Kale: I do like it. It feels sort of tacky to admit this. Once upon a time, kale was cool, everyone ate it, then suddenly it was passé, and no one mentioned it. At least that’s how it seems to me. This is probably weird, but I save some of my favorite cooking magazines and relax by revisiting old recipes. Three years ago it was hard to find an issue without a kale recipe, now it has disappeared without a backward glance. During its hay day I made kale salads, stir-fries, stews, and soups, but I never made Kale Chips. It was too easy to buy a bag of potato chips – and I knew my family would eat them. Kale Chips could be construed as practically a breech of etiquette.
Then it happened, my son, Richard, called to say that, yes, he would come to dinner, but he was seeking healthy fare. He meant no plates of mashed potatoes smothered with pot roast, no cheesy pasta with a lovely meat sauce, and most definitely no potato chips topped with blue cheese and bacon. So we had salad and grilled fish and for an appetizer, we made Kale Chips. It was easy, but really that’s beside the point – they were delicious. In fact friends came over the next day for a sip of wine and I made Kale Chips again! They loved them. Here’s the deal, the chips are crunchy, salty, a little spicy, and it takes about a minute to get them ready for a quick bake in the oven. Plus they are green – my favorite color. Are Kale Chips healthy? I’m no nutritionist, but I think yes. Health benefits aside, these are on our menu as a yummy snack, fun appetizer, and maybe, just maybe a little bit good for us. That can’t be bad!
Ingredients
1 bunch of kale, washed and dried
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt or garlic salt
½ tsp Cajun, or blackening seasoning
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Tear kale into bite size pieces. Avoid tough center stem.
Place kale on prepared baking sheet.
Coat with oil, salt, and seasoning and mix with your hands.
Bake about 20 minutes until crisp.
Sprinkle with about a Tbsp of Parmesan cheese (optional – but good)
Enjoy!
