I’ve been a little less present in blogworld lately…it seems to be that there’s just a lot going on. I’ve been on a rampage to learn the ins and outs of my camera before our trip to Hawaii later this year (the same camera I’ve had for a year and a half but rarely take out of auto mode) and I’ve been trying to stay committed to July of Try (aka the follow-up month to June of Doom).
After taking almost a week off from the gym for a variety of reasons, I’m back in my routine, alternating the Brazilian Butt elliptical workout with a run on the treadmill, and doing some ab and arm work on alternating days. It’s about all I can crank out in this crazy heat lately just to do that much. So I’m working equally hard at what I eat, which includes trying several clean eating recipes that have been on my radar for a while. We finally (finally!) get a Whole Foods here, opening tomorrow. I can’t wait to have access to so many natural options for even more snack and meal ideas.
So…kale chips. If you’re like my husband, you’ll gag at the name and perhaps at the sight of them. I have shied away from kale up to this point, hearing about its bitter taste and that many who try it in smoothies or salads are turned off by the flavor. Then I read an article that said to try it baked and with a pinch of salt- that many people find they love kale when prepared this way. I should preface this by saying yes, I am a veggie lover to begin with, but these were seriously like snack crack…I ate an entire bunch of cooked kale in one Saturday afternoon (guilt-free, I might add). A cup of kale has about 30 or so calories, and it’s uber-healthy for you. So snack away!
KALE CHIPS:
1 bunch of kale (I doubled up to make extra)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil (use very sparingly, I used too much in my first batch)
a sprinkling of your favorite seasoned salt (Paula Deen’s is my fave)
Pull the leaves off the stems and toss in a bowl with your olive oil. Get your hands messy and make sure the oil gets rubbed onto every piece. Spread out on a baking sheet sprayed with a light mist of nonstick spray (in the photo above, mine was layered too thickly – in hindsight, I would have split this amount onto two sheets) and finally sprinkle salt over the sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 14 minutes, adding an additional minute or two as needed.
Lay out a few paper towels and use a big spatula to move the cooked kale onto them to fully dry and cool. You can see here just how much it cooks down. I keep mine stored in a big Ziploc bag. Munch as needed.
Enjoy!
I have to say that I have been intrigued by kale chips for a while now, but didn’t have the courage to give it a go….thanks for sharing this, will be giving them a try!