Kale Chips

Kale has been named one of the top 10 healthiest vegetables by many reputable food and medical sites. It has amazing detoxing qualities: rich in vitamin A & C and beta-carotene. When cooked properly, it’s downright delicious. If you can resist eating kale chips straight from the oven, they make a great addition to salads- kind of like a vegan crouton, it adds a nice crunch.

• 1 bag or 1 fresh head of kale -  about $2 for a 10 oz bag or $3-4/lb for fresh kale
  **The quantity of kale depends on how large of a batch you wish to cook. Keep in mind, after baking, kale is about half its original size.**
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (canola oil is ok)-  one quart extra virgin olive oil runs about $5 at most grocery stores and will last you a long time
• a dash of salt
• a dash of pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder (optional)

Approximate meal cost: $3.50
Approximate cooking time: 15 minutes

Pre-heat oven to bake 400. If using packaged kale, it will probably be cut into workable pieces and you wont need to do any trimming. If using a fresh head of kale, wash and dry completely (wet kale will wilt in the oven). Separate the leaves. Lay leaves flat and cut the leafy part from the stem. Try not to include any stems as they are extremely bitter. Using the photo below as a guide, simply trim off both (frilly) sides of the leaf and discard the rigid stem.

Fresh kale

Distribute two tablespoons of olive oil on a cookie/baking sheet. Cover the cooking sheet with kale but do not overlap the leaves. (It may be necessary to make multiple batches if all kale doesn’t fit on one tray.) Distribute another tablespoon of oil on top of kale.

Before cooking

Bake for 10-15 mins or until kale is crispy and dry but not burnt. Add salt and pepper after removed from oven. For a little spice, add 1/4 tablespoon of curry to cooked kale.

Kale chips done from the oven