Kale Chips, My Way

I used to be a little afraid of kale.  I never ate it at my Mother's table as a child, or an adult for that matter.

I did see some pretty purple and white kale in my sister's flower garden once, many years ago.  It was not until about 2 years ago, after reading about how healthy kale is that I first bought a bunch and tried it.  I used it in a bean and tomato soup and really liked it. I found I could substitute it for spinach in many of the recipes I liked. 

And then I read about making kale chips on a blog I used to read from time to time called Kath Eats Real Food. I quite enjoyed the salty crunch that these chips offer and I have made them many times since... but kale is usually quite expensive here and I don't splurge on it very often.

I was thrilled to find organic kale at my favorite local produce market this week, on sale!  I have had a craving for kale chips for a while now and seeing kale priced at 3 bunches for $5 made the decision to make some very easy.

I like to make up a whole bunch at a time, so I normally have these chips when I am going to make a meal of them.  The Captain doesn't care for them so I make a bunch and enjoy them all to myself.  There is oil and cheese in the recipe so it is fairly filling and quite satisfying.

If you like, you can omit the cheese and just use a bit of oil and salt.  The cheese makes them much saltier, so if you are not going to use it, you may need to add another sprinkle of salt after they come out of the oven.  The nutrition information will depend on how much you use, of course, but here is how I made them.

Kale Chips, Easy Cheesy

• 1 bunch kale
• 1-1/2 tsp olive oil
• 2 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Dash of sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Untie the kale bundle and separate the leaves.
3. Tear the curly leaves away from the thick middle stem, into bite size pieces.  Wash them and spin dry with a salad spinner.
4. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and coat with non-stick spray.
5. Put the kale pieces on the cookie sheet.
6. Spritz with the oil and then sprinkle with salt and Parmesan Cheese.
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the edges are brown and cripsy.
8. Remove and serve.

Per the whole serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 162; Protein 8g; Carbohydrate 12g; Fat 11g; Fibre 2g.

Originally I was going to make 2 bunches of chips but decided I couldn't eat them all!  Good decision.

The thick tough stem in the centre of the leaf is inedible. 

Tear the curly leaves away from the centre stem in bite size pieces.

Then wash and spin dry the pieces as well as you can, and then discard the stems.

Put them on a foil-lined cookie sheet that has been coated with non-stick spray, for easy cleanup.

The drier the pieces are, the better, as you don't want to steam them you want to bake them and make them crisp.  If you see some water spots at this point, dab them dry with a paper towel.

Sprtiz them with oil and then sprinkle with salt and Parmesan Cheese.  The oil will make the salt and cheese stick to the kale pieces, and also helps your body absorb all the great vitamins it contains!

Place the tray in the preheated oven for 15 minutes...

until they are crispy and the edges are brown.

The cheese gets crispy too!  And I like mine with ketchup.

Printable Recipe