Friday, February 17, 2012

Kale Chips (Dairy, Gluten and Refined Sugar Free)

I could go on and on about the benefits of kale.  It really is a super food, one of the best vegetables out there.  This dark green leafy vegetable is high in fibre, vitamin A and calcium.   It has one of the highest antioxidant levels, making it an excellent fighter against cancer.  Kale also works as a detoxifier, helping the body eliminate what it doesn't need.   
These chips are an wonderful way to enjoy this awesome vegetable.  They can be made in a dehydrator, keeping them raw or in your oven.

Ingredients
  • 1 large bunch kale
  • 1/2 lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, flax seed oil or grapeseed oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup or any other natural sweeteners

 Alternative combinations:
Add garlic salt, dill or cayenne

Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 300F and line two baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Remove the leaves from stems and tear them into large bite size pieces (they will shrink considerably once baked.)
  3. In a large bowl mix kale, oil, and salt. Using your hands mix all ingredients together making sure to fully coat the kale.  The kale will shrink down in size.
  4. Pour your sweetener over the kale and mix again using your hands to fully coat the leaves.
  5. Lay kale out on your prepared baking sheets, making sure they do not overlap.
  6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes checking frequently to make sure they don't burn or dehydrate at 115F for 8 hours.



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5 comments:

  1. shannonC17 February 2012 at 20:22

    I have made these a couple times now. My friend is better at making them. Our recipe is a little different, but man they are so good. So good.

    Shannon C

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  2. Denise27 February 2012 at 14:29

    Very good! Abrielle and myself love them! Thanks!

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  3. Irene Shaver27 February 2012 at 14:31

    Thanks we love them too and a nice healthy alternative.

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  4. Leslie Goodbar4 February 2013 at 20:32

    This recipe yields a great flavor. I had to run the baking in 5 minute increments (after the initial 15) because the smaller pieces get crispy faster than the larger. Also, it's important to make sure you get a large bunch of kale. The farmer's market only had small bunches which meant smaller pieces, which took more time and yielded a smaller quantity. I doubled the recipe for three small heads of kale and had a little extra lemon dressing left over. The amount of moisture (water from washing, size of lemon, etc.) will also affect cooking time but in general, the smaller pieces were ready in about 20, the larger 25 or 30 minutes.

    A lot of people really liked these, even those who had never tried kale before, but I found that after everything was crispy perfection out of the oven and cooled, became uncrispy after a couple hours in a closed tupperware container and sitting out for a short bit at a potluck. That was slightly disappointing, but I really liked this recipe's healthy ingredients, with low oil and very little sweetener. I will definitely make it again and can't wait to try garlic, dill and cayenne variations in seasoning, (but this time consume immediately)...great idea for movie night in lieu of popcorn!

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    Replies
    1. Irene Shaver6 February 2013 at 15:19

      awesome thank you so much for the feedback. I love them too and in fact need to make them again. I agree they don't keep crispy very well.

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