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| Kale chips and potato chips attended a party together and made some friends. |
But there's one vegetable that tops them all in the vile-to-veggie-haters category and that is kale. The evil kale, that we all should know by now is about the best thing we can eat to stave off inflammation and to boost immune systems. But even PK, who is a veggie lover and ardent gardener, can turn squeamish about kale. Any hint of "strong taste" and he's outta there. But he has another reason for being kale-adverse.
"Do you remember what it did to your BREATH?!" he asked. Rudely, very rudely, when I announced my intention to make kale chips again.
The last time I made kale chips was a few weeks back when we needed a party appetizer. I'd avoided making them before because I thought they'd be too much trouble and kale was not yet growing in the cold frame. But I kept running across recipes exclaiming the ease and deliciousness of kale chips, not to mention their superior nutritional value, so I purchased organic curly kale and started with what seemed a huge amount of torn leaves arranged on two cookie sheets.
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| Raw kale tossed with olive oil and seasoned salt on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet.
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Not ANY chip, of course, but Tim's Jalapeno Potato Chips. God, I love them. They are my junk food of choice. Just because I'm big into healthy eating and vegetables and low carbness doesn't mean I'm perfect and can't treat myself to a potato chip now and then. (Like maybe a few every day.) So combining them with the ultra virtuous kale chips is a perfect exercise in yin and yang, good and evil, and party pooper and party savor. (get it?)
When making the first batch, I did a fair amount of of kale-chip tasting, just to make sure they were edible, which made my tongue green and, apparently, my breath fetid, although that could have been because I seasoned the kale with garlic salt. PK did not appreciate my breath, but despite his crinkled up nose, the combo was a hit at the party.
Those who endeavor to eat "healthy" loved the kale chips, and even the people who say screw it when it comes to vegetables, took the plunge by trying a kale chip chased by a jalapeno chip, declared it all good, and came back for more.
So if you'd like to be a hit with a potluck appetizer, even with the kale-adverse group, try this. It's easy! Especially ripping open the potato chip package and dumping it in with the kale chips. I tried to go half and half. By the way, the kale chips disappeared first.
Kale Chips—with a little optional help from Tim
- Purchase, or harvest from your garden, one large bunch of kale. Rinse and dry, then remove and discard stems and inner ribs.
- Dump the kale into a large bowl and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Most recipes call for one tablespoon.
- Season the kale carefully with salt* and, if you like, pepper. I included a squirt of Sriracha sauce to befriend Tim's chips. I also sprinkled in a little garlic powder.
- Mix kale, oil, and seasonings with your hands until evenly coated.
- Spread in one layer on two cookie sheets. Parchment paper eases clean-up.
- Bake in a 250* degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the chips are dry/crisp. Check after 15 minutes and rearrange chips and/or turn the cookies on oven racks.
- Remove chips from the pans and cool on racks.
Mixing with Tim's Jalapeno Potato Chips is optional, of course. But if you're headed to a party,.......Aim to please!
* Kale chip recipes abound, and flavored gourmet salts are popular seasonings, as are curry and pepper flakes. Season sparingly, remembering how that big pile of kale shrinks into a small pile.
* I've seen recipes calling for higher temps and shorter baking times. I like the cooler oven as the danger of burning the chips is less.
Just yesterday Noel and I simultaneously admitted to a strong craving for potato chips...something I have not eaten for well over a year. I can't have them in the house because I'm incapable of exercising even a modicum of moderation where chips are concerned. Literally, I can't eat just one..or two or twenty. It's the whole bag or nothing. I've made kale chips but I wasn't crazy about them. I think I baked them at a too high temperature and they got overdone. It must have been the garlic flavoring that caused a breath issue. My favorite way to eat kale is in a soup recipe I discovered accidentally when we were moving and I had to use up things in the fridge: saute 1-2 cups diced panchetta or bacon, remove. Then sweat 2 cups diced onions in the drippings. (add some oil if you're using panchetta) Stir in as much rough-chopped kale as you can fit in the pan, put a lid on, cook on low until the kale is softened. In a soup pot put 2-3 cups canned tomatoes (I use the whole Italians and chop 'em into chunks with a spoon, inevitably plopping some tomato juice all over myself and the kitchen in the process)and 2 cups of homemade chicken or veggie stock on to simmer. Add the kale/onion mixuture, 1-2 cups frozen corn (I've eliminated this ingredient since going low carb) and about 2 cups of cannelinni (sp?) beans. I've tried other types of beans but nothing compares. They are worth shopping around for as I've found a variance between about $4 at a shi-shi Italian import store and $.99 for the same thing at a Chinese grocer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes (If you use corn, don't put it in until the end of the cooking time if, like me, you like it a little al dente.) Toss the meat in at the end. Make sure the soup has cooked long enough to really soften the kale. I know beans are a pretty high carb food but, like you with your chips, I eat them now and then.
ReplyDeleteI have made so much kale/chard soup! This recipe sounds great. I haven't put beans in, but next time I will try the cannelinni type.I usually use Italian sausage as flavoring. I bought a bag of cut-up collard greens and followed the recipe on the bag. It called for caramelizing an onion or two? and adding balsamic vinegar. i didn't care for the collard greens but it would be great with kale/chard/spinach.
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