Cheezy Herb Kale Chips

Kale Chips. They’ve become super trendy over the past few years. Especially in the blog world. If you follow Maria & I on twitter, than you’re probably aware of our love affair with these gorgeous leafy green chips. We’re always making them. Not only is this one of the prettiest greens around, it’s ridiculously healthy for you. Bonus!

The aroma of baked kale is certainly unique and rather pungent. Kale greens are a part of the cruciferous family and although they release a rather sulfur like aroma, the smell is easily forgotten when you bite into their feathery light chips.

Anyways, back to kale chips. Maria & I have been making these for about a year now. We have played around with them a lot, and have figured out some tips and tricks that can be helpful to someone who has never made kale chips before.

1. There’s a variety of different kinds of kale. The most common type is curly kale which I used in this recipe. I’ve also used tuscan kale which is more tender and a little less bitter. I actually prefer to use tuscan kale, but it’s not always available.

2. Practice makes perfect. Even though recipes for kale chips are pretty simple, it takes a few tries to get them how you’d like. I’ve tried cooking them at many different temperatures, but have come to a conclusion that their best cooked at lower temperatures for a longer period of time. Cooking them at too high of a temperature causes them to burn easily and results in them being bitter.

3. Bake them in a thin layer. You want the kale chips to bake as evenly as they can, so be sure to place them side by side without overlapping.

     Note: They will shrink as they bake.

I mentioned earlier how ridiculously healthy kale is.

Kale is one of the most nutritious vegetables that I bet most people have a) never heard about or b) never eat.

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6, 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, 1,020% of vitamin K and is reasonably rich in calcium. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Kale is a superstar in the arena of carotenoids and flavonoids, two powerful antioxidants that protect our cells from free radicals that cause oxidative stress. Also, kale provides omega-3 fatty acids that helps regulate the body’s inflammatory process.

Not only do kale’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities work together to prevent and even combat cancer, a healthy diet of kale also provides glucosinolates, which have been shown to prevent colon, breast, bladder, prostate, ovarian cancers, as well as gastric cancer.

So, have I convinced you to eat your kale?

Kale chips have become a favorite of ours. Rinaldo & I polish of an entire batch in a sitting. I encourage you to give them a try if you’ve never made them before. I usually bake them with only olive oil and salt on them, but I like to change things up a little bit and make them more fun sometimes!

I hope everyone has a wonderful & healthy weekend!

The greatest wealth is health.  ~Virgil

Lisa