The question I am most often asked is if I actually eat the things I make. While I focus on being fit and healthy, I can assure you and anyone else who asks I do indeed eat everything I make. In fact, I make each recipe, tasting the batter along the way when possible, photograph it, eat it, like it, and write about it before you ever see it on this blog. If it doesn’t pass the taste test, even if Mom and Dad like it, it doesn’t see publication. Luckily, Mom is kind enough to do the dishes 🙂
Moderation is definitely key. Making cookies means eating one, yes, one and only one, after dinner. It means limiting myself to one piece of pie or cake. It means no heaping scoop of ice cream next to said slice of pie or cake. More than anything, it means eating less and healthier throughout the rest of the day. I almost never eat out, and just looking at my small meals would leave most of you hungry . . . until you got to dessert.
More than anything, I really love healthy food. Sure I get a craving for French fries now and then, though I haven’t had any in over three months, and a few potato chips, about five, seriously, often satisfy my salty snack craving. But fruit, vegetables, wild fish, lean meats . . . these are foods I love, foods that provide comfort, foods that make me feel good and are good for me.
I’m not always a fan of leafy greens. But a few years ago when the craze over kale chips began, I was curious to say the least. Could these really be as good as people said? Would I like them at all? Or not be able to take more than one bite? I experimented with many different cooking temperatures and times. I learned 350 is way too hot to cook them. Covering them with parchment, or even cooking them on parchment leads to soggy chips. And timing . . . oh, man, that has to be perfect.
I have now perfected my kale chip recipe. An unlined baking sheet, 300 degrees, and almost 30 minutes exactly will give you perfect kale chips. Kale chips have become one of my favorite side dishes. Even Dad likes them, and trust me, when I said kale chips, he looked at me like I was crazy. But as long as they are fully coated with olive oil, the excess drains off during baking, you’ll end up with perfectly crisp kale. I season mine with black pepper and red pepper flake for a bit of a kick. The flavor is spicy with richness from olive oil and a slight bitterness from kale, giving an overall perfectly balanced flavor. It’s the texture of these that is my favorite. Completely crispy, they then almost melt in your mouth, dissolving into bits of pure flavor and health, as kale is considered a super food. The experience of these is kind of unique and hard to explain, so you must give them a try. I know you’ll fall in love with them as much as I have, and they’ll help you keep your New Year’s resolution to lose weight . . . or at least make you feel better about eating dessert.
Kale Chips
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 medium bunch kale, stemmed and thoroughly washed
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- ½ – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Dry kale thoroughly. Tear kale into bite size pieces and place on an unlined rimmed baking sheet. Cover the sheet entirely, but do not put more than one layer of kale or it will not bake properly. Sprinkle with black pepper and red pepper flakes. Drizzle on olive oil, and then mix with your hands to make sure all the leaves are coated in olive oil. Drizzle a little more if necessary. Excess will drain off during baking.
- Bake for about 30 minutes. Check a few minutes before to make sure it is not done early, and it is possible it could require a few extra minutes, but 30 tends to do the trick. The kale will have shrunk down substantially. It should all be crispy, but not at all brown. It may be sizzling a little. Serve immediately.
See I want to like these…but I have 0 tolerance for bitterness *sigh*
★★★★★
I hate bitterness too, but the way I make these, it is barely noticeable. If you’re feeling adventurous one day, give these a try. I bet you’d like them. If they were too bitter I couldn’t eat them – I don’t even like grapefruit.
me either 😛 OK, I think some day I’ll give these a try!
★★★★★
I hope you do try them, Kayle! And now the recipe is actually there after my crazy Easy Recipe problem got magically resolved.
You’re right, I did think you were crazy when you first wanted me to try these. Now they are my favorites and I can’t wait until you make them again.
Thanks! I’m so glad you like them.
Your kale chips look fantastic! I’m a huge fan of homemade ones and always end up eating htem while I wait for dinner to be ready : )
Thanks! Homemade kale chips are the best. I eat them while I’m serving them. I just can’t resist – they are so crunchy and yummy 😉
i have seen these on TV and always wondered how they were made. i never seemed to catch the recipe. now i have something to go by. Thank you, I will be trying these.
You’ll love these, Linda! I’m glad you now have a recipe. Please let me know if you try them 🙂
I made some this evening, mixing a little Creole seasoning into the EVOO. They were very good, even Allen liked them. They will satisfy my craving for a crunchy snack. Thanks for a recipe I can follow.
Creole seasoning is a great idea, Linda! I’m so glad to hear you liked them! They are one of my favorite super healthy treats. Thanks for always being supportive and trying my recipes 🙂
I am so happy to see this post. I was at the store recently and saw kale chips for sale and thought “Well, they ARE a superfood. But they are SOOOOO expensive. I’ll skip it.” And thus I did. But now…now I can make them myself without dropping a head of kale in a fry-daddy ! Thanks much – can’t wait to make this and share it with everyone.
★★★★★
Thanks, James, and thanks for visiting! I actually tried some store bought kale chips not too long ago and didn’t like them at all. The homemade ones are not only a lot cheaper, they taste so much better. I think you’ll really enjoy these. Please let me know if you try them and how they turn out.
I have seen, as you mentioned that Kale chips are the “latest thing”, and have been really curious about them. I enjoy trying new things, and have wanted to try them. I love that you bake these; I envisioned that they had to be fried, and I don’t ever fry anything, so I can’t wait to give this a try.. thanks for all the tips… wonderful to have all the kinks worked out for me.
Thanks, Pam! Most kale chips aren’t fried, but I find a lot to be too bitter. I think you’ll really enjoy this recipe. It is so fun trying new things!
I don’t really snack on kale chips, but I do like them tossed in a salad and like you said, when they melt on your tongue they are absolutely delicious!
Tossing kale chips in a salad is a great idea, Sydney! It would add great texture to an otherwise possibly boring meal.
Kale chips are like magic–and they disappear like magic! 😉 The spice from pepper flakes sounds great.
So true, Lisa! I had no idea kale would cook in that way. Adding spice to them is my favorite thing about them.
i love love love kale chips! I haven’t made them in so long though. Thanks for the reminder Laura. 🙂 They are so addicting!
Kale chips are a staple in my diet. I eat them about once a week. I can’t believe their so yummy, yet so tasty!
They aren’t my favorite but I may try them again since they are so good for you.
I’m surprised you don’t like these, Debbie, but you can also try kale raw in a salad or even on the wraps I know you like. You can also add it to soup.
Just delete this comment if you don’t want the link in here but this recipe for them will change your life. The coating can be used as a salad dressing but this is my fave recipe. You’ll never look at kale the same way 🙂
http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2009/10/raw-vegan-kale-chips.html
I also have a recipe for chocolate covered kale chips, too. I love kale chips!
Thanks so much for the recipe link, Averie! I am really looking forward to giving your recipe a try. Kale chips are one of my faves!
I love kale chips and make them all the time! They really do satisfy my chip craving.
Kale chips are the best! It is amazing how they can satisfy a craving.
I threw a bunch of kale into the oven for the first time last week after making the tentative purchase at the farmer’s market–absolute(ly addicting) gems, aren’t they? Talk about a study snack worth munching on! Yum.
These are for sure a great snack, Ala! I’m glad you gave them a try. Wish I still had a farmers’ market through the winter. Luckily the grocery store is stocked full of kale!
I have never made kale chips before and I love kale. I just made kale soup for my blog. I might just make these kale chips next time I buy kale.
You have to try making these, Ruby! Since you love kale, I know you’ll love them too.