Kale Chips for a snack

I tried baked Kale at my parent’s house a few weekends ago (only because my dad forced me!) and liked it more than I thought I would... I've been thinking about them ever since.  I have been eating almonds for snacks along with fruit or vegetables, but desire a change. At the Saturday Market today I bought a bundle of organic, locally grown Kale and made some chips. :)

The recipe below I found online and liked it for its simplicity. I didn't really follow it exactly. I used olive oil and sea salt for seasoning- I just eye balled the amounts, which turned out to be far too much salt, so I will have to change that next time. Eventually, I'll try some other seasonings. Also, I only cooked them for 14 minutes and they came out just right.

Kale is a good source of calcium, fiber and vitamins A, C and K (among others); and is found in several Paleo recipes I have come across, so I better get used to the flavorful dark green leafs.  Due to all the nutrients found in the vegie, it is said to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the body.  Score! 

While I am sure I will be talking more on Kale later as I continue my research, I will leave you to this recipe for now and encourage you to try it.

Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 big bunch kale;
• 2 tbsp oil, melted (I used olive oil);
• 1 tbsp lemon juice;
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
• Place the kale in a bowl and massage the melted cooking fat into them
• Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the lemon juice and combine well

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 300 F
2. Wash the kale thoroughly under lukewarm water, drain and pat it dry.
3. Cut the stems off of the kale leaves and cut the leaves to obtain chips of similar size.
4. Place the kale in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, until crispy. Check on the chips about every 12 minutes and toss them to make sure none of them overcook. Some parts will still be soft and this is desired

Sprinkle with extra sea salt if desired and enjoy