Roasted Kale Chips
Before you buy kale snacks or kale chips at your healthy local food store, think about making them yourself! They are easy to make and cheap, too. Kale is a healthy food snack for many restrictive diets. Kale chips are naturally gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free, grain-free, vegan and soy-free. You can also make kale chips to your liking by making them spicy, savory, cheesy, sweet, etc.
Ingredients
To make kale chips, you will need the following ingredients:
- One bunch of fresh raw kale
- One tablespoon of olive oil
- One teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- One-fourth cup of grated parmigiano reggiano, or any grated hard cheese of your choice
- A pinch of sea salt
Steps to making roasted kale chips
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cut up or rip apart the fresh kale into three to four inch pieces, discarding any hard stems as these are hard to digest.
- Sprinkle the olive oil and cayenne pepper over the kale.
- Grate cheese on top of the kale, oil and pepper.
- Toss thoroughly to mix up the ingredients, and spread your kale over a nonstick baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Eat your kale chips plain, or you can sprinkle them with finishing spices.
You can be as creative as you want with your kale chips. Use any spices and toppings to make your chips your own. You can also double or triple the recipe to make a larger serving. This could be a great healthy snack for a get-together.
Other spices and flavors to try
Here are some additional spices and flavorings you might want to consider:
- Garlic powder
- Barbecue seasoning
- Malt vinegar
- Curry powder
- Smoked paprika
- Onion powder
- Lemon
- Nut powder
- Sunflower seeds
- Nutritional yeast
- Mustard
Prepping your kale
Kale is a very bitter green vegetable. If it is too bitter for your taste preferences, massaging the kale might be a good option for you to make it less bitter. If you are cooking or baking your kale, massaging it is not necessary. But if you are going to eat it raw, working the kale will break down its cellular structure, causing the kale to wilt and reduce in flavor.
You can simply hold bunches of kale leaves in your hands, and rub them together until their texture becomes smooth. You can try tasting the kale as you massage it so you know when it is ready for you to eat.
Kale nutrition facts
While it is known that kale is highly nutritious and extremely good for you, having too much of it is not good. Kale is very high in fiber, and too much fiber can disrupt your digestive system. Too much kale can be especially risky if you have kidney conditions too such as kidney stones.
Balance and moderation is key in every diet, even when it comes to healthy foods. Ideally, you should eat one to two cups of green leafy vegetables per day, and these include kale, broccoli, collard greens, arugula, Brussels sprouts and cabbage just to name some.
