Friday, October 30, 2009

kale chips


Have you ever eaten kale before? It used to remind me of the stiff green stuff used to line salad bars, but after experimenting with it a bit I've learned that it's actually really delicious, not to mention extremely good for you. Kale has an earthy flavor with a slight bitterness, a little milder than broccoli rabe. It's a nice way to replace your usual sauteed spinach side dish, or can be tossed into pastas.

But sauteeing and blanching is one thing. Kale chips are another. Until going to Jon and Lara's house for dinner, I had never eaten kale chips. While they may sound like bland hippie snack food, they're highly addictive--like crispy, dark green Lay's. I'm serious! Dan looked at the tangle of crispy green leaves skeptically but after one chip, I caught his hand returning to the plate again and again.

Try them for your next dinner party. Better yet, just make a whole bowl for yourself.

Kale chips
This probably isn't the exact recipe Jon and Lara used, but I think it's pretty close. Be sure to add the red pepper flakes like Lara did. They add the perfect amount of heat.
(Serves about 6 people)


12
large Tuscan kale leaves, rinsed, dried, cut lengthwise in half, center ribs and stems removed
1
Tbsp. olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Toss kale with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes for flat leaves and up to 33 minutes for wrinkled leaves. Transfer leaves to rack to cool.Sprinkle with extra salt and red pepper flakes.

12 comments:

Color Me Green said...

i've been meaning to do to try kale chips...sounds pretty easy so i should get to it.
also i think i like lacinato kale better than the super curly edged kale.

Casey@Good. Food. Stories. said...

Kale chips are so addictive! I also toss mine with a bit of sherry vinegar before baking because I'm a vinegar nut. It adds more umami-ness to the finished product.

Lisa said...

Julia: They said they were super simple. I am going to try making them too and see how it goes.

Casey: Ooh, great idea!

Vanessa said...

I made these last year a bunch of times and every time I did, they never even made it out of the kitchen!
Now I want to try it with chard because I'm trying to stay away from cruciferousness.

Unknown said...

I love Kale, never thought of turning it into a chip though. Sounds like a great creation.

Lisa said...

Vanessa: Chard, eh? I could see that...

Tender Branson: Me too--surprisingly delicious!

Daniel said...

Vanessa, I had to look up "cruciferous." Between this and the soft lettuces, these last few posts have been very educational for me.

According to Wikipedia, repository of all human knowledge, cruciferous vegetables can potentially cause goiter formation. So good call staying away. Or you could just boil them for 30 minutes.

BS said...

ooh nice idea. I've been meaning to try the kale chips they sell at a health food store in Brooklyn but they're something outrageous like $7 an ounce...this sounds like a much better idea.

Lisa said...

BS: Yeah, totally! Make them yourself--way cheaper and you can adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Anonymous said...

Those Kale Chips at New York Naturals are so delicious. They give free samples all the time.

Anonymous said...

just made these - so delicious! they taste great even with just a spray of olive oil and some maggi! nice to meet you at anne's wedding last weekend!
kate

Lisa said...

So fun meeting you too, Kate! It was a great night. Glad you liked the kale chips--you just reminded me I need to make them again!

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