Kale Chips

This seems to be such the rage these days.  Everytime I flip through a food magazine or website, kale chips are everywhere!  They are super simple to make, and sort of remind of the Pop Rocks we used to eat as kids, because when you bite into the kale, it is a thin little crispy treat.  And also a quick appetizer you can whip up right before your guests arrive for a dinner party.  Note that they do cook down quite a bit, so if you want to serve more than two people, you'll need several bunches of kale.

I have also done this recipe with broccoli, trying to re-create one of our favorite restaurant's dishes called Broccoli Blasted.  It sounds sort of strange, but the broccoli ends up charring and transforming into more of a grilled taste and soaks up so much flavor.  It is worth investigating!

Crispy Kale Chips

1 Bunch kale (any variety)

1-2 Tbsp Olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Thoroughly rinse and dry the kale leaves.  Cut off the stems of the kale.  The stems can be pretty thick and fiberous, so you can either throw them out, or cut them into tiny coins and add them to the kale chips or save them for a stirfry or soup.  Next chop the kale into large pieces.  Put into bowl and toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  This is a basically flavored recipe.  Feel free to add your own flair to the flavorings...such as cumin and red pepper flakes, or truffle salt if you have it.

Top a baking sheet with parchment paper and place kale on sheet.  Try to make one layer, so all the kale gets cooked evenly.

Bake for about 10 minutes.  Open oven and toss the chips with tongs to distribute the heat and oil.  Bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the ends become browned and kale is crispy.

Let cool for a few minutes to finalize the crisp.  Serve as a festive appetizer or side dish.