Kale Chips

Kale chips are a great, flavorful, and healthy snack perfect for munching while watching a movie!

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I am someone who constantly munches. If there is food out, I will eat it. It’s kind of a problem. But if I’m going to munch, I might as well make something healthy and delicious to munch on. kale chips are the prefect solution to my plight. They are crunchy and satisfying.

And the best part? They are easy to make! I honestly thought there was going to be most steps, but oven baked kale chips are simple. And honestly, they have a vibe that is very similar to popcorn (another one of my favorite snacks). Crunchy with a savory twist? Who can resist! (I also wanted to make a savory snack after posting sweet apple chips).

Check out the Make section of MCG for more fun recipes like desserts and savory dishes.

Ingredients

There was not much needed in the way of ingredients. The core of kale chips is, of course, kale. A bit of oil in needed to help get that crunch. And the spices add that extra flavor to really make the kale chips irresistible. I have a love affair with cumin so it’s my go to spice for a lot of dishes. But I do think this is a place you could play if desired.

Process

The process for making kale chips is so simple I don’t know if I’m going to have a lot to write. Step one is prepping the kale. I ended up cutting / tearing the kale into pieces that were approximately one-inch squares. Having a consistent size helps the chip at a consistent rate. Too many differences can result in some being undercooked or burning.

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Then I tossed the kale in a bowl with oil, salt, cumin, and paprika. I really tried to coat every piece of kale in the spice mixture because every piece deserved to be full of flavor.  But that’s all there is for the food prep. Pretty simple, right?

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With the ingredients prepped, I placed down a layer of kale on a baking sheet. It’s best to have every piece exposed to get an even bake. And it’s into the oven! After the kale chips finishing baking, they are ready to eat.

Reflections

Kale chips take little effort to make and are delicious. There really is not much downside from them! I am curious to play with other spice mixes (old bay, I’m looking at you) to see how well they blend with the kale. And how well the kale can take on certain flavors. But for a quick, crunchy, healthy snack, I would choose kale chips.

Lessons

Coating in Oil

There are many befits that can come from coating a food in oil before baking. The oil creates a layer around the food which can add multiple properties. For foods that are large (like potatoes, or meat) it can help keep the food hydrated and prevent them from losing too much moisture. This doesn’t really happen for flatter objects like kale.

Oil is also very conductive when it comes to heat. This allows the edges of the food to brown and crisp better as the surface of the food is getting more heat. Oil can also prevent food from sticking to a cooking surface which can result in a more even cook.

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