roasted kale chips
A friend recently offered me some roasted kale chips while we were driving home from a weekend retreat in North Carolina. They were so tasty! Slightly salty, a touch of pepper and olive oil. I asked where she got them, and she said that her group had made them in the oven, but she didn't know the recipe. When I got home, I searched the Internet and found dozens of recipes, with quite the variation in times and temperatures. So, being the kitchen chemist that I am, I started to experiment. Here I present the optimum conditions for making kale chips, along with some variations. Enjoy!
Blue Ribbon Recipe
I mean, it's practically kitchen magic! Take John's recipe and a bunch of kale and before you know it you have a crave-worthy snack! We really enjoy this crispy treat and love that it's both healthy and easy to prepare.
Ingredients For roasted kale chips
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1 bunchkale (or bag of chopped kale)
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olive oil (for drizzling)
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1-2 dashsalt (to taste)
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1-2 dashblack pepper (to taste)
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seasoned salt or pepper (optional)
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1 or 2cookie sheets or equivalent
How To Make roasted kale chips
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1Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) Note that the 50-minute cook time refers to three batches of kale, each batch taking about 16-17 minutes. Rinse kale leaves to remove dirt, dust, etc. and shake or spin dry. Kale doesn't hold water the way lettuce does, so shaking is usually sufficient. You can use chopped kale, but it needs to be "large" pieces, not finely chopped.
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2Lay the kale leaf face down on a cutting board and cut close to each side of the thick stem. (See photo.) Stems are usually discarded, but you can also cut them into 1-inch lengths and roast them, too, if you want. I like the roasted stems, but most people prefer the leaves. If you are using chopped kale, you can trim the leafy parts off the stem pieces.
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3Cut or tear the kale leaves into chip-sized pieces. I try for approx. 2-inch squares, but smaller is OK, too. Two large leaves are about the right amount for one large cookie sheet. One bunch of kale will be good for about three cookie sheets' worth.
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4Pile the cut kale from two leaves onto the cookie sheet, then drizzle olive oil onto the pile. Not too much oil, though. They should not be soaked. Shake salt and pepper onto the pile. Using clean hands, mix the pile of leaves to coat them evenly. Spread the coated kale onto the cookie sheet in one layer. It won't be a flat layer. See photo.
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5Bake in preheated 300°F oven for 16 minutes. Check at 15 minutes - if the kale is turning brown, then use less time for the next batch. If the kale is bright green, then give it an extra minute. While the first batch is cooking, prepare the next batch on a second cookie sheet.
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6Once out of the oven, let the chips cool and then carefully put them into a bowl or other container. They are quite crisp, and will stay crisp for several days.
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7If you are in a hurry, use a 350°F oven and 9-10 minutes. Watch the kale, though, because it quickly goes from done to scorched.
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8Use cajun seasoning for spicy chips, cayenne for hot chips, maybe even a little grated parmesan cheese for Italian chips.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!