Kale, Glorious Kale Chips!

Posted on March 21, 2012
in Kid-Friendly Vegetarian Recipes, Loco For Local!
by Maggie Verderame

: After Cooking

: Before Cooking

Kale is one of nature’s “super foods”! There are several varieties, varying slightly in appearance and flavor. All kale varietals are really good for us and are packed with nutrients for building strong bodies – big and small!

Like carrots, kale is packed with Vitamin A and beta-carotene, which help us maintain strong eyes, and keep UV Rays from damaging them. Kale is also packed with easily absorbed calcium to help us maintain a strong skeletal system, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Manganese, and Potassium — all antioxidants which help protect us against harmful free radicals.

These tasty kale chips have got to be the simplest way to get an incredible amount of nutrition in while snacking … on something we really enjoy snacking on! And, for a fraction of the price of store-bought, pre-packaged kale chips! The next time a person says to you, “My son/daughter won’t eat anything green,” please pass this recipe onto them with the challenge to replace a bowl full of processed chips or microwave popcorn for their next movie night. I bet they’ll be surprised by how impressed their kids are with this tasty treat. Kids may be leery at first, but after a crunch or two, they’ll be believers in kale.

I’ve been making these kale chips with pestacide-free kale grown in California, and sold at our local Farmer’s Market, Fresh 52. They’ve had kale for the last several weeks and it’s been SO GOOD! What a treat to find kale, freshly picked just days before purchasing! They’ve even got different varieties, so next time you go, have a chat with the nice people at the farm stand and get some more ideas … think, kale with sundried tomatoes and pasta, kale with pine nuts and raisins, steamed kale with parmesan, to name a few.

Kale Chips

By Maggie Verderame

1 Bunch Green Leafy Kale

¼ tsp Yellow Mustard Powder

1 tsp Sweet Onion Powder

½ tsp Garlic Powder

½ tsp Sea Salt

2 Tbs Olive Oil

Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 400˚.

Remove stalks from kale leaves, and separate leafy parts from thick center veins. Rip kale leaves into large bite size pieces (generally, 1 leaf will make 2-4 pieces). Place kale pieces in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle all dry spices – mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and sea salt onto the kale, and use tongs to toss well. Drizzle olive oil over kale mixture and toss again to coat all leaves well.

Put kale onto a baking sheet / roasting pan in one, single layer. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over all the kale, and bake at 400˚ for 20-25 minutes, until crisp and crunchy. Tossing gently during cooking, if one section of kale is less crisp than another.

This cools quickly and is best eaten right away to preserve crispness. Enjoy!