Kale Chips

I have been meaning to make kale chips for a long time, but never have done it.  This week, though, with kale in the share from Blooming Glen Farm, it was time to try it.  Of course, I sort of forgot about it until today and the kale was a little bit past it's prime.  No worries--they still made great chips.

Kale leaves torn from the stems.  Notice that
I used 2 different kinds of kale.

If you haven't done this yourself, it's worth it.  They're very tasty, healthy and it can't be any easier to make.  There are lots of versions of the recipe on the internet--all very similar.  The biggest difference seems to be the oven temperature.  Some are as low as 250 up to 375.  I chose to go with the higher temp (and shorter cooking time).

First, remove the leaves of the kale from the stem.  You can simply fold the leaf in half and tear the stem off.  Then tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and wash and dry thoroughly (use a salad spinner if you have one).  The drier the kale is, the more it will crisp and not steam in the oven.

The seasoned and oiled kale ready to hit
the oven.

Put the leaves in a bowl and add whatever seasoning you'd like.  I just used kosher salt and a little garlic powder.  Grated Parmesan cheese would be great.  So would chili powder or lemon pepper or...you get the picture.  Use whatever you like.  Then drizzle some olive oil (I used about a tablespoon for this amount of kale) and toss.

Lay the kale out on sheet pans, trying to keep them in as much of a single layer as possible.  Place them in a preheated oven (again, I used 375 degrees) for about 15 minutes.  When done, they should be crispy and crunchy.  If they aren't after 15 minutes, bake longer until they are.  Just check every minute or two so they don't burn.

Kale chips fresh from the oven.

Let them cool and then store them in an airtight container until ready to use.  They really are good--like eating very thin potato chips.  What a great way to get kids to eat their greens (a good way for adults, too, for that matter)!

Got any favorite seasonings that you use on kale chips?  Let me know!