For some folks, the mere mention of the the word “kale” makes their minds go crazy thinking of massaged kale salads, kale chips, green smoothies, sautéed kale with caramelised onions… the list goes on and on.
Others get a blank look on their face and say, ‘Excuse me, did you say ‘stale’?”
“No, KALE. It’s that leafy green vegetable.”
“Oh, you mean the garnish?…”
Folks, this post is for you.
“Superfoods” come into the media limelight all the time, but if you don’t know either what it is or how to use it, it ain’t gonna do you much good.
So, why kale chips? Really, why kale at all? That should be the first question…
Kale has one of the densest nutrient profiles of any food on the planet. It’s high in vitamins C, A, K, and folate. It’s also full of potassium and a decent source of calcium. Pretty good for one little low-calorie vegetable, don’t you agree?
The downside to kale is that it tends to be bitter, and the texture is tough vs. tender. But baking transforms it into crispy, almost tissue-like wafers of addictive deliciousness…especially when you add nutritional yeast, garlic, almond meal, and sunflower seeds. I’ll be honest… as I sat editing the photos for this post, my hand kept reaching back for the bowl of warm chips with a life of its own. My Pa wandered through and observed, “Betcha can’t eat just one!” Too true…
Another bonus: kale chips are super-easy to make, really a no-brainer:
Step 1: wash, dry, and cut your kale (or even better, buy the bag of pre-washed, pre-cut kale)
Step 2: mix up your seasoning mix: nutritional yeast (to give it that cheesy, umami flavour), sunflower seeds and almond meal (for nuttiness & texture), and garlic/salt/pepper (feel free to experiment here- curry powder, cayenne, cumin- all good!)
Step 3: coat kale with oil, then seasoning mix
Step 4: bake, flipping once or twice
Step 5: try to keep your hands off them!!
The first time I made these, I was shocked to see how fast my kids scarfed it up. I think I didn’t even get any that time, being stunned into paralysis by their enthusiastic consumption of a green vegetable. We now make kale chips at least once a week, usually on the weekend to have at “happy hour” when we are all gathered in the kitchen to talk and laugh and watch me make dinner. It is a glorious time of day, made all the happier by these fabulous kale chips.
Try them. You’ll never go back to Doritos. That’s my fondest wish anyway…
Notes
Recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker, www.minimalistbaker.com
Ingredients
- 8-10 cups (~250 gm) kale, washed & dried thoroughly
- 1-2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 T. almond meal
- 2 T. raw or roasted sunflower seeds
- ½ t. garlic powder
- ¼ t. each salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200 degrees C. Remove stems from kale, and slice into bite-sized pieces.
- Combine nutritional yeast, almond meal, sunflower seeds, garlic powder, salt, & pepper in a mortar. Grind with a pestle until you have a meal-like texture. Alternately, grind briefly in a food processor or blender.
- Toss kale with olive oil, then sprinkle with yeast/seasoning mixture. You might not use all the seasoning. Store the leftovers in the fridge- it's good on popcorn!
- Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning once or twice, until crispy but not browned.
- Cool slightly before serving. Leftovers will keep up to one day in the refrigerator. Makes about 6-8 appetizer servings.
Where do you buy Kale in Manila? Also nutritional yeast and what is it?
Hi Valerie, I buy my kale from the Alabang Saturday Market, Legazpi Sunday Market, S&R, or occasionally Santi’s has it. Nutritional yeast is a vegetarian food (it’s yellow flakes,) high in protein & B vitamins, made from a single-celled organism called “Saccharomyces Cerevisiae.” It’s grown on molasses and then harvested, washed, and dried with heat to kill or “deactivate” it. It’s very different from baking yeast so don’t try to substitute! 😉 You can buy it at Healthy Options. Have fun and thanks for commenting!