Monday, February 8, 2010

No Fail Kale!


I am loving this weather. Even if it isn't rainbow-colored, bright, and shiny.
I know Austin needs rain badly and I try to keep in mind that we will soon be heading in to 9 months of hot weather again. Keeping positive and finding little things to do, like wearing smiling ladybug rain boots to teach in, helps keep me happy when it is gray outside.

I am on day 34 of my Bikram Yoga Challenge. This 60 day challenge has brought along a strange side effect that I wouldn't at all call bad. I have been craving vegetables, in particular dark green superfood type veggies, and fruit more than ever before. This is forcing me to explore produce sections I did not frequent before.

Today I decided to make kale chips, something a customer told me about back when I worked at Central Market.

I have seen them on sale once in a gas station for an obscene price (something like 6 or 7 bucks a bag) and figured with Kale being $1 a bunch, might as well give it a go. Afterall, Kale IS an awesome super food.

The process was so simple. I cut the stems off the kale and cut it into smallish pieces. (They shrink significantly as they bake)

I tossed the greens in the oil mixture. Some people suggested putting them in a salad spinner after adding the oil to ensure they were not over-coated. I do not own a salad spinner so I just shook them off before arranging them in a single layer on a pan.

For one smallish bunch of curly kale, I used about 2T olive oil, one small lemon, salt and pepper to taste.
Bake at 250 for 30 minutes. I found that my smaller pieces were ready to come out about 5 minutes early. Then I turned over some of the larger pieces so they would dry out more evenly. They are done when they are crisp. So easy!

For those who have never tried Kale, I would liken it to brussel sprouts. Haven't tried those? It's a bit like broccoli- definitely meaty and can be a bit bitter when overcooked.

I already have several varieties in mind to make next time, from Salt n' Vinegar to Orange Sesame. I plan to make some baggies for my yoga team The Cobras, because we are super and all.

Happy Rainy Monday!

2 comments:

xymarla said...

cute wellies! Those chips look like tasty business.

TexasDeb said...

I keep reading about kale chips but haven't tried them yet. Thanks for the clear tutorial. As soon as the rain stops (it WILL stop, yeah??) then I am out to the garden to cut some kale for chip making. Yay!