NEW AND IMPROVED KALE CHIPS

My recipe for Kale Chips got mixed reviews. Even the ones I made myself varied from batch to batch; usually they were so good I couldn’t stop eating them, but sometimes they were bitter. This is a sweeter version and much quicker and easier to make.

You can now buy baby kale leaves, which eliminates the need to strip out the tough veins and stems and chop the leaves into pieces. With baby kale, you just spread them out in a single layer and bake or dry them.

BABY KALE CHIPS
Enjoy a great tasting, crispy, salty snack and then tell your mama that you ate your greens!

6 ounces baby kale leaves
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese or to taste
Smoked finishing salt, optional

Rinse leaves and drain. Place in a salad spinner, if you have one, and spin until completely dry. You will need to drain the spinner and do it more than once. Alternately, place the leaves in a large kitchen towel, roll up the towel and sling it around while holding the ends tightly. (Or do it the boring way and just blot with paper towels until dry.)

Place the olive oil in a large bowl and mash the garlic into the oil. Add the kale and toss until well coated and glistening on both sides.

To bake: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread out in a single layer on two large baking sheets. Sprinkle with coarse salt and fresh pepper. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until chips are dry and crisp. Don’t overcook or they will become bitter.

To dry: 
Use a dehydrator according to the directions that come with the appliance.

To finish:
Remove kale from oven or dehydrator and sprinkle with additional coarse salt or flavored finishing salt and grind more pepper over the chips. Grate Parmesan over the top and let cool. For a final touch, I sprinkled my chips with mango-smoked sea salt that my daughter brought me from Hawaii, but there are lots of specialty salts that you might try. Store in an air-tight container and they’ll stay crisp for a few days. You can reheat them in the oven for a few minutes if necessary.

One ounce of fresh kale makes one serving of chips.
Calories: 35; Fat: 3.1g; Protein: 0.9g; Fiber: 0.4 g; Net Carbs: 0.9g