Recipe of the Week: Kale Chips

Green is good, dried out is better, but brown is bad — remove immediately!

When I watched a recent "WTF? (What's This Food?)" podcast on kale, I couldn't believe that such a thing as the thick greens would actually taste like chips with such a simple recipe. But then I was on the phone with my future mother-in-law and she asked if I'd ever heard of kale chips. A friend of hers also raved about them, so I thought I had to try it. The basic idea here is to bake off leaves of kale in the oven, with minimal fat and seasonings, until they're dry — but not browned! This was a lesson I will only learn once.

To make your own kale chips, buy one bunch of Tuscan kale (a dark, almost purple-gray color) which produces roughly 6 cups. It will be enough to fill a rimmed quarter sheet pan. Wash and spin-dry the leaves (or, better yet, fill a bowl or the sink with water and let them swish around to let any dirt fall to the bottom). Then, cut or tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Have the oven warmed to 350-400 degrees. Line your pan with parchment or a silpat. Spritz the leaves with olive oil and a seasoning of your choosing. It was recommended that garlic salt is best here. I also read that nutritional yeast is a good alternative. Once in the oven, watch your kale carefully. I'd heard that 10-15 minutes was the range for great chips. At 10 minutes, I tried a chip and it was... almost there. And then I set a timer for 5 more minutes. (Big mistake) By then, there were only a handful of really good chips and most were goners. What I tasted, though, was pretty good. Considering the nutrient levels of greens, it is definitely a great way to get your greens, and its a nice change of pace from braising or soups. Enjoy!