When we got back from the indulgence that was New York City, there was only one thing I was craving: veggies!
On my way home from work, I picked up as many veggies as I could prepare quickly, I roasted cauliflower florets with cumin seed and olive oil. I baked thick slices of eggplant and topped them with an olive and walnut tapenade. I served this all alongside a big green salad with homemade greek dressing. It was exactly the energizing meal I needed.
The next day I took a whole head of kale and made kale chips. Oh you’ve never heard of this you say? Well my friend Meghan was recently on national TV whipping up a bunch. Check her out here.
I’ve made kale chips before and I was less than impressed so I decided to give them another try and I am so hooked now.
You’re probably wondering…what do you mean kale chip? Chip, as in crispy, crunchy, salty deliciousness? Why yes I do! The really cool thing about kale is that when you bake it, it dries up into crispy, thin, chips that totally satisfy that savoury craving. I’m telling you it is the most amazing way to get kale into you and there are plenty of reasons why you want more kale in your life:
- Kale is both a member of the cruciferous vegetable family and the leafy green family and both of those vegetable families have been shown to decrease your risk of cancer and heart disease
- The bright green colour of kale means that it is rich in chlorophyl which is going to give you energy and help cleanse your body of toxins
- The bright green also contains antioxidants which are going to protect your cells from damage
- Kale is also rich in calcium, beta carotene and fiber
Besides, kale chips are the easiest possible thing to make. Let me tell you how…
Lemony-Snickets Kale Chips
Ingredients
- one head of kale, washed and thoroughly dried*
- juice of half a lemon
- olive oil
- sea salt
- Preheat your oven to 170 F (or its lowest setting)**
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat
- Tear the prepared kale into large pieces (approximately 4-8 pieces per leaf)
- Toss them in a bowl and pour lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt over them.
- Massage the kale (yes massage) for about 30 seconds. This makes sure the lemon, salt and olive oil really coats and flavours the kale. Kale is a really hardy green so it can handle the fondling.
- Lay the kale pieces on the baking sheet in a single layer
- Place in the warmed oven and leave the door slightly ajar. Allow to dry in the oven for about an hour (or two) but keep an eye on them . You’ll know they’re dry when they’re crispy and have slightly browned edges. If you’ve massaged the lemon juice in well, they should still stay a pretty bright green colour.
- Enjoy alongside a delicious bowl of soup or fizzy cup of kombucha! Once totally cool, they can be stored in an airtight container and will stay crispy for several days.
*My favourite way to wash greens is to place them in a sink or large bowlful of cold water. Swirl them around in there and let them soak for a few minutes. Then lift them out of the water and place them in a pillowcase and tie it closed. Then march that greens-filled pillowcase over to your washing machine and put it in (yes in the washing machine…just do it…trust me). Set the machine to your spin cycle. Once the cycle is done, your greens will still be firm and crunchy, dry and no nutrients will have been lost.
**It’s really important that the oven is on the lowest setting. You’re just drying these chips not baking them. I made them one day when I was cooking a lot on the stove top which increased the heat of the oven and they quickly turned into brown, crispy kale chips. For this reason, kale chips would be a great thing to try overnight.