Kale Chips

These chips and all sorts of other vegetable chips have been on the rage these days and every author swears that they taste like regular chips.  Now, I was a little skeptical of this, but thought I would give it a shot. 

Kale is a form of cabbage and can be found in the regular green varieties, as well as purple.  Wouldn't that make dinner a bit more interesting?

I have started to buy most of my fruits and vegetables at the local "Farmer's Market" stand.  The stand is really more of a permanent outside market that sells fresh products daily and for amazing prices.  You can also pick up a bundle on the weekend at the normal farmer's markets or even at the grocery store.  Just today I saw that Trader Joe's offers kale in a bag, washed and ready to go. 

KALE CHIPS

1. Take your bundle of kale (make sure to wash it) and break the strands into smaller pieces.  You can easily break it apart to eat after the baking process is finished, but it can end up being messier. 

2. Place the kale bits on a baking sheet and shake some sea salt over the tops of the greens.  You can add some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), but the chips tend to come out too greasy.

3. Set the oven to 350 degrees and set the baking sheet in the oven for about 15 minutes.  OPTION: For a kale side dish option, take the baking sheet out after about 10-12 minutes, which leaves the greens a little less crispy and pairs better with a meal.

The FINAL PRODUCT. Yum, yum, yum.

Delicious to munch on by itself as an afternoon snack or alongside dinner.

I also experimented and used it as a bed for my broiled salmon, asparagus, and brown rice. 

Now that you have found a new wonderful vegetable to munch on, read about some of its benefits.  If you didn't like the taste or texture too much, maybe the following will convince you otherwise. :)

Some of the healthy vitamins included in these fabulous greens include: beta carotene, vitamin K (), vitamin C, and is reasonably rich in calcium.  Kale, along with broccoli, has sulforaphane (large word, I know...don't be scared), which is a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.  Surprisingly, I found with some research that boiling the greens decrease the level of sulforaphane, but if you choose to steam, microwave (strange...usually the opposite), or stir-frying, you are good to go.  Another plus is kate has a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells. 

So mull over that the next time you are deciding what to make for dinner.