Kale Chips

Kale is one of the healthiest and most nutrient rich or dense plants on the planet. Delicious kale is loaded with all sorts of beneficial compounds and many of the compounds have powerful medicinal properties. Kale belongs to the cruciferous family like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and it comes in a range of very groovy shapes and colours. There is curly kale, deep dark green Tuscan kale and purple kale and everything in between. Many people aren’t that keen on kale as either a cooked or a raw vegetable, though I love kale any way, but I have yet to find someone who doesn’t like kale chips!

Now that spring is definitely here and all my greens are running away towards the sun, it is a good time to whip up this super easy and super healthy snack. You can use any kind of kale you like. I am growing a curly Russian kale and my favourite Tuscan kale. It is very easy to grow and now is the perfect time to  pop a few seeds in the ground. I make sure the patch of ground I plan to grow my kale in is well composted and once they are up and growing simply keep the water up to the plants. As summer approaches keep an eye out for cabbage white butterfly caterpillars and pick the off as they will eat your kale in no time at all.

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch of kale
• 1 tablespoon of virgin organic coconut oil or olive oil
• Himalayan pink rock salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Your choice of ground spices, for instance, paprika, cumin, sumac, turmeric

Method

• Preheat your oven to 150 C
• Line a baking tray with baking paper
• Strip the leaves from the kale and discard the stalks
• Place the kale leaves in a bowl and massage in the oil. Then sprinkle salt ,pepper, and flavourings and mix again so everything is evenly covered.
• Spread the kale out across the tray and bake for around 10 – 15 minutes or until crisp. Keep a close eye on the chips as they can burn really easily.
• Remove and allow to cool as they crisp up on cooling.

Flavours for your Kale Chips

Cheesy Chilli Kale Chips

• 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
• A pinch or more to taste of chilli flakes,
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Salt and pepper.
• Massage into the leaves into the kale leaves before baking

Sesame Kale Chips

• 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• Himalayan pink salt
• 2 tablespoons of organic cocount oil
• Sprinkle over kale leaves before baking

Lemon Tahini Kale Chips

• 2 to 3 tablespoons of unhealed organic tahini
• Juice of 1 lemon
• !/2 tsp of freshly ground cumin
• Himalayan pink salt and black pepper
• Massage onto the leaves

Cheesy Paprika Kale Chips

• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil.
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast.
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder.
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder.
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika  or sumac  or plain paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink sea salt

Almond Crusted Kale Chips

• 1/2 cup of crushed or silvered almonds
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil 
• Himalayan pink sea salt

I always make these when guests come over. Kale chips are fantastic wth hummus or one of your favourite dips, They are perfect with olives and a glass of wine.

Enjoy!