From My Recipe Box to Yours: Kale Chips

Background information on this recipe: Lenny the Bearded Magical Dragon needs to eat lots of leafy greens, but salad greens just won't cut it (not much nutrition in them), so one day I bought him a bunch of kale. Still being a wee little ectotherm, he cannot eat the entire bunch, so I went searching for a recipe. This is what I found (copyright goes to Food Network and the Neeleys) and it's delicious! I make it every time I buy kale! I will also add some cook's notes at the end.

Health Benefits of Kale: Kale is a dark leafy green, a relative to cabbage. Unlike most lettuces us Americans like to put in salads, kale is extremely nutritious. It contains, but is not limited to: beta carotene, vitamins C, K, and A, has some calcium, and sulforaphane, which is suspected to have anti-cancer properties. So see, it's good for you!

If you are hesitant to try this, might I add this: Using this recipe, they honestly taste like potato chips! Really, they do! (And because you probably have all the ingredients in your house already, except the kale, it will be a very cheap, healthy snack!)

Here's the recipe: Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale, washed and dried well
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Tear the leaves off the center rib of the kale and tear into large pieces. Place leaves in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and toss until completely coated.

Divide kale between 2 baking sheets lined with parchment. Arrange in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until crisp. Place in a serving bowl and sprinkle with brown sugar.

Cooks's Notes:

-Be very, very careful with how much salt and pepper you sprinkle. It is very easy on this recipe to over season them. So I would just do a pinch or so each of salt and pepper. Remember, you can always add more seasoning to them later! But taking away seasoning, well...

-The brown sugar sounds weird, I know, but it's actually quite delicious! Especially if you like sweet-n-salty nut mixes or salted mochas. Oddly enough, salt and sugar go well together.

-I have tried these multiple ways: with brown sugar, without the brown sugar but with the salt and pepper, with Creole seasoning, and just salt. They are all good! The best part about this recipe is that the taste of kale really recedes, so you could flavor these with pretty much anything and I think they would taste good. Next time, try your favorite chips flavor (like salt and vinegar, sour cream and onion, etc) or your favorite herb. The next time I make them, I think I will try it with garlic salt (while leaving the salt out).

-I have noticed that 25 minutes might be a bit too long, especially if you only cook one sheet at a time. What I do is test them every 5 minutes or so and take individual "chips" out as they reach my desired crispiness. That way they don't get burned. Larger pieces will take longer.

-You will notice discoloration of the kale, that's normal. It's from the olive oil.

-Your first batch probably won't turn out perfectly (mine sure didn't). Use your first batch as a trial run, figuring out which crispiness you like best, and note how long it took. If you under cook them, they will be kind of chewy, so you'll know next time to cook it longer.

-Lastly, store in an air-tight container, they will last a few days, but my guess is that they won't last that long!