September 14, 2011

A Super Easy & Super Healthy Snack: Kale Chips!




I had been hearing about Kale Chips everywhere I went lately and was dying to try my own hand at it despite being somewhat weary of anything made from kale (one of my childhood/adolescent/teenage most hated foods) when much to my surprise I called into my friend S. only to find a big glorious bowl of her first attempt!...the verdict: YUM-TOWN! I couldn’t believe how tasty they were. The kale was there, no doubt, but it was nothing like the horror of my youth! so salty and crispy that I struggled hard, and possibly lost the battle of not devouring the entire bowl myself!

S. assured me that it was one of the most simple things she had made and boy, was she right!

Literally all that needs to be done is:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Wash and spin dry the kale
3. Toss in the oil of your choice & season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4. Place on a baking tray & bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, tossing them at the 7 minute mark.

My first attempt turned out great except for being a bit heavy on the salt so season lightly! On my most recent attempt I seasoned them with a very light dusting of hot chilli powder, in addition to the sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. I actually think that the seasoning possibilities are endless and I can't wait to try out more flavours!

The only problem that you could possibly have with this super easy and super healthy snack is the necessity to brush your teeth directly after eating because those crispy little flakes get EVERYWHERE!

If you are still unsure about this amazing snack let me try to reassure you:
Kale in addition to being one of the more affordable vegetables, is a form of cabbage and is also known as borecole
This of course makes it sound pretty yuck but after making it into the above chips you can laugh your tummy full in the knowledge that you are filling your body with a total super food which is a great source of:
- Beta Carotene
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Magnesium
- Kutein
- Zeaxanthin
- Dietary Fibre
- Calcium
- Indole-3-carbinol
- Sulforaphane
- Carotenoids
- Isothiocyanates
- Over 45 different Flavonoids

...and If you want to get on the Kale bandwagon but can't get your hands on the curly green stuff I have found it in Superquinn and Lidl and S. tells me that she found hers in the Temple Bar food market.

1 comment:

Nork said...

Yes! I had the pleasure of trying these Kale Chips and they are truely addictive. It's weird enjoying something with a crispy crunch so much that's actually good for you.