, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, etc. Xenoestrogens are found in pesticides, plastic water bottles, makeup (parabens, etc.), sunscreen lotions, nail polish, fabric treatments, wood preservatives, etc.–dozens of sources. Even most meat, poultry, and dairy products are tainted. Consuming kale and other cruciferous vegetables will go a long way to protect our health in a number of ways.

Kale grows well, takes little space, and produces vast quantities of greens for what you plant. Growing your own food can save you a great deal of money, offer convenience in having ultra fresh produce on hand, and provide peace of mind knowing your food comes from a pure source. Try planting and using some kale!

Source: Margaret Baker