Thursday, March 7, 2013

Kale Chips

So much food, so little time, lol. Just kidding, I think.
Kale Chips

I've been wanting to try these for awhile now. Kale Chips that is, and when I found myself with a gracious abundance the other day I decided I had to make some.  Not only had I bought a little bunch of Kale last week, a friend brought me another bunch the other day and I decided it was time. I wanted to make some Grønlangkål, with the smaller bunch, for some reason I've been craving dark leafy veggies, but with the other bunch, KALE CHIPS. So of course I did what any self respecting person would do, I researched all the recipes I could find online. Well, a lot of them at any rate. 

Do you have any idea how many people are making these and blogging about them? I mean really? A lot.

 So then I went and looked at the variations, cause the basics are simple, Kale, EVOO, Salt and heat. So I found one blog and dang if I can find it again, but they added some soy sauce and sesame seeds to the kale, another one hinted at using Za'atar for seasoning and others used all kinds of exotic stuff to flavor. Me, I wanted to make the basic one first, but then I thought gee, why not do part of it with soy and sesame, but I'm going to go one further, a few drops of sesame oil in the soy sauce.

And then of course there is the Za'atar which my friend Debi Jordan (singer extraordinaire) introduced me to. I have some in my spice drawer. So I now had three flavours.

Basic instructions:
Get a nice looking bunch of Kale, then wash the heck out of them.  All those little crevices, and curly bits, they can hide dirt.
Kale


Next up, cut out the stems, you don't need them, and they'll do some good out in the compost pile if you got one.  I don't yet, but I was thinking of it, so does that count?   And blot them dry or use that salad spinner you have tucked away in the corner of the cupboard, that you can never get to.  Oh wait, that's me, sorry, I just blotted with some paper towels.  Couldn't reach the salad spinner, but if I could have that would have been the way to go.


Sorry, got side tracked there.
Kale

Next up, tear the kale into smaller chunks, toss them with about a tablespoon of olive oil and spread them out on a baking sheet, in a single layer.  Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Place into a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes, then check on them.  If still limp, then bake for another 5 minutes and check again.   And don't forget to taste test at this point either.  I did and they were good.  But they did need to be crisper so I kept at it.   Those suckers do shrink up though, wow. 

(Next time I make these, I'm just going to spray the kale with some olive oil cooking spray, then sprinkle with some sea salt and Za'atar. )


Kale Chips

I did one sheet with just olive oil and salt, and then sprinkled a little Za'atar on top, and those were good.

The soy sauce and sesame ones, not so good, but that may be my fault.   I ran out of counter space and time, and turned off the oven and left them in there after letting the oven cool down for a few minutes.   The Kale Chips got very crisp, and maybe just a little too crisp?   At any rate, I ate a few of them anyway.  They are a vegetable after all.   And you do need your veggies.
Kale Chips

And they are all good. Giggle, and almost guilt free, well, that tablespoon of olive oil is good for you anyway, and a little salt doesn't hurt either. But just a little. You don't want to over do a good thing.
Kale Chips


Got the chips done, and snacked on them for a bit, but I still have quite a few left, so I'm going to use them for seasoning.   I have some chicken stock in the fridge, and will crumble up a handful of these chips on top and have me some Kale soup.




That is if I have any left by lunchtime... 

UPDATE:
*** Gotta tell you, I made some more Kale Chips on Friday and brought them with me to a gathering.   And they were inhaled, well, consumed.    I did them just a tad differently this time though.   I washed the Kale, tore it up into nice pieces, then I sprinkled it with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a couple of grinds of sea salt.  Tossed it together just a tad, then baked them at 325 deg. for ten minutes, tossed them again, and baked an additional 8 minutes, and turned off the oven.    Checked the chips for crispness, and then turned off the oven and let them sit for another few minutes.  By the time I took them out, they were lovely and crisp.  But you do need to keep an eye on them, they can burn. 

Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

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